Bluestone Home Loans has tapped Police Bank and MoneyQuest alum Lina Gray as its new state manager for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Gray, who reports directly to Bluestone Chief Commercial Officer Tony MacRae, will lead the area's business development team, and has been tasked with building and providing on-the-ground expertise in the region to help brokers handle complicated loan deals.
"NSW and ACT remain key markets for Bluestone, with strong demand for this type of lending expertise," MacRae told Australian Broker. "Lina's focus will be on leading a high-performing NSW and ACT team, further strengthening capability across the region and ensuring brokers have access to experienced local support when navigating more complex lending scenarios.
"Lina brings extensive experience across broker distribution and lending," he continued. "Her appointment strengthens our support across NSW and ACT and reflects our continued investment in providing brokers with the expertise, service and accessibility they can rely on every day.
"For us, great service starts with clarity," MacRae added. "Whether that's discussing a scenario upfront, communicating requirements clearly, or keeping brokers informed throughout the process, giving brokers certainty helps them deliver better outcomes for their customers. We're excited about the experience, leadership and energy Lina will bring as we continue to grow across NSW and ACT."
Sydney-based Gray's resume spans two decades, with stints at Macquarie Group, AAA Commercial Finance Group, Police Bank and Bayside Residential and Commercial Mortgages. Most recently, she served as state relationship manager for NSW/ACT at MoneyQuest.
"I joined Bluestone because what the business stands for genuinely aligns with what I believe in," Gray said. "There are customers who don’t fit neatly into a traditional lending box, and they deserve someone willing to understand their story and help find a way forward.
"Over the next 12 months, I want us to continue deepening our market presence, strengthening relationships with existing partners and ensuring we're delivering a consistently high standard of service across every interaction," she continued. "Success will be measured not only by growth, but by the quality of the experience we provide and the confidence brokers have in bringing complex lending scenarios to Bluestone.
"I've spent 20 years building relationships across lending and aggregation, and I know that when brokers trust you with their customers, that trust has to be earned every day," Gray added. "I'm bringing that customer-first mindset, my broker relationships and my experience leading high-performing teams to Bluestone, and I'm incredibly excited about what we can build across NSW."
Meanwhile, Bluestone's own growth story reflects the rising demand for specialty lending. The firm, which turned 25 last year, lodged more than a billion dollars in new loan applications earlier this year. That came as its alt doc lending continued to surge, rising 260% year-on-year in 2024, a 39-fold increase since 2019.
Over the past year, Bluestone has also expanded its commercial property investment and residential construction loans, as well as expat loans and residential loans with limits up to $5 million, in response to growing demand for more specialised lending solutions.
"We're hearing from brokers that many customers no longer fit traditional lending categories," MacRae said. "More Australians are self-employed, earning income from multiple sources, working as contractors or rebuilding after a period of financial disruption. While these customers are often financially capable, their circumstances can be harder to assess through standardised credit models.
"That's where specialist lending continues to play an important role, helping brokers find solutions for customers whose financial story may be more complex than a standard application can capture," he added.
