Our Story

Built on 20 years of doing this properly.

Commercial Finance Australia provides sophisticated credit advisory and structural modeling for business owners, developers, and property investors. Led by ex-bank treasury practitioners, we bridge the gap between complex client scenarios and direct institutional funding desks.

Established 2004
·
Direct Underwriter channels
·
MFAA & AFCA Member
·
50+ Accredited Lenders
The Beginning

Founded in Sydney. Built for commercial complexity.

Virginia Graham Riches established the brokerage in 2004 in Bondi Junction, initially working with corporate borrowers and developers. Virginia came to credit advisory from a background as an interest rate dealer at ANZ treasury — bringing an understanding of how institutions price debt curves, assess asset valuations, and frame credit covenants that standard retail brokers simply do not possess.

Phil Riches joined the firm in 2010, having spent years at Westpac across home, investment, and commercial banking. Together they built the firm's approach: small, highly experienced advisory team; direct underwriter desking; long-term client tenure; own Australian Credit Licence (ACL 387460).

Featured in Australian Broker magazine, Phil has spoken publicly about why the relationship between a client and their broker changes what you can achieve. In commercial lending, you are arguing a case to credit teams, and ex-bank expertise determines the outcome before submission.

2004
Established
50+
Lenders
ACL
Own Credit Licence
15yr
Avg Client Tenure
Our Philosophy

Why We Direct-Desk Commercial Deals

01

Own Credit Licence

We operate under our own Australian Credit Licence (ACL 387460). We are directly accountable to ASIC and our clients — not bound by aggregator quotas or retail banking queues.

02

Direct Partner Contact

You deal directly with your broker — from scenario modeling through to settlement and long-term annual reviews. We do not pass your business files down to junior assistants.

03

Treasury & Policy Knowledge

Lenders maintain complex, shifting policy definitions. We study these policies directly, allowing us to align your corporate trusts, ABN timelines, and assets with the right underwriter appetite.

04

Long-Term Strategy

Our average client tenure is 15 years. We help businesses grow from single warehouse operators into multi-centre childcare syndicates or multi-state medical networks.

05

Referrals Built on Trust

We coordinate closely with our clients' accounting firms and legal counsels, ensuring that tax treatments, trust distributions, and asset ownership conform to long-term goals.

06

Direct Negotiation

Unlike residential lending, commercial rates are negotiated. We package commercial files with meticulous detail to argue for lower margins and custom covenant structures.

Virginia Graham Riches — Founding Partner
Founding Partner

Virginia Graham Riches

Former ANZ Treasury Interest Rate Dealer Broker Since 2004 Asset Arbitrage Specialist

Virginia came to mortgage and commercial broking from the ANZ treasury dealing room, where she traded interest rates. That background gives her a unique perspective on debt pricing, swap rates, and risk modeling. Her clients include corporate executives, property developers, and medical specialists who value direct, peer-level financial analysis.

Virginia oversees the strategic direction of Commercial Finance Australia, working alongside business owners to design long-term structures for superannuation property trusts and commercial acquisitions.

CEO & Lead Advisor

Phil Riches

Former Westpac Commercial Banker Featured in Australian Broker Commercial Credit Specialist

Phil Riches brings extensive commercial banking experience from his career at Westpac, where he assessed property developments, corporate expansions, and equipment facilities. Phil joined Virginia in 2010, establishing client referral partnerships with leading accounting firms and financial planners.

Phil specializes in the desking and negotiation of complex loan structures. His ex-bank background allows him to package client files to directly target bank credit requirements, minimizing credit assessment loops and securing discretionary pricing margins.

Phil Riches — CEO & Senior Broker
Speak With Our Partners

Let's discuss your commercial transaction.

We look forward to reviewing your credit structure and securing your funding options.

Part of Finance on the Coast

The commercial desk of Finance on the Coast

Commercial Finance Australia is the commercial desk of Finance on the Coast — same brokers, same licence (Model Mortgages Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 387460, ABN 82 108 681 063). Happy to just deal with the team?

Commercial AI Copilot

Policy Engine Active
Hello! I am your Commercial Finance AI Copilot. I can share general information about childcare going-concern lending, commercial property, chattel mortgages, SMSF lending, or low-doc finance. This is general information only — not credit advice or a quote.

Suggested Questions:

Running policy engine model. Set GEMINI_API_KEY to activate live Gemini AI.

General information only — not credit advice or a quote. A broker will assess your situation.