Some deals come together without friction. The client has trading history, a clean credit file, the right documents, and an asset that fits. You place it with a lender, it settles, everyone moves on.
Then there are the other ones.
The business is three months old. Or the credit file has marks on it. The financials are thin. Or the client doesn’t fit into any lender’s policy.
You’ve spent time on it, tried two or three lenders, and now you’re about to close the file.
Before you do, run through the following five questions.
They take about 60 seconds, and they’ll tell you whether that deal is worth one more conversation – this time with ARG.
1. Is the vehicle for business?
ARG’s Rent To Buy solution is a commercial rental agreement. The asset needs a real role inside the client’s business.
Think along the lines of a ute carrying tools to job sites… Or a van running deliveries… Or a truck moving freight.
The asset type can vary – what matters is that it connects to how the client earns.
If the vehicle is for personal use, it’s not an ARG scenario.
But if it’s for work, keep going.
2. Is there a credible way the client will earn from it?
This is where the conversation gets interesting.
A new business won’t have BAS statements or two years of profit and loss. But the person behind it might have a decade of experience and confirmed work lined up.
ARG places weight on future earning potential and the source of the work – not just what the client can prove about the past.
So ask:
- What work is waiting?
- Who is supplying it?
- Does the expected income make sense against the rental?
If the answers stack up, keep going.
3. Is lender policy the thing blocking the deal?
This is one of the clearest signals.
The client might have:
- a new ABN,
- limited trading history,
- credit defaults,
- a low score,
- a previous Part 9,
- a past bankruptcy,
- visa circumstances,
- or limited access to standard financial documents.
None of those guarantee an ARG approval. But none of them end the conversation either.
ARG can consider scenarios that lenders can’t.
Your job isn’t to decide whether ARG will approve the deal. It’s to recognise when the reason a lender said ‘no’ doesn’t mean the deal is done.
4. Does the asset match the work?
A subcontractor earning modest income doesn’t need a $120,000 vehicle. A courier who needs a delivery van probably can’t explain why they’re trying to buy a sedan.
When the asset matches the work, the scenario is easier to assess.
You can also check ARG’s in-stock vehicle list.
In-stock assets are workshop-checked and ready to go, with the Mandatory First Payment starting as low as 6%. Where everything lines up, handover can happen within 24-48 hours of documentation and payment being complete.
For a client tight on upfronts who needs the vehicle to start earning, all of that counts.
5. Can the business carry the weekly rental?
Before you lodge anything, test it.
The rental calculator in ARG’s Partner Portal lets you enter the asset details, the vehicle price, and the proposed Mandatory First Payment.
It returns an indicative weekly rental and can generate a PDF quote showing the option to buy figures at at every 12 month interval for the 5 year contract term.
The best part is, using the rental calculator this way means you don’t have to submit an application and your client’s credit file remains untouched.
So ask:
- Can the business carry it?
- Does it make sense against the work?
- Does the Mandatory First Payment work?
If yes, you’ve got something worth progressing.
One thing worth understanding
Brokers sometimes hear “Rent To Buy” and think of it as finance with different packaging.
It’s not.
Rent To Buy is a five-year commercial rental agreement with fixed weekly rental payments. At 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60 months, the client has a pre-agreed option to buy the asset.
There’s no interest rate, no comparison rate, and no loan term.
This matters because the conversation with the client needs to reflect it.
You’re not offering a lender with different policy. You’re offering a different commercial structure altogether.
What this looks like in practice
Let’s say you’ve got a carpenter with a three week old ABN, but nine years of experience. He’s got a confirmed subcontracting opportunity and needs a dual-cab ute. He’s also got previous defaults and limited financials because the business is new.
Run the five questions:
- Commercial asset? Yes.
- Work opportunity? Yes.
- Blocked by lender policy? Yes.
- Asset fits the work? Yes.
- Weekly rental works? Check it in the Partner Portal.
That’s not a deal to close the file on. That’s a phone call to your BDM.
When to think of ARG
The brokers who get the most from ARG are the ones who’ve built the pattern recognition.
→ New ABN with a real work opportunity? Think ARG.
→ Credible business story but thin financials? Think ARG.
→ Credit issues but a commercial asset that generates income? Think ARG.
→ Client needs a vehicle now but doesn’t fit lender policy? Think ARG.
You don’t need to know whether ARG will approve it – you just need to know when to ask.
Not sure? Send it anyway.
Some of the best ARG enquiries start with a broker saying “I’m not sure if this one’s for you”.
That’s fine. Give us the basics around what the client does, what vehicle they need, what’s blocking the lending route, and where the income is coming from.
Your BDM will tell you whether it’s worth going further.
The point isn’t to send ARG every commercial vehicle enquiry you get, but rather to make sure you don’t close a file on a deal that could still settle.
Got a scenario that sounds like the above? Speak with your ARG BDM and let us take a look: [email protected]
