CBA Cuts Inactive Brokers: What Borrowers Need to Know

CBA has removed brokers who haven't lodged a loan in 12 months from its panel as part of a wider trend of big banks deepening ties with a smaller cohort.

If you're working with a mortgage broker to buy a home or refinance your loan, a significant shift at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) that took effect on 19 June 2026 is worth understanding. The bank has begun removing brokers from its accredited panel — specifically those who have not submitted a home loan application through CBA in the past 12 months.

The move is framed as a quality and governance measure, but it also reflects a broader industry trend: Australia's major banks are pulling back from the broker channel and building out their direct lending operations.

What CBA Did and Why

[Australian Broker](https://www.brokernews.com.au/news/breaking-news/cba-cleaning-up-broker-network-289539.aspx) reports that CBA sent a note to brokers on 19 June confirming the de-accreditation of those who had been inactive for 12 months or more, or had breached the broker code of conduct.

"Brokers play a critical role in helping Australians achieve property ownership. As the third-party channel grows, we are focused on deepening relationships with those who actively work with us to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience for customers," said Baber Zaka, general manager, third-party banking at CBA.

The bank also outlined enhanced support for active top-tier brokers. Platinum brokers will receive increased credit assessment support, one-day service level agreements, and fully assessed pre-approvals — an indication that CBA intends to concentrate resources on its most productive broker relationships rather than maintaining a broad but shallow panel.

There's a commercial logic behind the clean-up. CBA shifted its focus toward direct lending last year, with home loans now making up nearly 70 per cent of its proprietary flow. Just one-third of the bank's overall mortgage volumes now come through the broker channel. CBA has noted that broker-originated loans are 20 to 30 per cent less profitable than those written directly through its own channels.

A Wider Industry Shift

CBA is not alone in recalibrating its approach to the broker market, and the trend matters for any borrower who relies on a broker for home loan access.

National Australia Bank (NAB) reported that its proprietary lending channels reached 50 per cent in March 2026 — up sharply from 35.3 per cent of all new lending in the second half of 2023. NAB's chief executive has signalled a move to focus on "a smaller cohort of brokers" with whom the bank has strong relationships and where it believes it can achieve above-cost-of-capital returns. "We'll be focusing on those brokers where we believe that we'll get flows that are closer to our appetite in terms of above-cost-of-capital lending," the CEO said.

ANZ Chief Executive Officer Nuno Matos announced in 2025 that ANZ would prioritise growing in-house mortgage origination under its five-year ANZ 2030 strategy — though its proprietary share has since eased to 31 per cent, down from 33 per cent. Bank of Queensland has also flagged plans to reduce its reliance on the broker channel.

The direction of travel across the majors is clear: direct lending carries higher margins, and the banks are investing accordingly. For borrowers, this has real implications for the breadth of lender access a broker can offer.

What This Means If You're Working With a Broker

For most borrowers the CBA clean-up will be invisible. Active brokers who regularly write CBA loans will be unaffected. But if your broker hasn't submitted a CBA application in the past 12 months, their accreditation may no longer be current — which means CBA won't be part of any comparison they run for you.

A few practical things to keep in mind:

**Ask whether your broker is still CBA-accredited.** If you want CBA included in your home loan comparison, it's a straightforward question to raise. A professional broker will be upfront about which lenders they're able to access.

**Panel size isn't everything.** A broker with a focused, well-understood lender panel can deliver better outcomes than one spread thin across dozens of lenders. The quality of the credit recommendation matters more than the number of logos on the wall.

**The broader market stays competitive.** Whether or not CBA is on your broker's panel, there are many lenders actively competing for your business. Our [cheapest home loans comparison](/home-loans/cheapest) covers the market across lenders, and the [refinance savings calculator](/calculators/refinance-savings) can show you what switching to a lower rate could mean in real dollar terms over the life of your loan.

If you're refinancing or weighing your options, our [refinance hub](/home-loans/refinance) walks through the key steps and what to look for when switching lenders.