How a deal moves through Clunes.

The first meeting is not a product pitch. It is a conversation about the operation — the land, the enterprise, the debt, and what the operator is trying to achieve. Most of the work at this stage is listening.

A financing structure that does not fit the operation is not a structure at all. We spend the time to understand the business before we discuss the finance.

Once we understand the operation, we scope the transaction. That means identifying the right product — whether rural lending, asset finance, or a combination — and the right lenders for that specific deal.

Not every deal suits every lender. We know the panel and we know their appetite. Scoping means matching the deal to the lenders who are likely to approve it, not the lenders who are easiest to approach.

Where the deal warrants it, we run a formal process. That means preparing the credit submission, approaching the right lenders, and managing the process through to credit approval.

For straightforward deals, the process is lighter. For complex transactions — succession, private credit, multi-lender structures — we manage a more thorough process. We will tell you which applies at the outset.

When we have credit approvals, we present the options in plain language. That means the rate, the structure, the covenants, the fees, and the trade-offs between options.

We do not recommend on the basis of commission. We present what each option means for the operation and let the operator decide.

We manage the deal through to settlement. That means coordinating with the lender, the solicitors, and any other parties required to complete the transaction.

After settlement, we stay close. Circumstances change — rates move, lenders change appetite, businesses grow. Most of our clients are with us for the next decade. We are available when things change.