The major bank has reported strong demand for self-serve mortgages, as online home loan applications increased fivefold in September 2025 compared to a year ago.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has stated that online home loan application submissions are five times higher year on year.
CBA’s digital channel allows customers to apply online for a range of CBA-branded products, including Standard Variable Rate, Fixed Rate, Simple, and its newest offering, Digi Home Loans, which launched last year, and offers the bank’s lowest advertised variable rate for owner-occupiers.
The major bank said that when comparing the number of home loan applications submitted online in September 2025 with the same period in 2024, online home loan application submissions were five times higher year on year.
While the bank has not revealed the actual number of digital mortgage applications, it said that applications from first home buyers increased fourfold year on year.
Customers aged 31–40 made up more than a third (34 per cent) of all online application submissions, while customers aged 21–30 were found to be the fastest-growing cohort.
Older Australians were also transacting online for their home loan, with applications from people in their 50s roughly quadrupling in the same period.
The largest proportion of borrowers taking out a digital loan was experienced borrowers (those who had taken out a loan before), with online applications for this cohort having increased six times year on year.
Australia’s largest lender suggested that the increasing popularity of self-serve digital mortgage signalled “a shift in consumer behaviour”, with more people comfortable researching their options, checking their borrowing power, and learning what’s achievable before applying for their home loan online.
This is despite a record proportion of Australian borrowers using a broker for their home loan needs.
The executive general manager of home buying, Marcos Meneguzzi, said: “We’ve seen strong growth in the digital channel because customers want more flexibility over how they start the process.
“As Australia’s largest lender, we can see this trend across all types of customers. People are blending digital and personal support to get the experience that suits them best.
“Traditionally, first home buyers have preferred a face-to-face experience, but that’s starting to change.
“Just as they’re comfortable researching and shopping online for everyday purchases, they’re now applying the same habits to bigger decisions like buying a home.”
However, he added: “This isn’t about moving away from our existing channels – it’s about providing choice and additional support through lenders once an application is submitted.
“Some customers prefer to begin online, others want to talk in person. What matters is that they can choose what works best for them.”
The major bank has been funnelling more focus and investment into its direct channel in recent years, particularly through digital channels, as a means of increasing returns.
The push has seen CBA’s proprietary home loan flows outpace those of brokers, with the bank’s most recent full-year results revealing that the share of new proprietary-originated home loans for CBA (excluding Bankwest and ASB Bank) was 67 per cent over the financial year 2025, growing from 65 per cent a year previously.
CBA will release its first quarter trading update next week (11 November).
[Related: Share of proprietary loans grows at CBA, new AI partnership announced]
