Used Equipment Financing Brokerage
Banks routinely decline to finance used commercial equipment because it's hard to value and depreciates unpredictably, but specialty lenders will fund it at higher rates - and most small operators buying used gear have no idea those lenders exist. A broker who maintains relationships with 5-10 used-equipment lenders and knows which asset types each one favors can place deals banks won't touch and collect 1-5 points in commission per closing.
A genuinely underserved niche - conventional banks avoid used equipment, and most buyers don't know specialty lenders exist - but it's a relationship and trust business, not a product business, so ramp-up in the first 6-12 months is the real bottleneck while lenders vet a new broker's deal quality.
Used equipment lenders like Crest Capital, Balboa Capital, and Currency Capital exist specifically because banks won't underwrite older, harder-to-appraise assets, and they pay brokers 1-5 points depending on deal size and asset type. The catch is that these lenders vet new brokers carefully before assigning full commission splits or fast-track underwriting, so the first several months are about proving deal quality, not volume - brokers who over-promise on shaky applicants burn relationships fast.
Suits you if
- ✓You have prior experience in commercial lending, equipment sales, or B2B finance
- ✓You're comfortable with a commission-only income ramp for the first several months
- ✓You enjoy relationship-building with lenders and dealers more than closing transactional retail sales
- ✓You can read financial statements and explain loan terms clearly to non-finance buyers
Skip it if
- ✕You need predictable monthly income from day one
- ✕You dislike cold outreach to lenders and equipment dealers for referral partnerships
- ✕You're not willing to learn the underwriting quirks of 5+ different lenders
- ✕You want a business with physical inventory or a storefront
| Units | Revenue range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $15,000–$24,000 | |
| 25 | $37,500–$60,000 | |
| 50 | $75,000–$120,000 |
Skills: Core skills are financial literacy (reading tax returns, balance sheets, and equipment appraisals), sales/relationship-building with both borrowers and lender account reps, and organizational discipline to track applications through underwriting without dropping deals.
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