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According to research from RedZed, self-employed women are the fastest growing segment for residential, investor and commercial building loans.
The rate of growth is outpacing male counterparts. Since 2020, there has been a $2 billion surge in loans to female borrowers at RedZed.
Average loan sizes are also on the rise as they hit $600,000 in 2025, up from $530,000 in 2020.
Women now make up a third of RedZed’s clientele, up from 25 per cent a decade ago.
According to the lender, these trends speak to the growing appetite for women to venture into the self-employed space.
Entrepreneurial spirit is high and there is a boosted confidence among this segment of borrower.
The growth rate of female millionaires is up 5.7 per cent from this time last year, while males grew 3.6 per cent, all while dealing with an average gender pay gap of 21.8 per cent in the private sector. For every $1 on average a man makes, women earn 78¢. Over the course of a year, that adds up to $28,425.
RedZed also noted that women’s savings are 27 per cent lower than men’s. Super balances are lower, too. Women aged 60–64 have an average super balance of $289,180 compared to $359,870 for men. This is well below the $540,000 benchmark for a comfortable retirement.
RedZed’s chief sales and marketing officer, Natalie Irvine, said the rise of women in leadership is a “historic turning point” as their presence in business continues to grow.
This is likely to continue as RedZed noted that women are expected to inherit $3.2 trillion in the next 10 years, spurring further opportunity for the self-employed.
“Australia’s lending and wealth management landscape is shifting in a big way. Women are stepping up as major drivers of wealth creation and decision making. This momentum comes from years of progress, more women entering the workforce, achieving higher levels of education, and building careers in fields like STEM that lead to stronger earning power,” Irvine said.
“Together with the gradual growth of women in leadership roles, the rapid growth in female entrepreneurship, and the largest intergenerational wealth transfer Australia has ever seen, we can expect to see the number of high-net-worth women in Australia continue to rise in the years ahead.”
[Related: Women in Finance Summit 2025 launches]
