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More Canadians are turning to mortgage brokers

When it comes to mortgage financing, more and more Canadians are choosing to work with a professional mortgage broker.  According to a recent study by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 23 per cent of mortgages written were arranged through a broker. 

Canadians are just catching up with their American neighbours, who are far less likely to simply walk into their home bank for a mortgage. In 2000, almost 70 per cent of all U.S. mortgages were arranged through mortgage brokers.

If we follow the U.S. model – and it seems that we are -- then we’re in for a sea of change in the way Canadians manage their most significant personal asset. It makes sense. After all, investment returns aren’t as lucrative as they were five years ago, and investors are seeking out ways to make financial gains through avenues they may have overlooked.

There are some significant benefits to working with an independent mortgage broker.  Firstly, let’s compare mortgage expertise: Most banks have one or more representatives who are specifically assigned to assist with mortgages. Their role is to develop mortgage business for the banks. A mortgage broker, on the other hand, is a trained mortgage professional who has met standards for education. The comprehensive training of an independent mortgage broker may exceed the training of their counterparts at the bank. More importantly, the mortgage broker is independent. He or she is not an employee of a lending institution, but has access to rate and option information for a full spectrum of chartered banks and other lending institutions. Their role is to find the best possible mortgage rates and options for you.

Let’s also look at choice:  A mortgage broker offers you access to many competitive lenders, each with a range of mortgage options. It would take weeks of research, telephoning and personal visits to recreate the range of features and options that a mortgage broker has at his or her fingertips. Rate information, mortgage options and payment schedules are up-to-the-moment, so you and your broker can make valid comparisons of the options available. The result of all this choice is a mortgage which is customized to meet your needs and to save you money.

Also consider accessibility.  Your mortgage broker will be available to you before and after your mortgage closes, which will be good news for those who have spent long hours on hold or in a telephone voice answering loop.

Above all, clients have turned to mortgage brokers for better rates. Access to a broad range of lending institutions is a critical advantage for mortgage shoppers. A quarter-point difference on your mortgage rate can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Many mortgage brokers work inside a brokerage organization with sufficient mortgage volumes that they can negotiate the best possible rates for your situation. Canadian homeowners who have experienced the benefits of a mortgage broker are unlikely to ever return to a world in which they simply accept the best posted rate at their local bank.

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Why should I use a Mortgage Broker?

For most of us, our ideas about mortgages have been instilled by years of past experience with traditional products in traditional institutions. Long-held beliefs sometimes include the idea that mortgage brokers are only for people who have bad credit or were turned down by a bank.  Unfortunately, anyone with this kind of outdated thinking could be losing thousands of dollars!  All homebuyers and homeowners can save time and money by enlisting the services of a broker.

A mortgage broker has access to many competing lending institutions, including banks, pension funds, trust companies and even private individuals. Since mortgage brokers do not have to sell the products of any one lender, they can be completely unbiased in recommending a mortgage that has the most attractive rate and features for their clients. While you may arrange a mortgage every five years, a mortgage broker and his or her firm are completing thousands of mortgages each year. This enables them to negotiate better interest rates based on that volume, which can be passed on to their clients.

There are other potential cost savings. On any given day, a particular lender may have a special rate offer for a specific mortgage term. If you are rate shopping on your own and don’t know who is sponsoring the offer, you can’t take advantage of the special pricing.

At renewal, many homeowners take the renewal quote and choose a term and rate offered by the lender without realizing that a mortgage broker may be able to save them up to one percentage point off the posted rate. This can translate in thousands of dollars in savings over a five-year term.  To ensure you get the best rate, it’s best to contact a mortgage broker at least four months before you renew or consider a new home purchase. Starting early can be a money saver because your broker can usually guarantee an interest rate for 90-120 days. Should rates drop in the meantime, you would of course get the lower rate.

If your credit rating is important to you, then you also need to consider that when you shop from lender to lender, there is an accumulation of inquires on your credit bureau report, affecting your credit rating and ultimately the rate and terms of your mortgage. This isn’t the case with a mortgage broker who only does one inquiry yet can still get many competing lenders to quote on your business.

And finally, an important misconception that should be discussed – fees.  Some people think that using a broker will be costly, and that there will be an upfront fee. In most cases, there is no fee because the lender that provides the mortgage pays the mortgage broker a fee for originating and negotiating the mortgage.  As you would expect, a fee may still be charged to clients with impaired credit, or when private money is used, although this compensates for the time and effort required to negotiate the mortgage.

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