Just like how a Realtor helps you navigate the journey of finding a property, a mortgage broker helps you navigate the financial world of finding a mortgage.

There are literally hundreds of lenders in Canada, but most Canadians can name only a handful. You might not realize, but there's a whole category of lenders that work exclusively through mortgage brokers. You can only access them via a mortgage broker, such as myself.

Our entire job is to connect with mortgage lenders, build relationships, then match their best offer with your situation.

Getting the best rate is a huge part of our job. As a broker we connect with big banks, credit unions, trust companies, mortgage-only lenders, private funds and more. Not only that, but we can help you avoid other surprise costs that you wouldn't normally realize exist, but will certainly have an impact on how much your mortgage costs you.

All mortgage brokers in BC are regulated by the BCFSA (BC Financial Services Authority), formerly known as FICOM. To find my valid license, do a Google search for “BCFSA broker search”, select the first result. On the page select "sub-broker and type in my name (Colin Campbell) you’ll find me.

As a mortgage broker we're regulated by the province. We need to take frequent upgrading courses to maintain my standing. In contrast, a bank rep doesn't have to get provincially licensed, so you never know what you're going to get.

Our regulation is much more strict vs a bank mortgage representative. As a mortgage broker we're regulated by the province. We needed to pass an exam, and we need to take ongoing courses to maintain our standing. In contrast, a bank rep doesn't have to get provincially licensed and they don't have to pass any sort of exams or prove that they've taken any mortgage education.

Quite the opposite! In most cases our clients get better rates and lending terms than if they work through a bank or credit union directly. The lenders pay us a commission based on the mortgage amount (typically about 0.5% to 1% of the total mortgage amount), but that does not negatively impact your rate.

In some instances the lender doesn't pay a commission, in which case we'll need to charge a fee. That's rather uncommon and you'll know well ahead of time if that's the case.

Bottom line: you get access to more options, better rates and our unbiased advice. We earn a commission after the mortgage is arranged.

Bank reps are just like you and I, they’re good people trying to do a good job. But the unfortunate fact is, they’re under a lot of pressure to sell.

Go to Google and type in “CBC marketplace bank sales targets” to see what we mean.

We’ve chosen to be a broker specifically so we don’t work for a bank. We work with banks, credit unions and mortgage-only lenders. But we're self-employed, and we grow our business from referrals from people like you.

Our motto is this: If you’re happy, we’re happy, so we don’t use high pressure sales tactics. We might lose a couple dollars in the short term with that approach, but in the long run it’s a better way to do business.