Mortgage Broker in Victoria, BC

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.

My 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 my job! As a broker I connect with big banks, credit unions, trust companies, mortgage-only lenders, private funds and more. Not only that, but I 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.

Nope! While I'm a Mortgage Broker in Victoria, my team is very active all across Canada, with BC, Alberta and Ontario being our largest markets. If you’re located outside of BC, we can still work together.

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 (Jennifer Harder-Toews) you’ll find me licensed under Verico Paragon MortgagePal.

As a mortgage broker I'm regulated by the province. I 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 stricter than a bank mortgage representative. As a mortgage broker I'm regulated by the province. I needed to pass an exam, and I need to take ongoing courses to maintain my 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 my clients get better rates and lending terms than if they work through a bank or credit union directly. The lenders pay me 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 I'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 my unbiased advice. I earn a commission after the mortgage is arranged. Everybody wins!

Bank reps are just like you and me, 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 I mean.

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

My motto is this: if you’re happy, I’m happy, so I don’t use high pressure sales tactics. I 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.