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As mortgage broker market share continues to rise, the best mortgage brokerages and lenders to work for ensure their teams have the support and resources they need to meet demand and succeed.
Mortgage Professionals Canada’s (MPC’s) 2024 Mid-Year report shows that brokers’ market share rose 4 points from year-end 2022 to 33 percent.
Several demographics showed an increase in the use of mortgage brokers, including:
Alberta residents (+2 points vs. 2023, +2 points vs. 2022)
Millennials (ages 28–43 in 2024, up 1 point from 2023, +5 points from 2022)
Gen X (ages 44–59 in 2024, +7 points vs. 2022)
To identify Canada’s Top Mortgage Employers 2025, CMP invited organizations to showcase their workplace practices and benefits. Employees from 90 nominated companies then completed an anonymous survey evaluating their workplace across eight factors, including compensation; culture; advancement; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I); and innovation.
Employers had to meet a minimum number of employee responses based on company size. The top three companies in each category were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals based on company size and overall employee satisfaction.
This year’s Top Mortgage Employers stand out by investing in their employees, ensuring they are fully equipped to serve a growing client base.
Silver medal for culture
Six bronzes for advancement, compensation, DE&I, reputation, and sustainable programs
“We’re very focused on supporting our team’s career growth and providing the opportunities they need to feel satisfied and happy,” explains vice president of operations Éire Gorman.
“We have a promotion-from-within policy to ensure employees get the chance to advance, and we invest in training and professional certifications based on what the team wants.”
The Vancouver, BC-based small business earned a 9.61 out of 10 overall employee satisfaction rating, along with seven medals.
It offers various development programs to employees who want to go down the mortgage broker route or the Canadian Securities Commission route on the investment side. Some of the lender’s accountants pursued their CPA designation, and Gorman herself has completed an MBA.
Gorman says, “There are a lot of different avenues we support, and I think people like to see those opportunities are there for them.”
Three golds medals for compensation, DE&I, and innovation
Two silvers for benefits and reputation
The leadership team at this top mortgage employer located in Surrey, BC, gives employees opportunities to grow, funding relevant educational courses and professional development activities.
The small lender with just over 30 employees earned the bronze medal overall, achieving a 9.64 employee satisfaction rating and five medals across the eight categories.
“We are an investment corporation that also invests in our people,” says Jennifer Lowe, director of people and culture.
“If someone sees an opportunity, whether it’s a leadership training course or something they feel inspired to improve, PHL is all in. We encourage our people to, ‘Tell us where you want to grow,’ and we trust it’ll make sense for your role.”
As 43 percent of Canadians turned to mortgage professionals for help in securing a mortgage, trust in the industry remains high, MPC’s report revealed.
Additionally, with 61 percent of mortgage holders feeling anxious about renewals and 30 percent expecting to renew their mortgages in 2025, employees in this field are handling more complex client cases than ever.
The Top Mortgage Employers offer a supportive culture and stability in uncertain economic times.
In CMP’s survey, culture ranked second on employees’ priority list, showing that companies with strong leadership and a people-first approach create the most engaged and successful teams.
Capital Direct Lending fosters a workplace built on DE&I, employee engagement, and transparency.
“Our people-first culture is super important to us,” Gorman says. “We believe people are the most important aspect of any business, and especially in its success. It’s about ensuring everyone is focused on the same goal while maintaining our commitment to growth and an innovative work environment.”
It focuses on team building to boost employee engagement, hosting office events that celebrate occasions that are important to staff, such as Chinese New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Halloween.
It also provides community sponsorships and support for local charities, such as Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cause We Care Foundation and CKNW Kids Fund, and local hospitals. Employees are encouraged to get involved and give back, providing an opportunity to be part of something bigger.
Gorman says, “We promote an environment where everyone feels heard and has the opportunity to share their opinions and thoughts while also being their authentic self. It’s about creating a space where people feel comfortable and at home.”
To foster employee well-being and work-life balance, the lender minimizes overtime as much as possible and offers in-office personal training sessions, including yoga three times a week and high-intensity training classes for two days.
“We look out for our team’s lifestyle and well-being, and that’s how we offer a safe and positive work environment,” says Gorman. “Allowing people to realize the impact they have is important. Feeling like you’re making a difference in your role makes you want to stay and be part of it.”
Collaboration is at the heart of PHL’s culture, supported by a hands-on executive team that is intentional about celebrating employees’ wins, from sales, underwriters, renewals analysts, and managers to accounting and investments.
“When I’ve recruited individuals familiar with PHL, it’s inspiring to hear from people who know our founders (current CEO Steve Ponte and Parm Purewall) and the reputation they’ve created, which is one of transparency and strong relationships,” says Lowe.
“PHL’s founders are stand-up people who others want to work with and for and feel proud to be associated with. We want our employees to feel proud to work here. Our leadership is involved enough not just to provide lip service but to ensure everyone’s actions back it up.”
Lowe emphasizes employee satisfaction is chief among the company’s priorities.
“We have flexible work from home one day a week, regular town halls, and several recognition programs,” she says. “We want everyone to be involved and celebrate our wins as a team.”
In CMP’s survey, compensation ranked at the top of employees’ priority list at 9.5/10. Notably, compensation ranked first among employees of all tenures, except those with less than one year of service, who prioritized culture over pay.
Moreover, over 90 percent of respondents said their employers offered bonus and incentive programs, underscoring the winning employers’ commitment to attracting and retaining their best employees.
Hays Canada’s Salary & Hiring Trends Guide 2025 found that pay levels are the top cause – at 46 percent – of skills shortages at the organizations it surveyed.
The trends report also found:
profit is the top focus for companies
85 percent of organizations struggle to attract new talent
retention is the number one focus
the main recruitment gap is in intermediate and management positions
48 percent see no scope for progression in their current company
37 percent feel their pay is unfair or unequal
This data makes it clear that the leading organizations find ways to build trust and engagement, which affords them a competitive edge.
As highlighted in the report, Hays Canada’s president, Travis O’Rourke, says, “Embracing pay transparency is crucial, not only because of legislative requirements or ethical considerations, but also because a workforce that trusts its employer is more engaged and satisfied. Transparent pay practices can foster a culture of trust and loyalty, which are essential for long-term success.”
Capital Direct Lending offers competitive compensation above the industry average, including its commission structure. Bonuses are also available for mortgage brokers and those working on the investment side.
“We also make sure benefits fit employees’ needs, whether that’s maternity and vacation policies or flexibility depending on family needs,” Gorman says.
“We have many employees who immigrated to Vancouver and want to go home and see their family at times. So, we’re mindful of that and compassionate, ensuring everyone feels they have the necessary flexibility.”
PHL is known for taking good care of its employees. The pay, from bonuses to base salary, is generous and is higher than market average to ensure there are no monetary reasons for employees to leave.
It covers 100 percent of health and dental benefits from day one, and the plan is robust. For example, it provides $1,000 for paramedical services, six-month recalls for dental, no deductibles, and no referrals are needed for many services. It also offers RRSP matching to all staff.
“It’s top-tier benefits for everything we could possibly need for ourselves and our families,” Lowe says.
The Canadian Mercer 2024 Turnover Survey found that the average voluntary turnover rate nationally is 11.9 percent. However, rates vary significantly by industry, with roles in banking and financial services the toughest to fill.
The best mortgage brokerages and lenders to work for have remained competitive by supporting their teams, offering competitive salaries and bonuses, providing benefits that promote health and wellness, offering flexible work options, and providing innovative tools to help employees perform at their peak.
Capital Direct Lending celebrates milestones to show its people that it appreciates their loyalty and dedication.
“I think that’s twofold: we’re loyal to our team and build good relationships,” says Gorman. “It’s a priority for us to sit down, get to know our team, and understand their values so we can provide them with work that aligns with their goals.”
On the sales side, the company has automated its CRM systems, which makes inputs and integration between different systems more manageable. Manually inputting investment amounts and AUMs is a thing of the past. It has also migrated from a paper-based structure to a platform that handles e-signatures and other processes.
Gorman says, “We use AI for data analytics, looking at things such as overtime and identifying where we need to allocate more resources in different markets and provinces based on workload increases.”
The lender remains focused on leveraging technology while providing the training necessary to ensure everyone successfully uses it.
“We hold regular tech training and development so that all these systems we’re implementing are actually useful and make people’s jobs easier,” says Gorman. “Implementing these integrations is great, but the key is ensuring everyone is comfortable using them.”
PHL’s positive environment has been a draw for many employees.
“They work with hardworking colleagues, and there’s a sense of meaning in the work,” says Lowe.
The lender emphasizes an open-minded approach to technology and associated tools. One of its senior leaders introduced several ideas for exploration after attending a conference covering how to create efficiencies.
Lowe says, “We recently changed one of our major platforms. How to improve our service and speed is som ething we are always thinking about.”
As a young company, there is no entrenched mindset. Everything is always up for debate, and there are ample opportunities to do things differently.
“We’ve upgraded our technology and ensure employees have everything they need, from tools to ergonomic set-ups,” says Lowe. “We’re always looking for ways to improve the experience for both employees and clients.”
To help recognize and narrow down the nominations for the Top Mortgage Employers 2025 in Canada, CMP invited organizations to fill out an employer form highlighting their various offerings and practices. Employees of the 90 nominated companies were then asked to take an anonymous survey evaluating their workplace based on eight key factors: advancement; benefits; compensation; culture; diversity, equity, and inclusion; innovation; reputation; and sustainable programs.
To qualify, each nominee had to meet a minimum number of employee responses based on the overall size of the organization: employers with 10–100 employees were asked to provide a minimum of 10 responses; employers with 101–500 employees a minimum of 20 responses; and employers with 500+ employees a minimum of 50 responses.
Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to the top three companies in each category based on company size and overall employee satisfaction.