Mortgage Edge is part of Canadian Mortgage Professional's Top Independent Brokerages 2017
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EDWARD BARR
Years as an independent broker: 10
2016 volume: 14 million
Number of employees: 0
Why did you decide to be independent?
Basically, I find that information everywhere is the same. I don’t get any benefit.
Would you ever join a broker network?
The way I see it, we have the same underwriting guidelines. We have access to the same lenders, same requirements. So maybe if you’re a part of a broker network, you might have access to the lenders’ presentation – something they want to teach you on a product or something like that – but once we have guidelines, everyone has to follow them.
For clients, they don’t care about the branding. What they care about is the interest rate.
What advice would you give to other brokers who are looking to branch out on their own?
Today, if you want to survive in this type of business, you really have to have knowledge. Some people think, ‘You know what? I’m just going to learn how to do applications and I’m going to get clients,’ and it doesn’t work. I see people come into the business – they try, and then they leave because you have to be really knowledgeable in order to deal with clients. It requires more experience now.
FSCO license: 10680
