Clients less willing to renew early... for now

Following historically low lending rates, clients are less likely to opt to renew early, leaving few opportunities for independent brokers to try to entice clients to switch lenders… for now, at least.

“Clients (were) getting 2.79- 2.89 five year mortgages and there is no incentive for clients to jump ship earlier and opt to renew early,” Lee Welbanks of Verico Welbanks Mortgage Group told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. “The banks certainly have the advantage because they can renew four months out and they aren’t charging clients a penalty to renew.”

Nevertheless, clients who signed up for five-year fixed rates five years ago – and whose mortgages are now maturing -- will likely look to renew, as rates are lower today than they were when they signed up for the current term.

“The variables rates are in vogue right now and we have high rate fixed rates coming out of maturity and so they’re happy to get in on an early renewal,” Welbanks said.

In many of these cases, clients are usually satisfied to stay with the original lender; leaving few opportunities to entice clients to leave. Though that shouldn’t sway brokers from trying.

“We’re trying to find the deals where the clients need more funds. I have some who like my services but, at the end of the day, clients often opt for the path of least resistance – so they choose to renew with the banks or their current lender even if they have to pay a little more,” Welbanks said. “I think the idea is that we need better incentives in order to switch clients; that may be a cash incentive for the hassle they go through, that may be other products you offer.

“It could be a myriad of things but at the end of the day, we can never stop trying, as long as we are not doing something that acts against the client's better interests.”

And even if that fails, there is always the knowledge that the future will bring with it a leveler playing field.

“The playing field will be more level in 4.5 years because we won’t see as many early renewals. It’s a brand new deal and they have to play with whatever rates are available,” Welbanks concluded.