Does Mortgage Professionals Canada serve brokers well?

John Bargis -Vice-president -Mortgage Edge, a broker member of CIMBC

“The challenge for any association is the demonstration of strong representation to their entire membership. MPC currently claims 11,000 members, including lender and industry partners. Over 18,000 mortgage brokers and agents are registered nationally, so about 40% have chosen to either belong to another association or none at all.

Further, MPC’s policy is that all agents of a brokerage must register if one does, which is very telling after a 25-year run. An organization that’s been around so long should be able to stand on its own merits. The good news is, with meaningful changes, there is hope for a unified front.”

Ron Butler -Mortgage broker -Butler Mortgage

“Everyone in every business complains about their trade association. We all complain about MPC – but hold on, it’s $250 a year! What do you want, folks? National advertising? That’s $2,500 per year. So let’s get real – we won’t all agree, but MPC does its best. Government relations, education, and national and regional meetings, all for $250 a head? Decent value!

And for everyone who wants MPC to drop the requirement that 100% of agents in a brokerage be a member, it’s a rational policy. What sense does it make to charge one person and the whole brokerage gets the information?”

Shawn Allen -CEO and broker of record -Matrix Mortgage Global

“I think MPC is adequately serving its broker members, but it needs to do more to get the message out. They have a wealth of resources, and I feel most in the industry are unaware of their role or significance. MPC was responsible for lobbying to ensure that broker commissions are HST-exempt.

My only concern is their ‘all or nothing’ approach to membership; they are losing out on attracting quality members who could strengthen the organization and community. The perception that MPC is lender-focused also needs to change for brokers to see the value from the work they do.”