Top 7 Mortgage Brokerages in Brandon

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A mortgage broker works for the borrower rather than for a single bank, shopping one application to dozens of lenders at once to find the best available mortgage rates, including the big banks, Manitoba credit unions, monoline lenders and private lenders. Brokers are paid a commission of roughly 0.5% to 1% of the mortgage amount by the lender, so the service is normally free to the borrower.

Brandon is Manitoba’s second-largest city and the commercial centre for the Westman region, with home prices well below the provincial and national averages. It also has a high share of acreage and farm-adjacent properties that not every national lender will finance, so knowing which lenders will look at a file matters as much as the rate itself. In Manitoba, mortgage brokers and mortgage salespersons are registered by the Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC) under The Mortgage Brokers Act. Listed below are the brokerages serving Brandon borrowers.

CanWise

CanWise is a CMHC-approved mortgage lender and the lending arm of the brokerage Ratehub Inc., with its rates reaching borrowers only through Ratehub.ca, the group’s licensed brokerage arm. A Brandon borrower can compare CanWise’s pricing against the other lenders on the Ratehub rate tables, then complete a fully digital application with support from in-house advisors over the phone.

One feature worth noting is how CanWise registers its loans. It uses a standard charge rather than a collateral charge, which makes switching lenders at renewal easier. Its mortgages are also portable, bridge financing is available for buyers closing on two properties at once, and borrowers can prepay a lump sum of up to 20% of the original principal each year. Mortgage solutions available through CanWise include:

• Mortgages for buying
• Renewals
• Refinancing
• Vacation and second homes

• Newcomers to Canada
• Divorce and separation
• First-time homebuyers
• Business owners and self-employed buyers

True North Mortgage

True North Mortgage is a Calgary brokerage established in 2006 that operates retail stores in larger centres and publishes a rate page specific to Brandon. It has no storefront in Manitoba, so borrowers here apply online, call the brokerage, or arrange to meet one of its mobile brokers. Its brokers are salaried employees rather than commissioned agents, which the company says keeps the advice free of any incentive to favour one lender over another.

The product that makes it stand out is ‘Rate Relief’, offered through in-house lender THINK Financial. It provides a low fixed rate for a six-month term, after which the borrower either renews with THINK Financial or pays a 1% fee to move elsewhere. A lowest rate guarantee also applies, promising to match or beat a competing quote or pay $500 at closing. Beyond new purchase mortgages, True North also offers:

• Pre-approval
• Refinancing
• Renewals and Transfers
• Mortgage Porting
• Purchase Plus Improvements

• Newcomers to Canada
• Vacation and Secondary Homes
• Investment Properties
• HELOCs
• Reverse Mortgages

Centum Mortgage Choice

Unit 7, 457 9th Street

Brandon, MB

Operating since 2003 and locally owned, Centum Mortgage Choice is the brokerage most closely identified with Brandon and describes itself as Westman’s premier mortgage brokerage. The team of brokers work out of the 9th Street office with more than 150 years of combined experience between them.

Its real advantage over a national competitor is lender mix. Alongside 25-plus lenders that operate across Canada, the team places files with Manitoba credit unions and other regional lenders, which is what often gets an acreage, a hobby farm or a land-only purchase approved when a traditional lender will not look at it. The office handles purchases, pre-approvals, renewals, refinancing, debt consolidation, self-employed and newcomer files, investment properties, private and second mortgages, HELOCs, credit rebuilding, cottage and land-only financing, and vacation homes. Brokers publish their own direct lines and can be reached by phone, text or email, or at the office.

Ideal Mortgage Solutions

1525 Grant Avenue

Winnipeg, MB

Ideal Mortgage Solutions is a Winnipeg-based mortgage brokerage serving borrowers in Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage la Prairie. It offers residential and commercial mortgage services, including purchases, renewals, refinancing, construction loans and debt consolidation. Current mortgage rates are posted on its website, and borrowers can begin with an online application. They can also contact the brokerage by phone or email, or visit the Winnipeg office.

The Spooner Group

278 Marion Street

Winnipeg, MB

Founded in 2016, The Spooner Group is an independently owned mortgage brokerage within the CENTUM network. It serves borrowers across Manitoba, including Brandon, and has more than 32 years of combined experience in mortgage financing, real estate and law. The brokerage works with more than 30 lenders, including banks, credit unions, alternative lenders and private lenders. It assists first-time homebuyers, self-employed borrowers and clients with credit challenges, while also offering refinancing, renovation financing, construction loans and private mortgages. Borrowers can apply online or book a consultation. The current office location should be confirmed directly before arranging an in-person visit.

A number of mortgage broker networks operate across Canada, each made up of independently owned brokerages that share the network’s lender agreements, technology and training. Belonging to a network lets a small firm draw on rates from dozens of lenders without negotiating a volume agreement with each one individually, and it supplies marketing, compliance and back-office support that would be costly to build alone. Several of the brokerages available to Brandon and Westman borrowers operate under national banners. Two of those networks are described below, each represented by a member firm in Manitoba.

VERICO

VERICO Office in Winnipeg

One Link Mortgage & Financial

99 Scurfield Boulevard, Unit 100

Winnipeg, MB

VERICO was established in 2005 and counts more than 230 independent mortgage firms among its members, with roughly 3,800 advisors between them. Network members arrange financing for over 45,000 Canadian households a year, and VERICO has been part of M3 Financial Group since 2017. What the network is known for is its ownership model: member firms keep their own brand and client relationships rather than operating as franchises under the VERICO name, and the network supplies lender agreements, technology and training behind the scenes. Member brokerages handle the full range of files, from new construction and multi-unit properties to rental purchases and renovation financing, and applications can be made online or in person.

Pineapple

Pineapple Office in Winnipeg

Pineapple National

196 Osborne Street

Winnipeg, MB

Pineapple is a technology-led brokerage network with roughly 700 brokers and agents nationally, and it is the only Canadian mortgage network trading on a U.S. exchange, listed on the NYSE American. Its distinguishing asset is proprietary software rather than scale: PineappleONE is an all-in-one deal management platform that automates document handling, keeps borrowers updated in real time and gives brokers analytics on every file from first enquiry through to renewal, which shortens turnaround on approvals. The network opened two Winnipeg offices in 2024 to widen its Manitoba coverage, and in late 2024 it became a launch partner for BMO’s return to the broker channel through BMO BrokerEdge, adding that lender’s products to what its members can quote.

Mortgage brokering is regulated by the Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC) under The Mortgage Brokers Act. Registration categories include mortgage brokers, restricted mortgage brokers, mortgage salespersons and authorized officials. Restricted brokers may arrange mortgages but cannot handle mortgage funds. Banks, credit unions, insurers and certain trust companies are exempt from registration. The MSC also investigates complaints and can fine, restrict or suspend registrants.

How to become a mortgage broker in Manitoba?

Most people begin as mortgage salespersons under a registered brokerage. Applicants must be at least 18, complete the Manitoba licensing course, pass the exam, submit a background check and pay the $400 annual registration fee.

Becoming an authorized official generally requires two years of recent salesperson experience and completion of the broker course. Full brokerages must also maintain insurance, a surety bond and at least $100,000 in capital.