Top 8 Mortgage Brokerages in Gatineau

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A mortgage broker shops the market on a borrower's behalf, comparing mortgage rates and terms across a long list of lenders instead of a single institution. Because brokers are paid a commission of roughly 0.5% to 1% of the loan amount by the lender that funds the deal, their advice normally costs the borrower nothing. Gatineau sits directly across the river from Ottawa, and its market has its own rhythm with median single home prices sitting close to the $500K mark. Many households here also work on the Ontario side, which makes a bilingual broker who is licensed in both provinces especially useful. Mortgage brokering is a licensed occupation across Canada, and in Quebec the licensing body is the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). The brokerages below all serve Gatineau borrowers.

CanWise

CanWise is a CMHC-approved mortgage lender owned by Ratehub Inc., while Ratehub.ca operates as the affiliated mortgage brokerage. Through Ratehub.ca, borrowers can compare CanWise products with options from other lenders. The mortgage process can be completed online or by phone.

CanWise registers its mortgages as standard charges rather than collateral charges, which can make transferring to another lender at renewal easier. Its mortgages may also include portability, bridge financing, annual lump-sum prepayments, and the option to increase regular payments. Mortgage options include purchases, renewals, refinancing, second homes, first-time buyers, self-employed borrowers, newcomers to Canada, and separation or divorce financing.

True North Mortgage

True North Mortgage is a Calgary-headquartered brokerage founded in 2006 and was the first broker in Canada to sell mortgages out of retail storefronts. Its nearest store to Gatineau is in Montreal, but the company completes files anywhere in the country online or by phone. Its agents are salaried rather than commissioned, which the firm says keeps recommendations neutral.

The brokerage guarantees the lowest rate and pays $500 at closing if it cannot match a competing offer. Its real differentiator is owning a lender outright: THINK Financial, its in-house arm, funds mortgages the brokerage originates and offers a product called Rate Relief that carries a low fixed rate for six months, after which the borrower either renews with THINK Financial or pays a 1% fee to leave. Beyond purchase financing, the lineup includes:

• Pre-approval
• Refinancing
• Renewals and transfers
• Mortgage porting
• Purchase Plus Improvements

• Newcomers to Canada
• Cottages and secondary homes
• Rental and investment properties
• HELOCs
• Reverse mortgages

Multi-Prêts Hypothèques – Équipe Expert

Équipe Expert is the Multi-Prêts team serving Gatineau and the wider Outaouais, working out of its office on Boulevard Saint-Joseph. The banner itself was founded in Montreal in 1982, is the most widely recognized mortgage brand in Quebec, and belongs to the M3 Group, one of the largest non-bank mortgage originators in the country.

Brokers on the team work with more than 20 provincial lenders and can put roughly 200 distinct mortgage products in front of a borrower, which is a wider shelf than most independent shops can reach. The Gatineau team handles purchases, renewals, refinancing, income properties, equity loans for owners with little or no balance remaining, and prequalification. Borrowers can drop into either Gatineau office, call, or start with the online application.

Patrick Dumond Courtier Hypothécaire

4 Rue de la Baie

Gatineau, QC

This Gatineau mortgage practice operates under the Multi-Prêts banner and has close to 25 years of industry experience. It also provides regular mortgage commentary on local radio station 104.7 Outaouais. The office compares products from 35 lenders, generally at no cost to the borrower.

Licensed in Quebec and Ontario, the practice serves borrowers on both sides of the Ottawa River. Rate protection of up to six months may be available for purchases and renewals. Depending on the application, prequalification may be completed within 24 hours and approval within 48 hours. Options include mortgages with a 5% down payment, first-time buyer financing, newcomer and work-permit mortgages, 30-year amortizations, cash-back mortgages, and programs for self-employed borrowers and incorporated professionals.

Financement Privé Hypothécaire

46 Bd Gréber

Gatineau, QC

Financement Privé Hypothécaire specializes in short-term private and alternative financing. It arranges first- and second-ranking mortgages for borrowers who may not qualify through a bank or caisse.

The firm assists property owners facing a 60-day notice and offers refinancing, debt consolidation, renovation financing, and new-construction loans. Its commercial services include financing for multiplexes, property flips, housing projects, businesses, and short-term liquidity needs.

Many Canadian brokerages are independently owned but operate under the banner of a national network. Membership gives a small local office the negotiating weight of a much bigger organization: it can access rates from dozens of lenders without signing an agreement with each one, and it draws on the network's technology, compliance support, marketing, and training. Several of the offices serving Gatineau work this way. Three of the networks with a presence in the city are described below, each shown with a member office in the area.

Mortgage Alliance (Alliance Hypothécaire)

Martin Larivière

50 Boulevard Saint-Raymond, Suite 200

Gatineau, QC

Mortgage Alliance has operated for more than 20 years and serves more than 40,000 Canadians annually. Its brokers can compare mortgage products from over 60 lenders. The network is part of M3 Group and operates in Quebec under the Alliance hypothécaire name.

Mortgage Architects (Les Architectes Hypothécaires)

Mario Lepage

28a Chemin de la Savane

Gatineau, QC

Founded in 2006, Mortgage Architects is a national network with more than 1,800 mortgage professionals and access to over 50 lending institutions. In Quebec, it operates as Les Architectes hypothécaires. The network is headquartered in Mississauga and has regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Laval, and Halifax. Mortgage Architects is part of DLC Group.

Mortgage Intelligence (Intelligence Hypothécaire)

Maxime Denommé

456 Boulevard de l’Hôpital, Unité 1, Bureau 4

Gatineau, QC

Intelligence Hypothécaire is the French-language brand of Mortgage Intelligence, a national mortgage network that has operated for more than 20 years. Its mortgage professionals can compare products from over 50 lenders.

Mortgage Intelligence is part of M3 Group, a major Canadian non-bank mortgage originator that provides its network members with lender access, technology, training, and business support.

Mortgage brokerage oversight in Quebec transferred from the OACIQ to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) on May 1, 2020. Individuals must hold an AMF certificate in mortgage brokerage to act or present themselves as mortgage brokers, subject to limited statutory exemptions. Quebec uses the title mortgage broker, unlike Ontario's separate mortgage-agent and mortgage-broker licence levels.

How to become a mortgage broker in Quebec?

Candidates generally must:

• Complete an AMF-recognized mortgage-brokerage training program
• Pass the two AMF exams, 16-116 and 16-611, with at least 60% on each
• Complete a supervised probationary period
• Apply to the AMF for a mortgage-broker certificate

The training covers professional conduct and practice under module F-116 and mortgage brokerage under module F-611. Currently recognized online providers include Collège d'Enseignement en Immobilier, Collège des professions financières, Mortgage Professionals Canada, and PerFormation.

The probationary period lasts 12 weeks, with at least 28 hours of work per week under the supervision of a certified representative. After completing it successfully, the candidate may apply for an AMF certificate. Required professional liability coverage depends on whether the broker works as an employee, an attached representative, or independently.