Mortgage leads

Mortgage leads are borrowers who have asked a licensed mortgage professional for help: a couple booking a pre-approval before house hunting, a homeowner whose renewal letter just arrived, a self-employed contractor turned down by a bank, a family new to Canada buying a first home, or an investor who needs private lending to close. This page is for mortgage brokers, agents and brokerages that want those enquiries to come from their own campaigns, pages and referral partners, reach a person fast and stay warm until the next maturity date. Canada Create is a Toronto digital agency at 126 Willowdale Avenue, Suite 3, serving brokerages across Canada since 2008.

Contents

• How borrowers search for a mortgage
• Bought mortgage leads compared with your own
• Landing pages by borrower and purpose
• Pre-approval forms, rate-watch sign-ups and calculators
• Realtor, builder and accountant referral partnerships
• Speed to contact and after-hours answering
• Nurture across renewal dates
• The mortgage calendar
• Measuring funded deals and connecting the pieces
• Rules and privacy to plan for
• How we work with brokers and brokerages
• What mortgage lead generation costs
• Choosing a mortgage lead partner
• Your next step

How borrowers search for a mortgage

The searches behind a mortgage enquiry

Borrowers search by situation more than by product: “mortgage broker near me”, “mortgage pre-approval”, “first time home buyer mortgage”, “mortgage renewal”, “refinance to consolidate debt”, “self-employed mortgage”, “mortgage for newcomers” and, almost always, some version of “mortgage rates today”. Rate shopping is where most people start, but a rate is rarely what decides who they work with. They choose the broker who explains their options clearly, answers fast, and seems to understand their particular file.

Broker or bank

Many borrowers still go to their own bank first and only look for a broker when the bank’s offer disappoints, the renewal rate looks high, or the application is declined because of self-employed income, a short credit history in Canada or a property type the bank does not like. Your pages should speak to that moment directly: what a broker does, how you are paid in general terms, and why comparing lenders can help, without implying any outcome.

Realtor-led and referral-led buyers

Purchase clients often arrive through their realtor, who wants a broker who will pre-approve quickly and communicate well during conditions. Refinance and renewal clients more often come from search, past clients and accountants. A lead plan that treats every enquiry the same misses how differently these groups find you.

Borrowers who search in their own language

Many brokers in the GTA and other large cities serve borrowers in languages other than English and French, and newcomers often search in their first language for a broker who understands their situation. If your team advises in another language, a purpose page in that language, reviewed by the broker who will take the calls, can bring enquiries that English-only competitors never see. The same licence and advertising rules apply to every language version.

Bought mortgage leads compared with your own

What purchased leads usually are

Brokers who search “mortgage leads for sale”, “exclusive mortgage leads” or “cheap mortgage leads” find a familiar menu: shared leads sold to several brokers, so-called exclusive leads, aged leads resold after the first buyer gave up, and rate-comparison enquiries where the borrower expected a number, not a conversation. Each borrower in a shared lead gets several calls in an hour and often picks the broker who quoted the lowest rate on the phone, which is not a basis for a good file or a lasting client.

Why your own enquiries are worth more

When a borrower fills in a form on your renewal page after reading your explanation of how a switch at renewal works, they have chosen you, and you know exactly what they read and consented to. You also build something lasting: a database of borrowers whose maturity dates you know, who can be contacted with consent before each renewal. That is the asset most brokers say they want, and bought leads rarely build it.

Consent you can show

CASL governs commercial email and texts, and you should be able to show when and how each contact agreed to hear from you. Your own forms record the consent wording, the page and the date in your CRM. With bought lists, you depend on someone else’s records.

Landing pages by borrower and purpose

Purchases and pre-approvals

A pre-approval page explains what a pre-approval is and is not, what documents a buyer typically gathers, how long a pre-approval may hold a rate in general terms, and how the broker works with the buyer’s realtor. It ends with a short request form and a link to book a call.

First-time buyers

First-time buyers need education more than anything: down payment sources, closing costs to budget for, mortgage default insurance in general terms, and the government programs that may apply, explained without promising eligibility. A first-time buyer guide and a checklist they can download in exchange for an email address bring early-stage buyers in months before they are ready.

Renewals and refinancing

Homeowners whose renewal letter has just arrived often do not know they can compare lenders at maturity. A renewal page explains the timeline in general terms, what a switch involves and what to bring, and invites them to book a review. A refinance page covers common reasons (consolidating debt, renovations, helping a child with a down payment, accessing equity) with a clear note that every refinance depends on the borrower’s situation and lender approval.

Self-employed, newcomers and private lending

Self-employed borrowers, people new to Canada and borrowers who need private or alternative lending each search for themselves. Each deserves a page that names their situation, explains the documents lenders usually ask for and shows that the broker handles files like theirs. These pages attract fewer visitors and some of the most motivated enquiries.

Pre-approval forms, rate-watch sign-ups and calculators

Forms that start a file, not finish it

The first form should ask only what is needed to start: name, contact details, the purpose (purchase, renewal, refinance), approximate timing, province and a consent checkbox. Income, debts, credit history and documents belong in the secure application process inside your brokerage’s system, not in a marketing form that connects to analytics or ad platforms.

Rate-watch and renewal reminders

Many borrowers are not ready to apply but want to know when rates move or when their renewal window opens. A rate-watch sign-up that sends a short, plain update when market conditions change, and a renewal reminder sign-up that asks only for the month their mortgage matures, collect consenting contacts who will need you later. Updates must describe the market accurately and never print rates that may mislead.

Calculators described honestly

Payment, affordability and penalty calculators keep visitors on your site and lead naturally to a conversation. Each should state clearly that it gives an estimate for discussion, not an offer or an approval, and invite the borrower to book a call to look at their actual numbers.

Documents after the first call

Once the borrower has spoken with a broker and the file is real, a secure document request through your brokerage’s application system replaces email attachments of pay stubs, notices of assessment and bank statements. Keeping that step separate from marketing forms protects the borrower and keeps sensitive files out of inboxes and analytics.

Realtor, builder and accountant referral partnerships

Realtors who need a dependable broker

For purchase business, realtor relationships often matter more than any ad. A realtor partner page explains how you handle their buyers, how fast pre-approvals are turned around in general terms, how you communicate during financing conditions and how they can refer a client in one step. Co-branded first-time buyer seminars and guides, where your rules and theirs allow, give both of you a reason to stay in touch. Our real estate marketing page explains how agents find their own clients, which helps you offer partners something useful.

Builders and new construction

Builders and sales centres for new developments meet buyers who need financing for a closing that may be a long way off. A page for new construction buyers and a simple referral path for builder sales staff can bring steady purchase enquiries in growing areas.

Accountants and other professionals

Accountants see self-employed clients struggling with bank applications, and financial planners and family lawyers see refinance and separation situations. Our accounting firm marketing page shows how those firms think about their own clients. A short referral page for professionals, with consent-based introductions and a report back once the file is in progress, makes you the broker they recommend.

Speed to contact and after-hours answering

The first broker to call usually gets the file

Mortgage enquiries are time sensitive. A buyer who has just seen a house they love, or a homeowner holding a renewal offer that expires soon, contacts two or three brokers and works with the first one who calls back and sounds competent. Lead generation for a broker must include how the first contact happens.

CS+ alerts and booking links

CS+, our CRM, alerts the broker the moment an enquiry arrives, sends the borrower a confirmation with the broker’s name, licence details and a booking link, and logs each attempt to reach them. Leads are routed by purpose, so a renewal goes to the person who handles renewals and a private lending enquiry goes to the right broker. Our mortgage CRM for applications and renewals page covers the full pipeline from enquiry to funding and the next maturity date.

AI answering in the evening

Many borrowers research at night and on weekends. An AI receptionist for broker calls can explain your process, take the borrower’s purpose and timing, and book a call with a licensed broker. It must not quote rates, assess eligibility or collect financial details; those stay with the broker.

Nurture across renewal dates

Every funded deal has a next date

A funded mortgage is not the end of the relationship; it starts a countdown to the next maturity date. Brokers who keep in touch with past clients, with consent, are in the right place when the renewal letter arrives, when a client wants to refinance for a renovation, or when they buy their next home. Brokers who do not stay in touch often lose those renewals to the lender’s automatic offer.

A nurture plan built around dates

A good nurture plan for mortgage clients stores each maturity date and sends a short series as it approaches: a reminder well before the renewal window, an invitation to review options, and a follow-up if they have not booked. Between those dates, a few useful messages a year (a market update, a note about home equity options, an anniversary check-in) keep the relationship warm. Our email marketing for mortgage brokers builds and runs these sequences, with CASL consent, sender details and an unsubscribe in every message.

Leads that went quiet

Pre-approved buyers who did not buy, and borrowers who chose their bank this time, are worth keeping too. A gentle check-in sequence at sensible intervals brings many of them back when they are ready.

The mortgage calendar

Mortgage demand follows the housing market and the rate cycle. The spring market brings purchase and pre-approval enquiries from late winter onward; the fall market brings a second, smaller wave. Scheduled interest rate announcements spark rate searches and renewal anxiety, so rate-watch updates and renewal pages should be ready before each one. Summer is often quieter for purchases but busy for cottage and investment property questions, and the end of the year brings refinancing for debt consolidation after holiday spending. Your own book also has its own calendar: clusters of maturity dates from the years when you funded the most deals, which deserve their own outreach plan.

Measuring funded deals and connecting the pieces

The numbers that matter

A broker’s lead report should follow each enquiry from source to result: enquiries by source and purpose, time to first contact, applications submitted, approvals, funded deals and renewals retained, all tracked in your CRM. That shows which pages, campaigns and partners produce funded files and which only produce rate shoppers.

How lead generation fits with the rest

Lead generation is one part of a broker’s growth. Brand, website, social media and the wider marketing plan for brokers are covered on our mortgage broker marketing page, and the full range of financial work sits on the financial services marketing hub. Our lead generation services page explains how we build enquiry pipelines in general. Brokers who refer clients to insurance advisors for mortgage protection can see how those advisors work on our marketing for insurance agencies page.

Rules and privacy to plan for

Licensing and advertising

In Ontario, FSRA licenses mortgage brokerages, brokers and agents and requires the brokerage licence number to appear in advertising. Other provinces have their own regulators and rules, so campaigns should target only the provinces where you and your brokerage are licensed. Any rate advertising must be accurate and not misleading, which in practice means we do not print rates in ads or on lead pages, and never promise approvals. This is a marketing observation, not legal advice, and your brokerage’s compliance officer is the reference for your advertising.

Financial details stay out of ad tools

No financial or credit details go into ad targeting, custom audiences or analytics. Forms on marketing pages collect only contact details and purpose, and documents are collected in your secure application system. Commercial email and texts follow CASL, and personal information is handled under PIPEDA or the provincial privacy law that applies to your brokerage.

How we work with brokers and brokerages

The first step is a free review built around a broker’s questions: which purposes bring you files today, how many renewals from your own book you kept last cycle, how long a new enquiry waits for a call, whether your licence number appears where it must, and which realtors and accountants already send you people. From that we write a plan and proposal, with our fees quoted in writing and any ad budget listed on its own line. Your brokerage’s compliance officer sees the pages, ads and email wording before anything goes public. We then set up the purpose pages, forms, calculators, campaigns, CS+ routing and maturity date reminders, test each path from a borrower’s phone and go live on agreed milestones. Every month, reporting follows enquiries to applications, funded deals and retained renewals by source, and suggests where to focus next. The ad accounts, analytics, pages and borrower records are in your name or your brokerage’s name.

What mortgage lead generation costs

Mortgage lead generation is quoted in writing after the free review. The factors that drive cost are specific to brokers: how many borrower purposes you want to target (purchase, renewal, refinance, first-time buyers, self-employed, newcomers, private lending), how many provinces you are licensed in, how many brokers or agents receive leads, whether we build calculators and rate-watch updates, whether we write the education content and renewal nurture, and how much compliance review your brokerage requires. If organic search is part of the plan, SEO is quoted in writing too. Ad spend is paid directly to the platforms and shown separately from our fees, and you set the budget.

A solo agent focused on renewals in one city needs far less than a brokerage running purchase campaigns in several provinces with realtor partner programs, and the written quote reflects that.

Choosing a mortgage lead partner

Before you pay anyone for mortgage leads, ask: Are the enquiries mine alone, and do I keep the contact list and maturity dates? How is consent collected, and can I see the exact form wording? Will my brokerage licence number appear on every ad and landing page? Do you send creative for compliance review before it runs? Do you report funded deals and retained renewals, or just leads? Who owns the accounts? The answer should be you, including ad accounts, analytics, pages and CRM data. Be careful with anyone who promises a fixed number of applications or approvals; lenders approve files, not marketers.

Your next step

Book a free mortgage lead review. We will look at your sources, purpose pages, first-contact speed, consent records and renewal nurture, and send a written plan for leads you own. Call (416) 273-9030, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. After hours, our 24/7 AI agent answers the toll-free line, +1 (800) 808-9235, and we’ll follow up the next business morning. You can also reach us through our contact page. We reply within one business day. Brokers are welcome to meet the Canada Create team at 126 Willowdale Avenue, Suite 3, Toronto.