Ep.141 | Every Broker Needs to Know Alt Lending or Go Work at a Bank

Ep.141 | Every Broker Needs to Know Alt Lending or Go Work at a Bank

Ryan sits down with the two founders of MCC Premiere Mortgage Centre, Sarah Albert and Sara Wright. They built one of Atlantic Canada's most recognized mortgage broker teams out of Moncton, NB, and are now expanding into Nova Scotia. This episode covers how they met, how they grew a fully salaried team with 12+ year tenure, and why they believe every broker needs to get comfortable in the alt and private space, or they may as well work at a bank. Sarah Albert breaks down why construction loans are simpler than most brokers think, how she compares private vs. CMHC costs side by side for clients, and what the Australian mortgage broker market could teach Canada about collaboration. They also get into the real ROI of social media, why it takes a year before you see results, and why consistency beats tactics every time. Chapters: 1:09 Meet Sara Wright, From Bank Teller to Broker 3:27 How the Two Sarahs Met 5:16 Sarah Albert's Origin Story & How She Started Premier 8:05 The 70-Page Business Plan That Started It All 11:43 When They Rebranded to MCC Premiere Mortgage Centre 13:20 Growing the Team and Knowing When to Hire 16:57 Their Team Has Been Together 12+ Years 18:20 Expanding Into Halifax, Back to Basics 21:45 Halifax vs. Moncton: The Competition Is Fierce 23:40 Construction Loans Aren't as Scary as Brokers Think 28:27 Why Private Lending Is Often Simpler Than Bank Deals 30:50 Why New Brokers Need to Learn Alt & Private Early 33:45 There's Always a Deal, Mindset Shift for New Brokers 35:54 Alt Lending Builds Client Loyalty That Never Breaks 36:54 Alt as a Tax Planning Tool for Self-Employed Clients 38:55 Going All-In on Social Media and What They Learned 43:06 Consistency Over Tactics, No Magic Bullet 45:09 What They'd Change About the Mortgage Industry 47:04 The Australian Model: Broker Market Share at 80% 53:19 Bonus: Favourite Halifax Restaurant & Best Vacation Destination Resources: Keystone Capital Group CPLP Instagram: @cplpodcast Keystone Instagram: @keycapgroup Find Neal On: Instagram: @neal.andreino LinkedIn: Neal Andreino Find Ryan on: LinkedIn: Ryan MacNeil E-mail: ryan@keycap.ca Find MCC Premiere Mortgage Centre at: www.monctonmortgagebrokers.com

Ep.140 | AI-Generated Defences & Why Lenders Keep Losing in Court w/ Grechi Carter

The Grechi Carter team is back with a new addition, Amanda Deveaux, a 12-year litigation veteran and Ontario deputy judge who's taking over the firm's entire enforcement practice. Dave, Danielle, and Amanda break down what's really happening in Ontario mortgage enforcement right now: borrowers filing AI-generated defences to stall court proceedings into 2027, why lenders keep losing on fees and penalties, and how forbearance agreements and motions to strike can cut timelines down. They also cover what sets the best private lenders apart from the rest, Grechi Carter's new Etobicoke office, and why social media is becoming a real business driver, even in the legal space. Show Notes: 1:14 Meet Amanda Deveaux - Newest Partner  3:48 Enforcement Growth & Commercial Expansion  7:24 How Long Does an Enforcement Actually Take?  8:07 AI-Generated Defences Are Stalling Courts Until 2027  9:38 Forbearance Agreements & Motions to Strike  11:16 What Counts as a Legitimate Defence  13:17 Fees vs. Penalties,  Where Lenders Get Burned  16:17 Why Judges Keep Siding With Borrowers  19:17 Why Ontario Needs a Mortgage-Specific Court  33:18 What the Best Private Lenders Have in Common  37:14 Greg Carter Teaches Real Estate Law at U of T & Osgoode  40:44 Bonus: Restaurant Rec, Raptors & Leafs Corner Resources: Keystone Capital Group CPLP Instagram: @cplpodcast Keystone Instagram: @keycapgroup Find Neal On: Instagram: @neal.andreino LinkedIn: Neal Andreino Find Ryan on: LinkedIn: Ryan MacNeil E-mail: ryan@keycap.ca

Ep.139 | $1 Billion, 40 People & Zero Gated Funds: Inside Canada's Biggest Public MIC

What does it actually look like to run a $1 billion mortgage portfolio with a team of 40? Phil Fiuza, Managing Director of Single Family at Atrium MIC, pulls back the curtain on one of Canada's largest and only publicly traded mortgage investment corporations. Phil started his career in 1988, right as real estate peaked and crashed, and has spent 30+ years learning how to survive every cycle. In this episode, he breaks down why Atrium went public in 2012 (hint: it's all about permanent capital), how they've kept 95% of their book in first mortgages, and why they're growing in Alberta and BC while staying disciplined in Ontario. If you want to understand how the biggest players in Canadian alternative lending think about risk, capital, and growth, this is the episode. Show Notes: 1:32 - Meet Phil Fiuza & Atrium MIC  2:10 - His Career Started During the 1989 Crash 4:05 - How Today's Market Compares to the 90s 5:21 - Why Atrium Went Public - Permanent Capital Explained  7:12 - The Tradeoffs of Being Publicly Traded 10:10 - 71% Residential, 29% Commercial - Atrium's Book  11:46 - Growth Plans: Alberta & BC 13:09 - Defense First - Protecting Your Best Loans  16:03 - 95% First Mortgages & 87% GTA Focus 17:55 - How They Keep Winning First Position 19:17 - How Atrium Rewards Brokers 20:39 - Renewal Trends & Borrower Stress 27:33 - Moving to 2-3 Year Terms & Amortized Loans 29:14 - Atrium's Rate Range 31:50 - Canadian Economy Outlook - Condos, Construction & Inventory  35:51 - Most Impressive Moves From Competitors 37:21 - The LOC Product Phil Thinks Is Misleading Borrowers 39:56 - Bonus: Leafs, Jays & the Draft Lottery Resources: Keystone Capital Group CPLP Instagram: @cplpodcast Keystone Instagram: @keycapgroup Find Neal On: Instagram: @neal.andreino LinkedIn: Neal Andreino Find Ryan on: LinkedIn: Ryan MacNeil E-mail: ryan@keycap.ca Find Phil on: LinkedIn: Phil Fiuza Instagram: @philfiuza

Ep.138 | $20K Down Loans, 50 Years of Lending & Rebranding the Industry w/ Dean Koeller

Dean Koeller, President & CEO of Calvert Home Mortgage and Board Chair of CAMLA, joins Neal and Ryan live at the CAMLA Ontario Expo. In this episode, Dean breaks down Calvert's unique $20K-down flip and BRRRR program, how their in-house appraisal team gives real estate investors a genuine edge on after-repair value, and how they've been closing deals in 24 hours since before it was a selling point. We also get into the story behind CAMLA, why Dean went to 20 competitors to solve a compliance problem and ended up building Canada's national alternative lending association. Dean makes the case for why calling ourselves "private lenders" may be hurting the industry, what the 2025 CAMLA position paper means for regulators and consumers, and the real risks posed by unregulated lenders operating outside the system. Plus, he tells the hosts they might want to think about changing the name of this podcast. Show Notes: 1:09 - Meet Dean Koehler & Calvert Home Mortgage 1:41 - How Calvert Was Founded in 1975 3:48 - The $20K Down Flip & BRRRR Program 5:19 - In-House Appraisals & the ARV Advantage 8:32 - Why Dean Started CAMLA 9:27 - Building a National Association 11:17 - Alternative vs. Private Lending — Why the Distinction Matters 12:47 - The Risks of Unregulated Lenders 14:41 - Should We Change the Podcast Name? 16:13 - New AML Rules & Advice for Brokers Resources: Keystone Capital Group CPLP Instagram: @cplpodcast Keystone Instagram: @keycapgroup Find Neal On: Instagram: @neal.andreino LinkedIn: Neal Andreino Find Ryan on: LinkedIn: Ryan MacNeil E-mail: ryan@keycap.ca Find Dean on: E-Mail: dean@chmic.ca Linkedin: Dean Koeller

Ep.137 | $400M AUM, Zero Principal Lost w/ Yitz Levinson

Neal and Ryan sit down with Yitz Levinson, President of Hillmount Capital,  a Toronto-based private lender with over $400M under administration and 22 years in the business. Yitz shares how his background as a licensed insolvency trustee shaped the way Hillmount underwrites every deal: exit first, entry second. The conversation covers their unique MFT structure, how they flex across residential, commercial, and construction depending on market conditions, their approach to special situations and insolvency lending, and why Yitz is more focused on deal terms than competing on rate in today's aggressive market. If you want to understand how a sophisticated, long-running private lender thinks about capital preservation, risk, and the current economic climate, this is a must-listen. Show Notes: 1:45 - From Accountant to Insolvency Trustee 3:23 - How Hillmount Was Founded 4:27 - The #1 Reason Deals Go Bad 5:56 - Hillmount's Lending Profile 7:21 - Construction Loans 8:12 - What Differentiates Hillmount 9:20 - Special Situation Lending 11:07 - Speed, Direct Lending & the HiLOC 12:30 - White Glove Service 14:54 - MFT vs. MIC 16:11 - Organic Investor Growth 17:59 - Staying Disciplined on Rate & LTV 18:15 - Preservation of Capital 19:09 - Concerns About Today's Market 21:49 - Tariffs, Recession & the Macro Picture 22:23 - Warning Signs on the Street 23:21 - Short-Term vs. Long-Term Loans 24:13 - Are We in a Recession? 25:33 - No Land Buying = Future Housing Shortage 26:06 - Regional Market Breakdown 28:06 - Bruised Credit Borrowers 28:45 - Working With Borrowers in Distress 30:14 - Mortgages Act Reform 31:45 - Concerns About New Products in the Market 32:46 - "We Underwrite the Story, Not the Box" Resources: Keystone Capital Group CPLP Instagram: @cplpodcast Keystone Instagram: @keycapgroup Find Neal On: Instagram: @neal.andreino LinkedIn: Neal Andreino Find Ryan on: LinkedIn: Ryan MacNeil E-mail: ryan@keycap.ca