Award Categories

Thursday May 1, 2025 | Toronto Congress Center

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Broker Awards

This award recognizes a leading mortgage agent/broker who specializes in commercial mortgages, real estate, investment finance, SME/debtor finance, asset and leasing finance, and who has built a solid business in this field and displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months.

Self-nominations are permitted. The nominee must have been a commercial mortgage broker for over three years and commercial brokering activity must comprise 80% or more of their overall business.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • conversion rates and overall customer service

This award recognizes the most outstanding national broker network that has displayed excellence and commitment to it broker members and the wider mortgage industry over the past 12-18 months.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • recruitment and retention strategies and rates
  • value proposition for members (business resources, marketing support, training and education)
  • value that members bring to the end client
  • contribution to the industry as a whole over the previous year
  • funded volume ratio and gross revenue
  • member testimonials

This award recognizes the mortgage agent/broker who has displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months in alternative lending.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • conversion rates
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • overall customer service
  • loan volumes (to a lesser extent)

This award recognizes an outstanding broker or agent who is 40 years old or younger, as of December 31, 2023.

Self nominations are permitted.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • conversion rates
  • overall customer service

This award recognizes a leading mortgage agent/broker who specializes in private lending and who has built a solid business in this field and displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months.

Brokers/agents may nominate themselves and the CMA team will also consider input from specialist lenders.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • conversion rates
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • overall customer service
  • loan volumes (to a lesser extent)

This award is one of the highest accolades offered to an individual in the mortgage industry. This award recognizes the most outstanding mortgage broker in each of the six following regions – BC, Alberta, Prairies (Manitoba and Saskatchewan), Ontario, Atlantic Canada and Quebec who has demonstrated excellence within their respective regional market while delivering an exceptional experience for their clients.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • conversion rates
  • overall customer service

This award recognizes the most outstanding mortgage broker in Ontario who has demonstrated excellence within their respective regional market while delivering an exceptional experience for their clients.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • conversion rates
  • overall customer service

Having already located the cream of the broking crop in each region across Canada, the winners in those categories will go head-to-head in the Canadian Broker of the year category. Only the winners from each of the six regions will be considered for the overall Canadian Broker of the Year crown.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • conversion rates
  • overall customer service

Brokerage Awards

This award recognizes the best brokerage office or branch that has been in operation for between 1 – 3 years.

To be eligible, the business must have started trading between December 2020 and January 2023.

Brokers may nominate their own businesses, and our researchers will also contact lenders and major franchises to submit details of their standout performers.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • lead generation
  • conversion rates
  • customer service proposition
  • the business’ value proposition and strategy around stakeholder engagement

This award recognizes the brokerage operation with 25 staff (or full-time equivalents) or more that has displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months.

The number of staff includes all loan writers and support staff across all company offices/branches.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • loan volumes
  • year over year growth
  • Employee value proposition (business development support, marketing support, education, training, philanthropy, lead generation)
  • Overall client service and relationship management
  • Growth strategy
  • Spirit of innovation with use of technology and digital platforms/tools
  • Industry reputation

This award recognizes the brokerage operation with fewer than 25 staff (or full-time equivalents) that has displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months.

The number of staff includes all loan writers and support staff across all company offices/branches.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • Loan volumes
  • Year-over-year growth
  • Employee value proposition (business development support, marketing support, education, training, philanthropy, lead generation)
  • Overall client service and relationship management
  • Growth strategy
  • Spirit of innovation with use of technology and digital platforms/tools
  • Industry reputation

This award is given to the brokerage or network that has best harnessed technology and digital solutions to improve their business, aid their brokers, and leverage overall client experience over the last 12-18 months.

This category looks at the organizations use of digital platform/solution/resource/software/ such as (but not limited to) CRM, digital marketing, mobile technology, electronic document management, connectivity platforms, and collaboration tools.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • Overall use of digital platforms and wealth technology solutions in the last 12-18 months, demonstrating positive outcomes
  • Clear narrative demonstrating the needs identification process for implementation of the technology
  • Alignment of the use of the technology with the organization’s broader goals
  • Innovation in the types of technology used
  • Efficiencies and cost savings gained from use of technology
  • Evidence of return on investment and impact on staff engagement and performance

This award recognizes the most outstanding National Brokerage which has excelled in its commitment to the mortgage brokers and agents under its direct mortgage license over the past 12 – 18 months.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • recruitment and retention strategies and rates
  • growth and value for its members
  • value proposition for members (business resources, payroll, compliance, marketing support, training and education)
  • value that members bring to the end client
  • contribution to the industry as a whole over the previous year
  • funded volume ratio and gross revenue
  • member testimonials

Lender Awards

BDMs are an essential ingredient in the lender/broker relationship.

This award recognizes a leading lender BDM specializing in alternative lending who has displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months. BDMs may nominate themselves and the CMA team will also review nominations from lenders.

Considerable weight will be placed on nominations that come directly from the broking community.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • the nominee’s accessibility and communication
  • demonstrated understanding of their brokers’ businesses
  • product knowledge and the ways in which the BDM adds value to the brand he/she represents and to the broker channel

BDMs are an essential ingredient in the lender/broker relationship.

This award recognizes the lender BDM specializing in private lending who has displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months. BDMs may nominate themselves and the CMA team will also review nominations from lenders.

Considerable weight will be placed on nominations that come directly from the broking community.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • the nominee’s accessibility and communication
  • demonstrated understanding of their brokers’ businesses
  • product knowledge and the ways in which the BDM adds value to the brand he/she represents and to the broker channel

BDMs are an essential ingredient in the lender/broker relationship.

This award recognizes a leading lender BDM specializing in prime lending who has displayed excellence over the past 12-18 months. BDMs may nominate themselves and the CMA team will also review nominations from lenders.

Considerable weight will be placed on nominations that come directly from the broking community.

This award recognizes the lender underwriter, specializing in alternative lending, whose expertise and outstanding service to brokers helps ensure their deals are funded quickly and efficiently and has guided them in the right direction to improve their funding ratios in the last 12-18 months.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • conversion rates
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • overall customer service
  • loan volumes (to a lesser extent)

This award recognizes the lender underwriter specializing in private lending whose expertise and outstanding service to brokers helps ensure their deals are funded quickly and efficiently and has guided them in the right direction to improve their funding ratios in the last 12-18 months.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • conversion rates
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • overall customer service
  • loan volumes (to a lesser extent)

This award recognizes the lender underwriter specializing in prime lending whose expertise and outstanding service to brokers helps ensure their deals are funded quickly and efficiently and has guided them in the right direction to improve their funding ratios in the last 12-18 months.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • conversion rates
  • lead generation
  • client retention
  • overall customer service
  • loan volumes (to a lesser extent)

Industry Awards

This award recognizes the service provider that adds the most value to its customers’ businesses. Eligible service providers include, but are not limited to, software and technology, legal, compliance, training and education.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • the nominees’ unique value proposition and major strengths in comparison with their competitors
  • the industry’s need for the service and how the service has added value to the industry
  • overall customer service and client strategy
  • major improvements or upgrades made in the last 12-18 months

This award recognizes the individual, company, organization, brokerage, branch or office whose outstanding contribution of time, leadership and financial support over a sustained period of time, beyond normal expectations, has made significant impacts on the receiving causes or communities.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • major philanthropy and community service programs or initiatives over the past 12-18 months
  • link with broader corporate goals or strategies (i.e. company culture, employee engagement, etc.)
  • impact on local, national or international causes or communities
  • contribution in $ and/or time figures
  • overall commitment to philanthropy and community service
  • testimonials from beneficiaries or partners

This award recognizes the commitment of a company with over 50 employees in Canada to building a workplace that recognizes excellence and supports career growth for all.

This award acknowledges the company that has won the reputation to be called an employer of choice within the mortgage industry.

Eligible nominees are brokerages, networks, lenders and service providers.


When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • must have more than 50 employees in Canada
  • employee value proposition
  • employer brand and workplace culture
  • approach to employee recruitment and retention, talent management, learning and development, mitigating employer-related risks, managing changes within the business (digitalization, customer expectations, compliance, etc.)

This award recognizes an outstanding female trailblazer, in any facet of the mortgage industry, whose astounding personal and professional achievements have earned them a place among the industry’s best.

When judging this category, the following will be considered:

  • professional accomplishments
  • promotion
  • influence and championing of women within the mortgage industry
  • leadership of professional associations and other relevant accolades and involvements (charitable work, accomplishments outside the industry, etc.).

This is the highest honour and most coveted award at the Canadian Mortgage Awards.

This award recognizes and celebrates a leading figure who has contributed much to the advancement of the mortgage industry in Canada.

This award will acknowledge an individual with an established history and reputation of distinguished service to the mortgage and real estate profession. They have exhibited leadership and provided inspiration to others, while putting the interests of the industry at the top of their priorities throughout their career.

There are no finalists for this category. Nominations will be evaluated by the CMA team. The recipient of this award will be contacted three-four weeks before the awards event and will be announced at the Canadian Mortgage Awards.