Happy New Year, and welcome to 2026! We’re looking forward to building on the momentum of the past year — and the strong foundation we’ve created together over the last 20. Together, we navigated one of the most challenging lending environments in recent memory. Your partnership and trust have been central to that journey, and they remain just as important as we take on the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Opportunity amid uncertainty
Renewals will remain a defining story of 2026. Many Canadians are preparing to renew mortgages originated during the ultra-low-rate period of 2020–2021, and payment shock fears continue to weigh on households.
One of the clearest lessons from last year is that proactive outreach is essential. Those who engaged clients well ahead of renewal dates created space for honest conversations, enabling them to set clearer expectations, and better prepare borrowers for payment changes. Early touchpoints also helped surface potential pressure points long before they became urgent. That same disciplined, relationship-driven approach will be fundamental again this year.
Across the industry, there’s a renewed emphasis on straightforward guidance, flexible strategies, and dependable support. Uncertainty remains part of the landscape, but so does resilience. Borrowers are looking for advisors who can be clear, steady voices when things feel uncertain—people who understand the pressures they’re facing and can help them navigate the choices in front of them with confidence.
Solving for evolving borrower profiles
In the private space, the types of borrower we’re seeing hasn’t changed dramatically—but the circumstances bringing them to us certainly have.
Self-employed borrowers and those with non-traditional jobs continue to make up a large share of deal volume. Because their income isn’t always straightforward on paper, they need flexible, common-sense solutions that reflect how they actually earn a living. We’re also seeing more borrowers arriving at later stages of arrears, sometimes after receiving demand letters or facing potential power-of-sale situations. These cases require quick, careful action and lenders who can respond decisively with solution-focused support.
Economic pressures are reshaping borrower profiles as well. Income volatility, employment changes, and elevated debt loads are pushing more people toward alternative options. Many homeowners who added debt in the low-rate era are refinancing simply because higher carrying costs have become difficult to maintain. We expect this refinancing demand to stay strong through 2026.
At the same time, softening property values in some regions are making it harder for borrowers to exit private mortgages or unlock the equity they expected. While this presents challenges, it also underscores the role private lenders will play as the renewal wave builds. Many borrowers won’t qualify—or requalify—with traditional lenders, and they’ll need clear guidance and solutions built around what’s realistic for them, including an exit strategy that supports long-term stability. The brokers who can present a full spectrum of lending options — from prime to private — and consider their clients’ long-term financial picture when structuring solutions, will be in the strongest position to help them succeed.
Our commitment to you
Against this backdrop, we’ve continued strengthening our product suite to align with the realities you’re seeing on the ground. Our expanded suite of specialized programs will help you place borrowers in solutions that make sense for their situation:
- Private Product – A flexible alternative for borrowers with damaged credit or complex circumstances when traditional financing isn’t available.
- Core Product – Built for strong, straightforward urban deals, with competitive pricing, broad lending areas, and fast turnaround.
- Power of Sale Product – Designed for borrowers in arrears with another lender who require urgent solutions and support.
- AAA Product – Competitive rates, lower fees, and simple terms for strong borrowers in urban Ontario and metropolitan Quebec.
- Jumbo Product – A high-value solution for clients looking to borrow up to $5 million in Toronto and Montreal.
Underlying all of this is the same principle that guided us through the past year: disciplined, common-sense underwriting combined with open communication and responsiveness. Over the last year, we strengthened our credit review process, increased touchpoints with brokers to understand potential challenges early, and used data-driven tools to assess risk more precisely. By staying solutions-oriented and moving quickly when it matters, we were able to continue funding quality deals even in an uncertain market.
In 2026, we’ll keep building on this approach—investing in our broker community through education, timely market insights, and fast, transparent deal support. Our goal remains straightforward: to be a reliable, responsive partner you can count on, especially as market conditions continue to evolve.
Thank you for your partnership, your resilience, and the trust you place in us as you help Canadians navigate another year of change. We look forward to working alongside you in 2026, delivering solutions that genuinely make a difference—no matter what the market brings.
Here’s to a successful year ahead.
Bryan Jaskolka
CEO, CMI Financial Group
