Following a year of unprecedented challenge and disruption, 2021 began with a glimmer of hope for recovery in many aspects of our lives. Despite continued challenges and uncertainty as the year unfolded, hope prevailed for the most part. Vaccination rates rose, the economy reopened, and we were able to reconnect with friends and family. We now end the year much stronger than we began.
We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the tireless efforts of our heroic front-line healthcare workers and to the international team of scientists who delivered life-saving vaccines, marking the beginning of the end of the pandemic, and a return to our new normal life.
As the year winds to a close, we also reflect on the resilience of our industry and its people, and the many ways our partnership provided help and hope to so many Canadians struggling through the pandemic.
Partnering to provide a lifeline to vulnerable borrowers
In such a financially challenging time, few could have predicted the record-setting activity that would unfold in the Canadian real estate market. Supply remained scarce in housing markets nationwide, pushing prices to historic highs and the dream of home ownership out of reach for so many. At the same time, further tightening of mortgage lending guidelines left a growing number of borrowers shut out from accessing traditional lenders, forcing them to scramble for alternative solutions.
In this environment, it’s no surprise the demand for private lending exploded hand-in-hand with growth in the number of consumers seeking the expertise of a mortgage broker. With access to all the possible borrowing options, including private lenders, borrowers who engaged your services were immeasurably better served. Proof is found in every corner of the housing market across the country.
Through our partnership, we provided a lifeline to those who would have been without options – and would have faced dire consequences. Together, we put more than $1 billion in the hands of Canadians, helping them keep their homes, weather the storm of job loss and precarious employment, and chart a path out of financial hardship.
Continuously innovating to help you serve more clients, better and faster
As has been the case since our founding, product and system innovations enabled us to provide you with an industry-leading experience. We implemented changes to create a completely remote borrowing experience, including virtual legal signings, electronic signatures and contact-free appraisals.
We offered payment deferrals and introduced interest-only and prepaid mortgage products to help those experiencing job loss due to the pandemic. Most recently, through open banking partnerships with Flinks and SnapNOA, we made the submission process faster and easier by removing the need for you to collect banking and income documents from your clients, saving you precious time.
We’re committed to continuous improvement to help you serve more clients, better and faster. You can expect more of the same from us in 2022 and beyond.
Looking ahead to a promising year in 2022
In October, we reached the incredible milestone of $1 billion in mortgage fundings. What’s truly amazing about this achievement is not just the timeline – it took just over five years to reach the first $500 million and only nine months to reach the second – but what it represents.
Together with you, we stepped up to support those turned away by traditional lenders, helping them to realize the dream of home ownership, to remain in their homes during times of hardship, to access equity to fund renovations and vacations, and to consolidate debt and repair damaged credit.
We simply could not have done this without you. We share this success with you, and we thank you for your continued trust and confidence. As 2021 winds to a close, the promise of a new year brings an opportunity to reset and reimagine how our partnership can continue to make a difference to the lives of Canadians who don’t fit into the traditional lending box. Together, let’s make 2022 a year of new possibilities.
On behalf of the entire CMI team, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year. We hope you have a chance to rest, relax and enjoy time with friends and family. The holidays should look very different this year versus last, and that is truly something to celebrate.
Sincerely,
Bryan Jaskolka
CEO, CMI Financial Group