U.S. surveys show that 88% of buyers say they would use the same real estate agent again, but only about one in five would continue to do so.
We don’t have the same statistics for Canadian mortgage brokers, but the pattern is almost certainly similar, especially given how many borrowers are simply renewing with their existing lender.
The problem is not disloyalty. Homeowners default to whoever stands in front of them when they feel needed. Many times, that’s not their original mortgage broker.
You’ve seen this in your own business. You send newsletters, birthday messages, mortgage anniversaries… only to find out your client made their next mortgage decision without you.
Why?
The homeowner is not intentionally ignoring you; They’re just as busy, forgetful, and selfish as the rest of us. Most mortgage broker marketing fails three subconscious tests performed by consumers:
- association – “Happy Birthday!” doesn’t help them save money or build wealth.
- personalization – “BoC cuts rates by 25 basis points” doesn’t tell them whether them What you can save (or how much you can save).
- timing – The words “your contract extension is coming” reach them too late.
Customers won’t ignore your birthday email just because they don’t like you. They ignore it because it creates no value for them as homeowners. Once they decide your email isn’t worth opening, they’ll quietly ignore everything else you send.
What most agents miss
Clients come to you for personalized advice tailored to their specific home buying situation. That’s what they still want after closure—even if they don’t realize it.
But homeowners won’t consider a mortgage. They think in terms of home ownership: Do I have enough assets to relocate? Should I redecorate? Is my home worth what I think it’s worth? Am I overpaying on my mortgage?
They take action when something directly affects their goals and financial situation. They ignore anything that doesn’t exist.
What homeowner Do Note (supported by real data)
At Ownwell, we analyze thousands of interactions across Canada with our monthly Home Ownership Report. There are two main insights from the data.
Insight #1: Home content (not mortgage content) is the fastest path to engagement
When we test two identical emails with different subjects:
Answer: “Your new home ownership report goes here”
B: “Your home value has been updated”
family value version made 10% more Open.
In the report, the most clicked links had nothing to do with mortgages at all. It is: “How My Home Value Assessment Works.”
Why? Because homeowners don’t wake up thinking about mortgages. Mortgages are rational, transactional, and – let’s be honest – boring.
Homeowners will wake up thinking about their biggest asset and whether they are closer or further away from the target. Home page content is full of emotions. Emotion trumps logic, which is why home-focused insights trump mortgage-focused messaging every time.
Insight #2: Banks are not your real competition. Your customers lack awareness.
When homeowners don’t understand their situation, they can’t take action. This will cost them and you money.
When we added a simple, intuitive breakdown of how equity is calculated, the average time spent on reporting dropped from 42 seconds to 59 secondsparticipation soared.
Brokers tell us their clients admit they have have no idea What are their rights and some don’t even know what the word means!
This is an awareness gap.
Here’s another one:
Most homeowners also don’t know if their current rates are competitive, if defaulting on their mortgage will actually save them money after penalties, or if recent rate changes will apply to them.
The generic “interest rates fall” headline creates zero clarity. Customers don’t call to make an appointment just to find out if they overpaid.
So, between not knowing the status of their equity and not knowing whether their existing mortgage still makes sense, homeowners are left with the choice of staying put (even if better options exist).
That’s the real competition: not the lenders, but the lack of name recognition.
What top brokers do differently
We look at the brokers with the strongest results from Ownwell – some gains US$50,000–US$100,000+ Increase commissions in less than a year.
this is theirs No Do:
- They don’t try to predict which customers “will take action.”
- They didn’t pick anyone to join Orwell.
- They didn’t shy away from sharing bad news.
High earners focus on one thing: conversations (where they can demonstrate their value).
They know you can’t predict who will take action because action isn’t always triggered by interest rates or equity. Sometimes it’s:
- a new baby
- a separation
- elderly parents
- debt situation
- Dream Upgrade When the Right List Appears
Orwell’s monthly insights help reveal the moments when clients are most likely to need advice, often for reasons that agents cannot foresee.
When a report reveals something “negative,” top performers don’t hesitate to take action. They want to talk.
Because an advisor who helps clients deal with their challenges is always more likely to be remembered than one who sends birthday emails.
new script
Be relevant.
Be individual.
often.
If you do these three things consistently, you’ll be in front of your clients when their “eureka moment” happens.
This is how you avoid losing business to inertia.
Want to see these manuals in action?
We’re hosting a free live session tomorrow, Wednesday, November 26th at 2pm ET that will crash:
- Three Strategies Top Brokers Use to Earn $500,000-$100,000 Extra Commissions
- How Amanda obtained 10 refinances from 75 past clients in less than 6 months
- How Jeff completed 13 refinances/transfers and 7 sales in 8 months
- How the broker is now repeating this success with its real estate partner database—one broker alone generated 20 refinancings this way in less than six months
If you’ve ever wondered why some brokers have clients who are constantly contacted while others struggle to get a single reply, this session will show you the difference.
Reserve your spot here (limited to 500 attendees)
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Broker Marketing Broker Tips Dan MacDonald Lead Switching Strategies Mortgage Strategies ownwell Sponsored
Last modified: November 25, 2025
