The split is the number every recruiter leads with. It is also the number that tells you the least on its own.
Written by A.I.M.I. Collective Mortgage Group, Brokerage editorial team
Published September 2026 · Last reviewed 5 October 2026
Mortgage brokers in Canada are paid by the lender, not the borrower, on most residential files. When a mortgage funds the lender pays the brokerage a finder's fee, commonly quoted between 0.5 and 1.2 percent of the mortgage amount, with five year fixed terms usually paying more than variable or short terms. Some lenders add volume bonuses once a brokerage sends enough business, and some offer a trailer fee model that pays less up front and a small amount each year the client stays. B lenders sometimes pay less and allow a broker fee to the borrower. Private lenders do not pay at all, so the borrower pays a broker fee of roughly 1 to 2 percent, disclosed in writing.
The commission split is how the brokerage and the broker share that money.
On most prime and B lender files the lender pays a finder's fee when the mortgage funds, and your split decides how much of it you keep. Splits run from 70/30 for new agents up to 95/5. Desk fees, royalties and other fixed charges come off the top, so compare the net you keep, not the headline split.
Advertised splits in Canada run from about 70/30 for a brand new agent to 95/5 or higher for high producers, usually stepping up with annual funded volume.
Monthly desk or technology fees, errors and omissions insurance, deal processing and compliance charges all come out after the split.
Network brokerages pay a franchise royalty. Some pass it to the broker off the top, before the split is applied. Ask where it lands.
Whether you submit under the brokerage's top tier status with each lender changes your bonus, your turnaround and your approval rate. A high split with poor status can cost more than it pays.
Book a confidential call. We will walk you through compensation, lender access and support, with every fee in writing.
A $500,000 mortgage at a 1 percent finder's fee is $5,000 gross. At 95/5 with a $400 monthly fee and a 5 percent royalty off the top, you keep less on ten files a year than at 85/15 with no fees and no royalty. Run your own volume through both.
Every broker submits under top tier lender status from day one, and the split reflects your volume rather than a flat new agent rate. We do not publish the figure because it is set against your book, so it is the first thing we cover on a call. Our compensation page explains what is and is not included.
Compare us on net, not on split, and ask for the full cost list in writing before you sign anywhere, including here. The broker portal, compliance review, marketing support and payroll processing are included. BrokerDam is a separate paid product at a member rate rather than a bundled CRM. Compensation is top tier and competitive, set against your volume, and we put the number in writing on the call rather than on a web page.
Six things that decide whether a new mortgage agent funds files in year one: training, a mentor, lender status, underwriting support and a 90 day plan.
Ten brand names, three parent companies. Who owns what in Canada's mortgage brokerage networks and how that changes the way you read a recruiting pitch.
Most recruiting pitches compete on one number. A framework for comparing brokerages on what lands in your account after fees, royalties and lender status.
A recruiting conversation tells you what a brokerage wants to say. Fifteen questions on splits, fees, status, support and exit terms tell you the rest.
Bring your last twelve months of funded volume and we will show you exactly what it nets at A.I.M.I. Collective, fees included.