The stars of the mortgage industry were in attendance for another barnstorming CMAs
It’s become one of the most eagerly anticipated events in Canada’s mortgage industry calendar over the years – and the Canadian Mortgage Awards didn’t disappoint for 2025, returning to Toronto’s Congress Centre for an unforgettable night on May 1.
Hundreds of mortgage professionals from across the country were in attendance to celebrate the best and brightest in the industry, with top achievers recognized for their outstanding performance over the past year in a range of categories.
For the winners, coming away with an award is a moment that’s sure to live long in the memory, particularly with categories for this year featuring, as always, some of the leading names in the industry.
Greenflow Financial’s Reza Ghazi (pictured below), who won the Canadian Mortgages Inc. Award for Broker of the Year, told Canadian Mortgage Professional his victory was an affirmation not just of his own hard work over the last 12 months, but equally the strong culture and drive of his team.
“I think the award speaks a lot on what your approach is with your clients. We go the extra mile to really understand what their needs are and we truly try to structure transactions that really serve their needs,” he said.
“At the same time, we understand the goal of our investors. So we try to do the same thing on that end, and that’s what makes us really good at what we do – hence the award.”
Kindred Mortgage Co., headquartered in Saskatchewan, won the MCAN Award for New Brokerage of the Year – and teamwork was also the name of the game for the company’s owner Candice Carr, who paid tribute to the sterling contribution of her staff and agents throughout the year.
“Kindred Mortgage really means family and life relations, and I feel like we’re all very similar. We’re just strength in numbers,” she told CMP. “We’re all very likeminded and I think our team is great.”
It was a busy night for Scarlett Network, which was named Industry Service Provider of the Year and saw founder and president Joe Fakhri win the inaugural Innovator Champion of the Year prize.
Dong Lee (pictured below), chief executive officer of parent company Axiom Innovations, said those honours reflected the big moves in the right direction being made by the company.
“Our team works hard every day. We listen to our customers, we do our best for them,” he said. “And I think this is just a really nice testament that all the hard work we’re doing is actually paying off.”
Stars of the mortgage industry turn out in full force
The Home Trust Award for Woman of Distinction, which recognizes the outstanding contribution to the industry of a trailblazing female executive, was awarded to Centum Financial Group’s Caroline Rapson (pictured below).
Recently promoted to vice president of operations at the broker network, Rapson described the “honour” of winning the award and paid tribute to the quality of competition in the category.
“It was a fantastic group of women that I was in the category with. I admire and respect them all,” she told CMP. “So the honour is even greater because of that.”
As for the secrets behind her success? Consistency was a keyword for Rapson throughout the year, while attention to detail and the needs of agents and borrowers were also top of mind. “The people in our network and people in the industry are very important to me,” she said.
“So anything we can do to make the industry better and help our offices grow is our main focus and one of my main priorities.”
Industry legend Steven Ranson (pictured below), former head of HomeEquity Bank, received a rapturous reception for winning the Haventree Bank Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Mortgage Industry – and the renowned executive had simple but effective advice for industry members hoping to carve out a successful career.
“I’d say the best thing is to focus on one or two things that you know you do well and will be your advantage. And don’t give up,” he said. “It takes determination. I had a lot of years where things were not going that great. You’ve just got to persevere.”
The Lender Underwriter of the Year Award (Alternative and Private), sponsored by the Canada Mortgage and Financial Group, went to Haventree’s Drew Wiens (pictured below) in what he described as a “surreal” moment.
Being able to maintain a sense of perspective in a high-octane and often demanding job, he said, was one of the main reasons for his success. “It can be quite hectic – a go, go, go industry, a 24/7 type of thing, and I’ve just gotten a little better at relaxing and finding more balance,” he said.
Rising star on mortgage industry: ‘It’s helped me change people’s lives’
The private and alternative markets have surged in popularity in recent years and Alternative Broker Specialist of the Year, Harman Batta (pictured below), said he had strived to educate borrowers about the sector over the previous 12 months.
“I educate a lot about alternative lending. There were a lot of misconceptions about it,” he said. “We educate a lot of clients, we do presentations, and I think that’s one of the reasons I’m here.
“Alternative brokering is changing lives. It helps people who do not fit in the traditional lending model and everyone deserves to have homeownership – so it makes a big difference.”
A rising star in the mortgage industry was also recognized on the night, with Akshay Gupta (pictured below) of Foundry Mortgage Capital Corp. named winner of the Centum Financial Award for Young Achiever of the Year.
Gupta also paid tribute to the transformative impact the mortgage industry can have on Canadians. “It’s helped me change people’s lives,” he said, “and not only buy homes but create jobs, build communities. So it’s very rewarding.”
Rising star Akshay Gupta of Foundry Mortgage Capital Corp. has won The Centum Financial Award for Young Achiever of the Year at the 2025 Canadian Mortgage Awards! #MortgageAwardsCAhttps://t.co/zhCJWZU72z pic.twitter.com/lJufuKlRkG
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) May 2, 2025
In the prime space, Lender Underwriter of the Year winner Anne-Marie Koebel (pictured below) of RFA Mortgage Corporation paid tribute to the connections she’s built with brokers and strong relationships throughout the industry.
“I really like working with brokers. I have wonderful connections and relationships and I’m always happy to see their names,” she said.
Quantus Mortgage Solutions won the RFA Award for Excellence in Philanthropy and Community Service, an “excellent” feeling for company owner Todd Fralic and an affirmation of its strong charitable endeavour.
“Every mortgage that we fund goes towards a charity,” he said. “It’s about $400,000 that we’ve raised so far, so we’re pretty proud of it.” New initiatives this year include an extra charity event, he said, in addition to a women-only golf tournament last September that drew wide industry support.
Beverly LePage (pictured below) of TD Bank came away with the Lender BDM of the Year – Prime Award, a win she described as “unexpected… but an honour.”
Lender BDM of the Year on the alternative and private side, meanwhile, was First National Financial LP’s Isabel Eydlin (pictured below) – a familiar face for CMAs attendees, having also won that award last year.
“Consistency and just understanding my broker’s needs, always putting myself in the position of the consumers and understanding that at the end of the day, it’s one of the largest purchases that we make in our life and it should be seamless [were important],” she said.
Canadian Mortgage Awards spotlight Canada’s leading brokers
Broker awards also recognized the leading originators across the Canadian mortgage industry, with Paul Meredith (pictured below) of PMT Mortgage Corp. clinching the Matrix Mortgage Global Award for Broker of the Year – Eastern Canada.
An innovative approach was crucial to that success, Meredith said. “I did a major update to my book, ‘Beat the Bank: How to Win the Mortgage Game in Canada,’” he explained. “I added a few chapters, put about 350 hours of extra time into the update and added about 200 pages to the book. I’m extremely proud of that accomplishment.”
Broker of the Year Award – Reverse Mortgages, sponsored by Equitable Bank, went to DLC AIMI Collective Mortgage Group’s Kyle Benzies (pictured). He highlighted the attention and care shown to his clients as one of the central reasons for that win.
“I would say I’ve taken the time with my clients as opposed to rushing them along,” he said. “That’s something that I’ve heard consistently – clients have gone to other brokers in the past and said that the process seemed rushed.
“They appreciated the fact that I took the time, sometimes months, and in the case of one of my deals two years. It’s just nurturing and being there for them.”
For TMG The Mortgage Group’s Joanna Zhou (pictured below), who was named Broker of the Year – Commercial, a career shift in recent times proved the right move. “I switched from financing residential mortgages and switched my portfolio to finance commercial property for the last two years,” she said. “I feel very lucky and I’m very happy to be getting this award.”
The Digital Innovation in a Brokerage Award, meanwhile, went to Ratehub.ca, with senior vice president, mortgages Philippe Simard highlighting how the company’s desire to stand out from the crowd had helped pave the way to its success.
“We try so hard to be different in the industry and we do pretty good work – and we’ve been recognized tonight,” he said. “Our team is working so hard to get the best customer experience, so I’m really glad for my team.”
Leslie Penney, of Verico East Coast Mortgage Brokers, won the Broker of the Year – Maritimes/Atlantic Canada prize, while Sabeena Bubber (pictured below), of Verico Xeva Mortgage, came away with not only the Broker of the Year – Western Canada award, but also the overall REMIC Award for Canadian Broker of the Year.
Sabeena Bubber of Verico Xeva Mortgage takes the title Broker of the Year – Western Canada at the 2025 Canadian Mortgage Awards! #MortgageAwardsCAhttps://t.co/XqFeiriGz4 pic.twitter.com/faFL9zeK5I
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) May 2, 2025
Bespoke Mortgage Group were named Brokerage of the Year (Fewer Than 25 Employees), with Key Mortgage Partners winning the award for brokerages with 25 or more employees.
National Brokerage of the Year went to Invis Mortgage Intelligence, while Mortgage Centre Canada closed out the night by clinching victory in the ultra-competitive National Broker Network of the Year category.
Attendees hailed the opportunity to mingle with other industry professionals, catch up with familiar faces, and raise a glass to all the night’s winners and Excellence Awardees.
“It’s fantastic – it’s so fun,” Ranson said of the night. “It’s great for me. Being in the industry for 27 years, I see so many people I haven’t seen in years and years, a couple of people that I worked with literally 25 years ago. It’s really great to see so many familiar faces.”
For more coverage of the Canadian Mortgage Awards – including a full list of Excellence Awardees and a soon-to-come gallery of all the night’s action – check out the official event page here.
Our sincere thanks to all who attended – and to the winners, congratulations!
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