Top broker says AI can’t replace the trust built through client conversations
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in daily life as well as the workplace has posed fundamental questions for the mortgage industry about how it’s likely to impact the work of mortgage professionals in the years ahead.
But while it’s moved from a novelty to a daily tool for many Canadian mortgage brokers, many are drawing a firm line around where it belongs in their business – and few believe it will ever replicate a broker’s ability to forge connections with clients and provide best-in-class advice.
Angela Calla (pictured top), a broker at Angela Calla Mortgage Team in Port Coquitlam, BC, told Canadian Mortgage Professional that AI has a place in her operation’s back-office workflow, but no role in the client conversation itself.
“We use it as a personal business resource to refine communication, strengthen our standard operating procedures, and improve efficiency,” she said. “We don’t use AI to communicate directly with clients.”
That distinction between AI as an internal resource and as a client-facing tool could be becoming one of the most prominent dividing lines in how Canadian brokerages approach the technology even as its prominence increases.
Large-language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in late 2022, heralding a huge transformation in how Canadian workplaces harness technology to deliver services and outcomes.
But Calla said striking the right balance when it comes to technology has always been a priority for the most effective mortgage brokerages.
“Technology has always been part of our business,” she said. “We’ve leveraged templates, automation, and systems like Velocity for years. AI is simply the next evolution.”
The benefits of AI are clear: it can streamline workflows, make brokerages more efficient, reduce the need for brokers to focus on time-consuming administrative tasks, and generate innovative new ideas on how to drive business.
Calla, though, is clear-eyed on its pitfalls, too. “Its limitation is context,” she said. “It can’t replace experience, sound judgment, or the trust built through meaningful conversations.”
Mortgage shoppers still unwilling to go it alone with AI
The rise of AI and LLMs has sparked questions about whether mortgage shoppers might simply turn to chatbots instead of working with a mortgage professional.
Nonetheless, Cotality’s ‘AI in Housing’ study, released earlier this year in the US, suggested homebuyers still don’t trust AI to drive the entire mortgage process, with a significant portion needing human input in their decision.
Trust in AI to help find a home in the US has dropped by 14 percentage points over the last year, the Cotality survey showed, from 30% in 2025 to 16% in 2026.
Preference for working with a human, meanwhile, has jumped for US homebuyers. Fifty-five percent (55%) of buyers said they would prefer using human help to find their mortgage – up from 46% in 2025 – and 66% say human professionals are more valuable than AI for legal assistance.
The broker-client relationship itself is simply too consequential to hand to automated tools, according to Calla. “The mortgage journey is one of the most important financial decisions people make,” she said. “Clients deserve advice tailored to their goals, not generic answers.”
She said her team views AI-literate clients as an opportunity, rather than a threat to the broker-client relationship. “It’s often clear when someone has started with AI, and we see that as an opportunity to connect,” she said.
“The real value comes from the conversation, where strategy, education, and relationships come together.”
Technology changes the work – not the purpose
Some brokers have fully embraced AI and are using it in every aspect of their business, while others may be unsure or unconfident about how to implement it effectively in their own daily work.
For those brokers wondering about the best ways to use AI professionally, Calla said consistency and time saving should be top of mind, rather than viewing it as a catchall.
“Use AI to strengthen your business, not replace your voice,” she said. “Improve your systems, create consistency, and save time so you can invest more of it with your clients.”
Ultimately, the arrival of AI may be a gamechanger for the industry – but Calla said it still hasn’t shifted what she views as brokers’ core function.
“Every advancement in technology has changed how we work, but not why we do it,” she said. “Our role is to educate, advocate, and help clients make confident financial decisions. AI is a valuable tool, but trust will always be built person to person.”
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