AI, shifting consumer expectations, and a profession at a crossroads. Tribe Financial's Frances Hinojosa explains why this September's event matters
After a historic few years, Canada’s mortgage industry finds itself at an inflection point, with the rise of artificial intelligence presenting fundamental questions about the role of brokers and how it will evolve looking ahead.
The brokers who win in that environment will be those who pivot and adapt – and MortgageFest Canada, the annual industry event returning to the International Centre in Toronto this September, will delve into the question of how mortgage professionals can position themselves for success in the coming years.
With AI reshaping financial services and consumers demanding more advisory-focused relationships with their brokers, Tribe Financial co-founder and chief executive officer Frances Hinojosa (pictured top) told Canadian Mortgage Professional the brokers who use the time ahead to educate and recalibrate will be far better placed than those who don’t.
“I feel a change coming in the industry,” she said. “We’re at a precipice of a crossroads. We’re already starting to see that with consumer sentiment – they want more mortgage brokers that are more advisers as opposed to just transactional.”
Why AI won't replace brokers — but will change everything
AI might be occupying an increasingly central role in the mortgage conversation, but few believe it will replace brokers entirely. Still, Hinojosa also emphasized that it makes no sense not to utilize it, and that the debate around AI replacing mortgage professionals is a distraction from the question of how professionals will adapt and work alongside it.
“You have to understand it. You can’t ignore it,” she said. “You have to be prepared for how things are going to evolve and change.”
The two-day event, which will also feature a trade show and expo hall, isn’t built solely around the rise of AI; a full, rounded program also includes panels on winning in the alternative space, upping the ante on compliance, and getting prime lending deals over the line.
But building trust and selling advice rather than rates will be a prominent theme throughout the program, reflecting the growing importance of staying relevant as the industry faces its latest evolution.
What AI will change, in Hinojosa’s view, is not the need for professional advice but the nature of the work. Administrative tasks like file management, data entry, and document processing are just some of the areas where technology can take over, freeing brokers to focus on what clients genuinely value: clear guidance, responsive communication, and relationship-driven service.
“AI is all about analyzing data and looking from the past,” she said. “What brokers, what advisers do is they allow us to have that human component to understand what your needs are moving forward.”
The case for getting in the room
With networking opportunities and interactive sessions another key component of the program, Hinojosa stressed the importance of getting out and meeting other members of the industry in person to build connections and forge new relationships.
Attempting to go it alone, she said, is among the most damaging responses to a period of rapid change. “The worst thing you can do as a mortgage professional is to keep yourself isolated,” she said. “Now is not the time that you want to isolate yourself.
“When we’re in a time of evolution, now is the time that you want to make sure that you’re prepared and you understand how things are evolving, so that way you’re better adapted to serve the client and what they need moving forward.”
The value of participating in conferences like MortgageFest Canada – which is free for brokers and industry members to attend – can’t be overstated, she said, especially in the current climate.
"Attending conferences like this allows you to hear from experts, to network with people, to solidify relationships, to prepare yourself for what the journey is going to look like moving forward so you're not left behind," she said.
"You could be the most experienced broker out there, but there's no way that you're going to know absolutely everything," Hinojosa said. "Sometimes being in that room will spark that new idea — that second wind that will change the way that you do your business."
MortgageFest Canada takes place in September 2026 at the International Centre in Toronto and is free to attend. Registration details are available at mortgagefest.ca.
