MortgageFest 2026 set to explore how brokers can tap alternative lending for client solutions
With the second half of 2026 underway, Canada’s mortgage market is locked in something of a holding pattern, with interest rates and home values largely unchanged from a year ago even despite buyer leverage growing in several major markets.
Against that backdrop, the lending sector has a consistent message for mortgage brokers navigating the current landscape: know the alternative lending space, or risk being left behind by consumers who increasingly do.
That’s set to be a key message at MortgageFest Canada, the landmark mortgage industry event taking place at Toronto’s International Centre on September 23-24. Expected to draw more than 2,000 brokers, lenders, and executives over two days, the event will feature insights from some of the industry’s most influential and knowledgeable figures for what’s sure to be an unmissable educational and networking experience.
Among those names is Reaza Ali (pictured top), national business development manager at Heartwood Financial Group, the non-B20 lender launched last year by Dominion Lending Centres Group (DLCG).
Ali will serve as chair for the second day of the event, which will feature sessions including conversations on private and MIC lending, serving first-time and new Canadian borrowers, and more.
He told Canadian Mortgage Professional the shift he’s seeing among borrowers towards the alt-lending space is one brokers can’t afford to ignore.
“I really believe brokers need to spend a lot more time and focus on the education piece with respect to the evolution of their business,” Ali said. “We’ve seen a shift and I find consumers, especially in the alternative lending space, now are a little bit more educated and savvy.”
MortgageFest Canada will welcome both established brokers and newer entrants to the sector – and Ali said his message about the alt-lending space applies equally to both when they’re trying to build and keep a sustainable business model.
“It’s something that they need to educate themselves on and really understand the lending landscape,” he said. “But the consumer mindset when it comes to financing i0n general nowadays absolutely has changed.”
Why the alternative lending sector is growing in prominence
The alt-lending sector has gathered pace in recent years partly because many borrowers found it more difficult to qualify with a prime lender as rising interest rates and housing costs squeezed affordability.
That means even plenty of Canadians with a strong credit profile have been frozen out of conventional lending options – and Ali said it’s no longer the case that alternative lending is a last resort for distressed borrowers.
“The profiles of these clients are profiles of any consumer when it comes to the average credit score,” he said. “The issue then becomes that they’re looking for a solution that the traditional bank lenders and these institutions cannot offer them because of their particular situation.”
Ali sees Heartwood well positioned to help brokers and borrowers manage that shift, with the company’s status as a non-B20 lender giving it the ability to work in the B and B-minus mortgage spaces as well as the mortgage investment corporation (MIC) sector when it comes to underwriting philosophies.
“We want to be able to look at these situations and craft a reasonable solution that makes sense for both the consumer and the broker and of course, ourselves,” he said. “A win-win-win scenario for all three parties.”
How to secure your spot for MortgageFest 2026
Registration is open now for MortgageFest, which is free to attend for brokers. The summie stage on the opening day of the event will be chaired by Frances Hinojosa, chief executive officer and co-founder at Tribe Financial Group, and feature expert panels on topics from prime lending to brokering innovation and harnessing artificial intelligence (AI).
Meanwhile, Mortgage Outlet chief operating officer and broker Leah Zlatkin will chair the insights stage section of the conference’s first day. Brokers can hear sessions on growing revenue without chasing more deals, taking an empathetic approach to lending, understanding the new credit landscape, and more.
Be sure to register now to make sure you don’t miss out on the chance to attend what’s set to be one of the most consequential and important conferences in Canada’s mortgage industry calendar for 2026.
Make sure to get all the latest news to your inbox on Canada’s mortgage and housing markets by signing up for our free daily newsletter here.
