Canadian Private Lenders’ Podcast

Ryan sits down with the two founders of MCC Premiere Mortgage Centre, Sarah Albert and Sara Wright. They built one of Atlantic Canada's most recognized mortgage broker teams out of Moncton, NB, and are now expanding into Nova Scotia. This episode covers how they met, how they grew a fully salaried team with 12+ year tenure, and why they believe every broker needs to get comfortable in the alt...

The Grechi Carter team is back with a new addition, Amanda Deveaux, a 12-year litigation veteran and Ontario deputy judge who's taking over the firm's entire enforcement practice. Dave, Danielle, and Amanda break down what's really happening in Ontario mortgage enforcement right now: borrowers filing AI-generated defences to stall court proceedings into 2027, why lenders keep losing...

What does it actually look like to run a $1 billion mortgage portfolio with a team of 40? Phil Fiuza, Managing Director of Single Family at Atrium MIC, pulls back the curtain on one of Canada's largest and only publicly traded mortgage investment corporations. Phil started his career in 1988, right as real estate peaked and crashed, and has spent 30+ years learning how to survive every cycle....

Dean Koeller, President & CEO of Calvert Home Mortgage and Board Chair of CAMLA, joins Neal and Ryan live at the CAMLA Ontario Expo. In this episode, Dean breaks down Calvert's unique $20K-down flip and BRRRR program, how their in-house appraisal team gives real estate investors a genuine edge on after-repair value, and how they've been closing deals in 24 hours since before it was a...

Neal and Ryan sit down with Yitz Levinson, President of Hillmount Capital,  a Toronto-based private lender with over $400M under administration and 22 years in the business. Yitz shares how his background as a licensed insolvency trustee shaped the way Hillmount underwrites every deal: exit first, entry second. The conversation covers their unique MFT structure, how they flex across residential, c...

Ryan and Neal sit down with Brian Suta, Partner at Leadout Capital, live at the CAMLA Ontario Expo. Brian breaks down how Leadout operates as a corporate debt fund,  lending to mortgage funds, MICs, and businesses that fall through the cracks of Canada's big banks. From borrowing base structures to a Winnipeg protein powder brand, it's a look at a corner of private lending most people do...

 Construction loans can be incredibly rewarding, but when they go sideways, they can turn your lending business into a project management nightmare. In this episode, Neal and Ryan break down why incomplete construction loans are the riskiest deals in private lending, sharing a real story from their own portfolio where two simultaneous builds went off the rails. They cover the critical decision eve...

What happens when investor capital is flowing in, but strong deals aren't? In this episode, Neal and Ryan tackle one of the most underrated problems in private lending: having too much dry powder. They break down the dangers of forcing bad deals, the smartest ways to deploy (or hold) idle capital, and the levers you can pull on both the capital and deal-flow side of the business. Whether you&...

In Episode 133, Ryan and Neal sit down with Scotty Wittrup, newly appointed VP of Network Development at DLCG, for a conversation that goes far beyond mortgages. From his early days in sales and brokering, to building a reputation across Canada’s mortgage industry, Scotty shares the lessons he’s learned about leadership, recruiting, credibility, and what truly makes a successful broker in today’s...

Construction loans are one of the fastest-growing products in private lending but what happens when a borrower runs out of capital halfway through a build? Ryan and Neal break down construction-in-progress loans: what they are, why borrowers end up needing them, and why banks won't touch a project once the shovel's in the ground. They walk through a real deal they funded in Charlottetown...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neil break down one of the most common and misunderstood use cases in private lending: debt consolidation . With rising interest rates and increasing consumer debt, more borrowers are turning to private lenders for solutions. But is debt consolidation actually helping, or just delaying the inevitable? The hosts walk through real-wor...

In episode 130 of The Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , Ryan and Neal take listeners inside the legal ecosystem that keeps private lending businesses running smoothly. From corporate structuring to enforcement, discover the key players business lawyers, real estate lawyers, enforcement experts, and more who protect your deals, investors, and long-term success. Plus, the hosts share their take on...

Private credit is everywhere right now, and so are the headlines calling for its collapse. From redemption restrictions to rising delinquencies, investors are starting to ask: Is this the next financial crisis? In Episode 129, Ryan and Neil break down what’s actually happening inside the private credit market. They dive into the rise of “buy now, pay later,” why some funds are gating withdrawals,...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan and Neal sit down with Matthew Solda , VP at Morrison Financial, to break down one of the most unique lending models in Canada. Matthew shares his journey from working in a high-end family pool construction business to becoming a key player in private lending. He dives into how Morrison Financial built a niche in condo corporation...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal sit down with Jonathan Alphonso of Mortgage Broker Store Inc . to break down a completely different approach to private lending. Instead of relying on brokers, Jonathan reveals how his team built a direct-to-borrower pipeline using SEO, high-speed lead response, and aggressive online marketing. They dive into the realities of l...

In Episode 126 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal tackle a topic that’s quietly reshaping the entire mortgage industry: the difference between private lenders and alternative lenders. For years, the terms have been used interchangeably. But with new perspectives from the Canadian Alternative Mortgage Lenders Association (CAMLA), that definition is being challenged, and it could...

In Episode 125 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Zach sit down with Brad Donnelly to unpack one of the most unique journeys in the mortgage industry, from radio broadcasting to building a thriving brokerage. Brad shares how his background in communication and sales became a competitive advantage in the mortgage space, and why making the leap from banking to brokering can dramatical...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal welcome back Doug Adlam for a deep conversation about building real enterprise value in the mortgage industry. Doug has worn many hats, mortgage broker, fintech co-founder, industry executive, entrepreneur, and now author of The Business of Brokering . He shares the lessons he learned scaling brokerages, launching startups, wri...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , Ryan and Neal revisit one of their earliest and most popular discussions, the borrower profiles that benefit most from private lending. Since the original conversation nearly 120 episodes ago, the lending market has evolved significantly. With tighter bank lending, shifting real estate markets, and new investor strategies emerging across Ca...

Nova Scotia has launched a new 2% down payment pilot program for first-time homebuyers, and it’s making headlines across the mortgage industry. But when you break down the math, does this actually help buyers… or does it increase long-term costs, tighten affordability through stress testing, and expose taxpayers to more risk? In this episode, Ryan and Neal unpack: How the new 2% program compares t...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal sit down with Jack Cameron , 24-year mortgage veteran from The Way Home Mortgage at Premier Mortgage in Halifax. Jack shares how he left the bank in 2002 with no ringing phone and built one of the most respected careers in Atlantic Canada’s broker space. We dive into: The evolution of broker market share in Atlantic Canada Why...

In Episode 120 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal sit down with Alex Lavender of the Clinton Wilkins Mortgage Team to unpack his journey of becoming one of Atlantic Canada’s top mortgage brokers. Alex shares how starting with zero network in Halifax forced him to master alternative lending, why unbiased advice and client-first service became the foundation of his success, and h...

In Episode 119 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal break down how mortgage renewals, higher rates, AI, open banking, fraud controls, and regulation are reshaping private and alternative lending across Canada. They explain why more borrowers are moving into private lending, how underwriting is evolving, and what lenders, brokers, and investors need to understand as they head into...

In Episode 118 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , Ryan and Neal break down the latest Canadian jobs data and what rising unemployment means for interest rates and mortgage strategy heading into 2026. They then turn their attention to a market that rarely gets the spotlight: Montreal . With home sales up, prices rising, and inventory remaining tight, Montreal is emerging as one of Canada’s m...

In Episode 117 of the Canadian Private Lenders' Podcast, hosts Ryan and Neal break down the five most common and costly  mistakes private lenders make when scaling their businesses . Drawing directly on their experience growing Keystone past $25 M in AUM, they unpack real-world lessons on infrastructure, software, deal quality, hiring, and recognizing early market cracks before they turn into...