Canadian Private Lenders’ Podcast

In Episode 116 of the Canadian Private Lender's Podcast Ryan and Neal break down what it really takes to scale a private lending business from $10M to $25M in assets under management in just over two years. They go beyond surface-level growth talk and dive into the realities of scaling: operational strain, investor confidence, underwriting discipline, capital flow challenges, and why saying n...

Welcome back to Episode 115 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast! Ryan and Neal kick off 2026 by breaking down what fix-and-flip investing really looks like in today’s more balanced Canadian real estate market. With buyer behavior shifting, inventory rising, and exits becoming less predictable, this episode dives into where opportunities still exist, and where lenders and investors need to be f...

In Episode 114 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal wrap up 2025 by reviewing their bold economic and housing predictions, and grading themselves on what they got right (and wrong). They break down RE/MAX’s controversial condo recovery forecast, analyze rate cuts from the Bank of Canada, unpack national and Atlantic Canada housing trends, and debate what 2026 could look like for...

In this special episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, the Keystone team flips the script. Ryan , Neal , Sam and Zach sit down for an in-depth conversation on how Keystone Mortgage Investment Corp was built, from working out of a living room and funding the first deal with personal lines of credit, to launching a fully structured MIC with registered investments. The team breaks down thei...

In this solo episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan MacNeil breaks down the core types of private lending deals and explains when, and why, they make sense for brokers, investors, and borrowers. Ryan starts with major industry news, including EQ Bank’s acquisition of PC Financial , before diving deep into Keystone’s most common loan structures. From single-family construction and re...

In Episode 111 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan and Neal bring the focus home to Halifax and Nova Scotia, breaking down how Canada’s newly announced $82 billion in defense and aerospace spending over the next five years could transform the local economy, job market, industrial landscape, and housing demand. From Irving Shipbuilding’s growing footprint to the surge in military procurem...

In Episode 110 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , Ryan and Neal break in their brand-new studio with a deep dive into one of the hottest topics circulating in the real estate and lending world: the rise of 50-year mortgages in the United States . The hosts unpack what a 50-year mortgage actually looks like, who benefits, why the U.S. is considering them, and whether Canada would ever dare t...

In Episode 109 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Arlen Ekstein , VP of Sales & Marketing at Tembo Financial, one of Ontario’s fastest and most flexible direct private lenders. Arlen shares his journey from sponsorship sales into private lending, the origin story of Tembo Financial, and how the company built its reputation on speed, tra...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Taylor Little (CEO) and Jared Stanley (SVP of Originations) from Neighbourhood Holdings to unpack one of the most significant moments in Canadian private lending history, Neighbourhood’s acquisition of Fisgard Asset Management . Together, they walk through how the deal came together, why consolida...

In this episode of The Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino dive deep into one of the least glamorous but most critical aspects of private lending, insurance . From title and homeowner’s insurance to blanket mortgage impairment, E&O coverage, and even cyber and key person insurance, they break down what every lender needs to stay protected. Ryan also shares a...

In Episode 106 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Benjamin Sammut , Founder & Principal of Dabble Capital Advisory , for a deep dive into how institutional money is reshaping Canada’s private lending landscape. Benjamin shares how he transitioned from growing up in a family of mortgage brokers to building a firm that bridges the gap bet...

In this final episode from The Canadian Mortgage Summit , hosts Neal Andreino and Ryan MacNeil sit down with Nick Kyprianou , CEO & Founder of RiverRock MIC , to unpack nearly four decades of mortgage industry experience. Nick shares how he helped grow Home Trust from $200 million to $17 billion, how he built RiverRock into one of Ontario’s most disciplined private lenders, and what today’s ma...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Shane Lakhani , Business Development Manager at Canadian Mortgage Professional (CMP) and the mastermind behind the Canadian Mortgage Summit . Shane shares how CMP grew the event from a small industry gathering into a 1,600-attendee powerhouse , bringing together private, alternative, and in...

In this Episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan McNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Mike Forshee , President of Glass Lake Funding , to explore how the company has skyrocketed from a start-up to over $1 billion AUM in just three years. Mike shares his 25-year journey from Home Trust to founding Glass Lake, backed by Bayview Asset Management , and dives deep into the company...

In this episode of The Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Armando Diseri , Chief Sales Officer at Alta West Capital , live from the Canadian Mortgage Summit . Armando shares how Alta West has evolved from a Calgary-based second mortgage lender to a national powerhouse with diversified institutional backing and innovative mortgage products like the...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast , hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down live at the Canadian Mortgage Summit with Reaza Ali, National Broker Relations Manager at Fisgard Asset Management —one of the largest private lenders in Canada. Reaza shares his career journey and provides an inside look at Fisgard’s growth from Western Canada into Ontario, their unique no-lend...

In this milestone 100th episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino are joined by guest Chandler Haliburton —real estate investor, landlord, and past co-host of the Master Keys Podcast. Together, they take a deep dive into the current state of the Canadian real estate and private lending markets. From shifts in multi-unit valuations and softening condo dem...

In this milestone 99th episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan and Neal share an inside look at Keystone’s very first foreclosure. From red flags during underwriting, to borrower challenges, expired insurance, and the unexpected passing of the borrower, this case study highlights the realities private lenders face when enforcement becomes necessary. They break down the legal pr...

In Episode 98, hosts Ryan and Neal dive deep into a thought experiment: what would they do if they had to start a private lending business all over again, with $0 in the bank? From building a business plan and securing the right licenses, to scaling smart, sticking to underwriting criteria, and leveraging marketing for deal flow, this episode breaks down the fundamentals and real-world lessons the...

In Episode 97 of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan and Neal sit down with Matt Shallo and Andrew “Hutch” Hutchinson of Indi Commercial Mortgage , two rising stars redefining commercial financing in Atlantic Canada. From Matt’s unconventional career shift from policing to commercial finance, to Andrew’s background in investments and insurance before discovering the broker world, thei...

In this special episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan and Neal sit down with Owen and Derrick MacNeil—the trailblazing brothers behind GraysBrook Capital. Credited as pioneers of Atlantic Canada’s private lending industry, Owen and Derrick share their remarkable journey from flipping homes and working in unrelated industries to building one of the region’s most respected priv...

In this episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan McNeil and Neil Andreino take listeners through one of the most overlooked strategies in private lending: non-arm’s length transactions . They start by unpacking today’s economic climate — rising unemployment in Ontario, hiring freezes, and the disconnect between stock market optimism and real-world struggles. From there, Ryan and...

In this behind-the-scenes episode of the Canadian Private Lenders Podcast, hosts Ryan McNeill and Neil take listeners through a typical day in their roles at Keystone Mortgage Investment Corporation. From broker relationship building and business development to investor relations, cash flow management, and deal sign-offs, they break down the moving parts that keep a private lending business runnin...

In this episode, hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with Sanjay Ramwani , Chief Operating Officer at Indigo Blue Group of Companies. Sanjay shares his journey from traditional banking to building one of the most respected private lending firms in Ontario and Atlantic Canada. This episode dives into Indigo Blue’s expansion strategy, their risk-first approach to lending, why they chose to...

In Episode 92, hosts Ryan MacNeil and Neal Andreino sit down with two powerhouse voices in Atlantic Canada’s mortgage space — Daniel Cox , Team Lead and founder of United Group Mortgage Alliance, and Hannah Martens , rising star broker based in Charlottetown, PEI. This energizing conversation dives into their unique career paths, the evolution of brokerage culture in Eastern Canada, and their shar...