Commercial mortgage agent careers: a full desk, from MLI Select to construction.
Full commercial desk: multi-family, retail, industrial, hospitality, specialty, CMHC MLI Select, construction-to-perm. Senior brokers on a dedicated commercial desk.
Do I need a Level 2 licence for private-lender files?
Yes. FSRA says a Level 1 agent can deal only with lenders that are financial institutions or are approved by CMHC under the National Housing Act. Files with private lenders, syndicates or mortgage investment corporations need a Level 2 agent or broker licence.
Can I do commercial deals as a new agent?
Yes, with help. Senior brokers on our commercial desk work live files with you. Which lenders you can use depends on your licence level.
What kinds of commercial deals can I do?
Our desk covers the whole product line, from multi-family to construction.
Multi-family / CMHC MLI Select
5-200+ unit residential. Energy + affordability + accessibility point stacking. Up to 95% LTV, 50-yr amortization, sub-uninsured commercial rates.
Retail / mixed-use
Plaza, strip mall, single-tenant retail, mixed residential. DSCR-based and asset-based depending on lender.
Industrial
Warehouse, light manufacturing, logistics, flex space. Strong demand from monolines and credit unions.
Hospitality
Hotel, motel, extended-stay. Specialty lender relationships — limited number of players, we know which ones fit which file.
Construction-to-perm
Ground-up residential and mixed-use. Senior broker manages draw schedule + holdback + take-out conversion.
Specialty + sponsor
Self-storage, senior living, MURBs. Sponsor co-equity introductions when the file needs more than debt.
What support does the commercial desk give me?
- Direct working relationships with CMHC, Equitable, Trez, KingSett, RFA, Peoples, Romspen
- Senior commercial brokers on speed-dial
- MLI Select point-optimization expertise (energy + affordability + accessibility)
- DSCR-style products for portfolio-investor commercial files
- Construction-experienced lenders + senior broker draw management
- Sponsor co-equity introductions when files need more than debt
- Commercial training led by senior brokers from the commercial desk
- Dedicated commercial underwriting support on live files
- Licensing course paid back after 12 months + $10M funded
- Stacked commission — commercial + residential volume rolls into one tier
Commercial desk questions, plain answers.
Products, licensing and how the desk supports you.
Is the commercial desk real or just a marketing claim?+
Real. A dedicated commercial desk staffed by senior brokers. Direct working relationships with CMHC (Multi-Unit Insurance Lending), Equitable Bank Commercial, Trez Capital, KingSett Capital, RFA Capital, Peoples Trust, and Romspen.
Can I do BOTH commercial and residential at Mortgage Squad Advisors?+
Yes — and your commission line is consolidated. Your residential volume + commercial volume rolls into one production track. Commercial deals typically carry higher per-file commissions but longer underwriting cycles. Some agents do 80/20 residential/commercial, others flip it. Whatever fits your book.
How is commercial commission structured?+
The same published tier table as residential. Commercial and residential volume stack into one production line and one tier calculation, so a commercial file moves your tier the same way a residential one does. Lender compensation varies by lender and deal type, and we walk through it with you file by file.
Do I need commercial designation?+
In Ontario it depends on the lender, not on a separate commercial designation. A Level 1 agent can deal only with financial institutions and CMHC-approved lenders. Files with private lenders, syndicates or mortgage investment corporations need a Level 2 licence. FSRA sets the scope of each licence, so talk to us about your licence level and the files you want to take on. Senior brokers from the commercial desk support you on live files.
What about CMHC MLI Select specifically?+
MLI Select is CMHC mortgage loan insurance for multi-unit rental properties that scores a project on affordability, energy efficiency and accessibility. Higher scores unlock more flexible terms, such as a higher loan-to-value, a longer amortization and lower premiums. Getting the scoring and documentation right is most of the work, and senior brokers on the desk walk you through it. CMHC publishes the current thresholds.
How does construction-to-permanent work?+
Construction phase + take-out mortgage handled by the same broker. Senior brokers manage the draw schedule, lender holdback, and conversion to permanent financing. We have construction-experienced lenders (RFA, Romspen, certain credit unions) on speed-dial. Most construction files are mid-rise or smaller; we partner with sponsor co-equity for larger projects.
Is there a commercial training track?+
Yes — commercial training is led by senior brokers from our dedicated commercial desk, covering MLI Select scoring, DSCR underwriting, construction draw mechanics and commercial appraisals. You also have dedicated commercial underwriting support on live files.
Can I bring my existing commercial book?+
Yes — and we’ll value it during the tier-setting conversation. Volume from your last 12 months at your previous brokerage counts toward your starting tier. Active deals can stay at your old brokerage to fund OR transition with our help. We don’t force clean splits.
Want to walk through a live MLI Select file?
Apply confidentially. Our senior commercial team will walk you through a real file structure (anonymized) so you can see the depth before you commit.