Nesto Group, the VC-backed mortgage fintech with $73 billion of mortgages under administration, has taken a 20% stake in alternative lender Maple Financial.

The investment was made through CMLS, nesto's lender subsidiary. The two companies call it a "technology-driven partnership designed to accelerate product development [and] expand distribution" to mortgage brokers. Under the hood, it’s essentially a private-label setup whereby CMLS does a lot of the back-end work for Maple's originations.

Three things make this alliance worth keeping an eye on:

Two powerhouses in the world of MIEs (mortgage investment entities) are joining forces.

Neighbourhood Holdings has acquired Fisgard Asset Management, forming one of the largest non-federally regulated private alternative lenders in the country. The deal closed Friday with the combined firm now managing roughly three-quarters of a billion dollars in mortgages.

Here's a practical look at why mortgage brokers, investors and non-prime borrowers should care.

It was shades of 2023 as regional U.S. banks came under scrutiny again. That, plus dovish central bank chatter and soft macro data, led rates onto the down escalator Thursday. And by Friday morning, yields were still slipping.

Residential real estate is looking more alive, at least for the time being.

Despite an economic outlook that is questionable at best, homebuying fundamentals have clearly improved by some measures.

Below we'll unpack all that—before the market changes its mind.

Wednesday was one of those days when bad news was good news, at least if you’re a mortgage shopper. Between the weak data, factory closures, and federal bailouts, traders could practically hear the Bank of Canada rummaging through its drawers for the rate-cut shears.

For mortgage originators who aren’t handcuffed to realtor referrals—and who enjoy the idea of making money while saving clients even more—this might pique their interest.

Kepyr, a relatively fresh face in online realty, is handing Ontario homebuyers an 80% rebate on commissions. That's twenty grand on a typical $1 million purchase.

Now, as we all know, these cash-back realtors have been coming out of the woodwork for years. But this one has got the attention of venture-backed online names like Nesto, which recently inked a deal with Keypr for mortgage referrals.

On Tuesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave a speech so dovish it could’ve nested in a bird sanctuary. Overly hawkish economists subsequently scurried to revise their forecasts, and could barely do it fast enough.

Bond markets ended last week in full soap-opera mode — tariffs, blockbuster employment, an oil slide, and political theatrics all competed for the spotlight.