The voice of B.C.’s mortgage brokers was front and centre at the provincial legislature on March 10, as representatives of CMBA-BC gathered in Victoria to advocate for a more accessible housing market.

The delegation comprised CMBA-BC President Rebecca Casey (Custom Coast Mortgages), Julie Sheremeto (CMBA-BC Director/Your Mortgage Design Team), Jeff Brown (CMBA-BC Director/FCT), Sabeena Bubber (Xeva), Dave Teixeira (Dominion Lending Centres), Christine Buemann (The Collective Mortgage Group), and Carla Giles (CMBA-BC Chief Executive Officer).

The team engaged in meetings with key decision-makers, including members of the B.C. NDP caucus, the Conservative caucus, the Green Party caucus, and senior officials from the Ministries of Finance and Housing. Discussions focused on several critical issues, including the implementation of the Mortgage Services Act and the need to simplify property transfer tax to better support first-time buyers.

The day’s meetings, Casey says, allowed CMBA-BC to exercise its commitment to providing policymakers with vital insights to shape decisions that could help British Columbians achieve homeownership.

“As your professional association, our goal is to work hard to ensure that we are sharing key information to help the government in its decision-making process,” she says. “We’re committed to working with the government to create solutions that empower consumers and strengthen our industry.”

The day concluded with a reception for the Members of the Legislative Assembly, hosted jointly by the CMBA-BC and the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA).

“The MLA reception was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the strength of our partnership with BCREA,” Giles says. “It underscored our joint commitment to advocacy, as well as our shared vision of building meaningful connections with government and industry leaders. I’m so glad we were able to come together for such a great evening.”

Overall, the day’s events were positive and productive, emphasizing the importance of the CMBA-BC maintaining an active and engaged presence in the legislature.

“Now more than ever, we need to stay engaged,” Casey says. “We encourage members to share their perspectives on pressing issues, as this helps the association determine its goals and focus.”