Be The Better Broker: Recent Episodes
Dustan Woodhouse
Tune in for a chapter by chapter read of the entire BTBB book series; Season 1 corresponds to Volume 1.Does a book written 7 years ago hold up through a pandemic? Does it hold up over 7 years of social change? Join Dustan Woodhouse and Jillian Pollard as they unpack each chapter’s relevance in today’s market.
A metaphor that I think actually works around the difference in a Billion vs a Trillion
A whole other universe!
This is a longer bit - with a few pieces that could become much longer - so much happening in our market on so many different fronts!
The numbers are significant.
The humans who are these numbers, they are being treated as something less significant.
The fallout from these sudden policy shifts, all gas, and now all brakes, is echoing through industries.
A bit of pre-amble and post-amble left in because well.... this one lights me up a bit!
Watch for upcoming Calgary, and Vancouver, Dates.
Also - Virtual Workshop (same content + bonus) June 2 & 3 - https://www.bethebetterbroker.ca/workshop
Where do we go from here?
Probably nowhere new - but this still felt like something that needed to be said.
Does a surviving spouse need to re-qualify at renewal to retain the pre-existing mortgage?
No, not often.
Pick up the phone, call their lender, go to work for them!
How different are Vancouver Real Estate conversations in 2026 vs 2010?
The numbers are significantly different.
And a lot flows from that, challenges of getting in, hanging in, and in exiting the market.
You don’t need a breakthrough or a breakout year.
You need a year where fewer things break.
Trust: A Scarce Resource?
We’re heading into a trust recession.
Not because people suddenly became dishonest.
But because everything now sounds competent.
There's so much more that could be said.
And it will be .
Said better by others I'm sure.
For today though Christine, here's what I've got for you.
For 20 years prior and all of my career as a mortgage broker, from 2008 through 2018, I carried an near unwavering conviction about buying real estate in Vancouver.
I defended Vancouver home ownership relentlessly.
Would I do the same today?
A recent headline suggested 50% of Canada’s 2.1M temporary visa holders might exit this year.
Ya no.
Is ChatGPT assisting us with critical thinking?
3 different news stories, 3 very different takeaways than many readers might otherwise have without digging in for a deeper conversation and more research via an A.I. tool like ChatGPT
Here are a variety of questions to ask yourself.
Time well invested if you're thinking 2026 is the year to build a team!
Backing away for the holidays?
Or doubling down?
There's no right or wrong.
There is opportunity though, for sure.
From Industrial engineer to top producing Broker!
28 yrs old.
6 yrs in the community
1 yr and 10 months in
And crushing it!
Ask yourself one question: why have I not closed 140 files in my first full calendar year?
The answer(s) are probably found within this conversation.
Content from the next book - still in process and far from published.
But here's a sample.
On this topic there's no mystery where I stand.
To me the only mystery is why people (even within our own industry) oppose it.
If you are far enough along in this business - ideally nothing is happening that has anything to do with your phone/computer at all.
It's not just about the time you committed to that thing - it's about the amount of energy it will consume!
Comments from fellow Brokers who've recently decided to cut alcohol from their lives, and my 11year anniversary post.
Yes, I'm thinking, writing, and talking about time a lot these days.
Mostly because each birthday on the far side of 50 hammers home how little of it one has left. Especially if they are male, with less than stellar genetics, and high-risk hobbies... but then again sometimes that adrenalin/dopamine hit is just the right return on the investment!
How are you investing your time?
In conversation with Scott Sarai.
From the cusp of exiting the business to exceeding his 2025 goal by 400% - How?
I walked 100,000 steps through Tokyo last August, during an incredible heat wave.
If Japan interests you, you will enjoy this content.
It is not all about Brokering - the next two episodes very much are - ALL about Brokering.
It can't just be non-stop mortgage and real estate talk, sometimes I gotta share something real with you guys :)
In Calgary Oct 28th?
Why not register for 6hrs of taking your Brokering game up a notch!
Check it out HERE
🎧 Podcast Summary: Brendon Ogmundson on BC Real Estate & the Housing CrisisDate: September 8, 2025
Guest: Brendon Ogmundson, Chief Economist at BCREA
🏘️ BC Real Estate & Housing Market
- Brendon’s Role: Brendon Ogmundson is the Chief Economist at the BC Real Estate Association. He’s known for making very accurate predictions about the housing market.
- Housing Trouble in BC: The housing market in BC, especially in Vancouver, is struggling. Homes are expensive, and it’s hard for regular people to buy.
- Government Rules Aren’t Working: Some of the rules made by the government (like the foreign buyer tax) didn’t really help. Prices are higher now than they were before.
- Foreign Buyers Blamed Unfairly: Blaming foreign buyers for high home prices is not backed up by facts. Many people once called "foreign buyers" are now Canadian citizens who live and work here.
🏗️ Housing Starts & Construction
- Housing Starts are Down: New home construction is not growing—it’s actually going down when it should be going up.
- Rental vs. Resale Confusion: We need better numbers that show how many homes are for rent vs. for sale. Right now, about half of new homes are rentals, not homes people can buy.
🧮 Mortgages & Borrowing
- Mortgage Rules are Tough: A rule called the “stress test” has made it way harder to get a big mortgage. People can borrow about half as much as they could before 2016.
- 50-Year Mortgages?: Brendon thinks people should be allowed to have longer mortgages (like 50 years) just like big rental developers do. This would help more people buy homes.
- Upcoming Renewals: Many people who bought homes during COVID will be renewing their mortgages soon. These people have more income now, and they still have home equity.
💰 Affordability & Predictions
- Not Really Affordable: Even though some say we’re back to “affordable” home prices, that’s not true in places like downtown Vancouver. Prices are still high and homes are not selling quickly.
- Owning vs. Renting: Owning a home helps people feel stable. But current policies push more people into renting, which makes it harder to settle down.
- Future Price Spike?: If we don’t get more homes for sale, prices might suddenly jump by 20% in one spring season.
- Rental Projects Might Become Condos: Some developers might turn rental buildings into condos later on, selling them off in 10-20 years.
💼 Broker Advice & Industry Trends
- Advice for Brokers: Mortgage brokers should stay sharp and keep working hard. The market won’t get easier any time soon.
- Market is Slowing: It’s a “low and wide” market—things are moving slowly, and homes aren’t selling fast.
- Roadblocks from Politics: Some new rules are popular with voters but weren’t really thought through. They make things worse for the housing market.
The end of the line for all the research, reading, discussions, follow up, thinking, writing, and podcasting on this topic.
At least for 2025 I believe.
A quick checklist of things to pay attention to.
And yes, Part 2 of The Brokers a.i.. Journey - sign up HERE
The final time (at least for 2025) that I will address this topic prior to wrapping up with a conclusion episode to the topic in the next week or so.
This is an interesting collection of comments from people in power that go back as far as 36yrs ago.
I'm officially on the home stretch with this content!
Finding a light at the end of the tunnel becomes more and more frustrating the deeper one digs.
Control what you can control - IE your income!
Key Takeaways from Part 1 of the a.i. webinar series
Access to Part 1 & 2 can be found HERE
It's August, it's summer break, and I'm going to share a few broader (than Brokering) experiences from my Summer.
Here's one less than awesome experience.
This was a blog post written a year ago, August of 2024.
Does it hold up today?
Do you want it pulled down today?
The only thing we’re building fast is frustration. And that’s not a place to live in.
So let’s demand better
You can invest in things like THIS, THIS, & THIS.
But even still, you remain at a disadvantage... albeit way less of one!
Going it alone?
Huge disadvantage!
The future, and the present moment, is bright though, and we will dive deep HERE into all that's already possible - it's almost certainly way more than you realize.
Sign Up HERE - July 31, live at Noon Easter (9am PT) - Recording available for 30 days through the sign up link.
There's a lot you could be doing with a.i.
There's a lot you should be doing with a.i.
There's a lot you should NOT be doing with a.i.
Where to start?
At the Beginning!
Join a conversation between a tech-embracing, kick-ass, top-producing Broker on their journey to growing their business to (and beyond) 500 files per year, and someone typically slower to adopt new technology who will ask (on your behalf) important questions like 'but why?', 'do I really need to do that at my level?' and 'are we there yet'.
This will be a 90min conversational presentation hosted by Renée Huse & Dustan Woodhouse.
We've got you!
Who are some of the key individuals that have set housing policy over the past five decades, leading us into this situation.
'this situation' being what it may be to you personally
IE
Profitable
Challenging
Devastating
Or somewhere in between.
Should we call them out? By name, or by political party?
You may want to, but I'm not sure there's any point.
Housing hasn't been a political issue, not really, because nearly every level of government in every city, province, and nationally, has gone through a right swing and left swing and all the while prices have marched steadily upward.
My take on a recent BOC report
Enjoy!
And ya... go buy the thing.
Life is long, way too long not to enjoy that cool thing you want!
Sp get after it.
The range of reactions is not unexpected to the last few episodes.
Who are you in this mix?
And what do you want to see happen?
How do you think we get to where you think we need to be?
What's the easy answer?
It there any answer at all?
A few more broader thoughts, and a wide collection of topics that we could go so much deeper on in the future.
The first, or perhaps the Foreign Buyer Episode was the first, in a series on how we got here, where exactly we are, and ultimately some ideas how we might get back to some sort of balanced market... the ideas will be later posts.
The next few, at least, will focus on how we got here - along with some math in this episode that demonstrates how far out of balance we are.
Hit me up with ideas for adjacent topics you want me to go deeper on.
Thank you
Q.
Is a (significant) upfront cheque for your book actually a thing?
What does an earn out look like?
Should we do a huge notification to the entire database?
A.
No.
Clear Consistent Communication will be Critical to the success
No.
You'll be left with many more questions at the end of this episode about how Mike manages to do what he does as a true solo-act.
Part of the answer is in always being a class act!
A thought for the day for you from the AMBA conference in Calgary Alberta on Tuesday June 3
We humans like to do dumb things, so many dumb things:
Smoke
Vape
Drink to Excess
Eat Too Many Chips (this one is me)
Ban Foreign Buyers
All of the above we will regret, mainly for the sake of the next generation... but also for ourselves because contrary to another dumb belief, life is not short.... life is really really long. And you gotta live somewhere, in that body of yours, and in a dwelling of some sort ideally.
New to Brokering?
Struggling to find you way?
Tune in for the longest interview I've done yet - and pick up some quality intel on what it takes to dig oneself out of a hole.
Jasmine is who Jasmine is, open and honest about all the things.
Time well invested!
Where are you based?
Where are your clients based?
Geography creates perceptions of what is ok, and what is not... tune into the out takes in Ep 31 for more on this point.
Join me in a conversation with Justin Smith of Hawkeye Wealth
www.hawkeyewealth.com
As we dig into what the election results may mean for housing in Canada
Some final, ok probably not final, thoughts on what the elections results may mean for us.
Artificial Intellgience IS ABSOLUTELY coming for you, or at the very least for the way you do the things you do.
This is perhaps a better mindset than much of the current thinking around a.i.
Yes I have read (listened) to this book.
The content here is not all ChatGPT - I riff and digress a fair bit through this episode, even more so through the next one.
Enjoy!
My heart goes out to everyone and anyone affected by the tragic event at the Lapu Lapu Festival.
As for the National story, election results, I share several thoughts on what it means for you, your business, and our industry in this episode, and through the next few to follow.
Yes, I have both read, and listened, to this book - multiple times.
You should as well.
There are some fascinating chapters in this book, and how as a mortgage industry professional are you not curious about the inner workings of the mind of the 9th Bank of Canada Governor - Mr. Stephen Poloz
A fantastic book!
The Prompt I refer to:
Please write a 200 word call script to clients in my database with existing mortgages in Canada with a bit of a spin on interest rates and the upcoming election
The Response:
Hi [Client Name], it’s Dustan Woodhouse calling — how have you been?
I’m reaching out with a quick mortgage check-in, especially with interest rates and the federal election both making headlines. There’s a lot of noise out there, but also some important signals to consider.
Rates are holding steady for now, but there’s ongoing pressure — both politically and economically — that could change that. With the election coming up, we might see promises that sound great… but don’t always translate into immediate impact. In the meantime, the real opportunities are often in your own mortgage.
So, this is just a soft touch base to say: if you're curious whether a strategy shift makes sense — early renewal, refinance, or just locking in certainty — now’s a great time to talk.
I’m not selling anything here. Just offering clarity in a noisy moment. If you’d like a quick review, I’m happy to run the numbers and give you a simple breakdown. No pressure, no obligation.
Want me to take a look for you?
Generally speaking - No, never, don't-do-it!
Especially if you are blindly submitting a file on behalf of a facebook Broker-friend and have near zero interaction with the clients.
recipefordisaster
Where were sales? (Back to the 10yr average just 8 weeks ago)
Where are they now? (dropping rapidly, already down to 25% below the 10yr average)
What does the future hold?
Recording videos is one thing.
Actually posting them, as it turns out, can be quite another.
A quick story of a win that was a long time coming.
Enjoy!
Recorded at 9am PT on March 4th.
How long with the proposed tariffs be in effect?
As of the afternoon of March 4th it sounds like they could be gone by March 5th.
Rapidly propelling the sitting President into the stratosphere of all-time most inconsistent least predictable world leaders.
Is there a prize for this behaviour?
Is there a point?
We shall see.
What's happening March 11-13?
Some quality content, to say the least
Link to register; https://buy.stripe.com/fZeeWldsv5U57bG8wL
See you soon
Feel free to ask ChatGPT 'What is my clarity of purpose?' and see what comes back, here is what it gave me... which is pretty much 100% accurate yet summed up in a way I would not have come up with myself I don't think;
To lead by example, instill discipline, and share hard-earned wisdom to empower others in business and life.
Also for you,
A bonus prompt: 'What have my aha moments and pivotal change moments been?'
An exercise for you:
note this may make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up...
If you type the prompt below into ChatGPT and answer the questions honestly, there will be for many of you an 'A-Ha' moment that normally would've taken hours, and probaby hundreds of dollars to reach with a therapist. Although maybe you still need that therapist to help you unpack it all.
Here's the prompt for you to copy and paste;
Let's go behind the masks I wear daily, the roles I play in the workplace, and at home, beyond the illusions I believe. Please take me through a process by asking me 10 reflective questions, one at a time, to help me recognize the stories I'm telling myself. After I answer the 10th question please step into the role of my higher self and analyze my responses, identify any key negative patterns present in my life, as well as key positive patterns so that I can embrace the positive and grow. Please be direct with me and truthful. Tough love is welcome. Provide me with examples of daily affirmations to support my growth, offer actionable steps to change my behaviours so that I might embody my authentic self. Finally offer me a message of encouragement from my higher self to celebrate how far I've come on my journey.
Enjoy the journey!
DW
This is a reasonably details summary of the days, evenings, speakers, sessions, and what to expect.
Expect to be fed
Expect Speaker access
Expect opportunity to connect with fellow Brokers
Expect the best!
Am I the worst marketer ever?
Maybe, but also the event is 99% sold out... so there's that
Almost nobody who threatens to sue you will ever actually sue you.
Sure, but this is cold comfort when faced with a demand letter or basic threats from a lawyer - because it's not our world.
What do we know?
We know fear of loss.
How Far Will I Go?
For many of you there is only one answer to this question; ‘as far as I possibly can’
You don’t pull into a gas station and fill the tank 2/3 of the way and leave, you do a thing the way it should be done - correctly and completely.
I recognize I have many different audiences, or at least two very distinct ones.
Rookies and Experts.
Some posts hit home for one half, but fall flat for the other. Some work all the way around.
Here's one that is half n half - a habit an expert better have broken, and a rookie will live, or die, by.
What are you choosing to embrace in your life?
Noise, News, or Neither?
Which serves you best?
Having been exposed to Dr. James in person for four full days, with him delivering four full hours of content from the stage was a uniquely transformative experience.
I'm still carrying a higher level of energy into every conversation, and the results are showing up daily, both personally and professionally.
This is just a snippet, if you ever have the opportunity to see or meet Dr. James in person - Make It Happen!
And yes, you do have that option come Feb 5th, 6th, & 7th, when Dr. James joins us in Whistler - he is officially on the agenda as of today!
What's actually gonna happen in Whistler Feb 5, 6, 7 of 2025 (a lot of magical stuff) and should you be there (yes you should be there)
A brief synopsis of my EPIC Community experience in Toronto this Dec, 2024
More to follow in a future episode
A (conversation with Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe who sets me (us?) straight on what hope is, and more specifically what optimism and pessimism are really about.
Some great takeaways, I took two pages of notes during this conversation myself and wanted this conversation to carry on for another hour!
Next time it will.
Also...
A much longer conversation will be had in Whistler BC with Dr. Robyne in February of 2025 - hopefully you will be there to be a part of it.
Through The Charitable Foundation of the Family (administered by Calvert Home Mortgage Investment Corporation),all donations are eligible for tax receipts, and there are several ways to contribute:
- E-Transfer: Send to cff@chmic.ca, referencing “Stenberg Family Support Fund” and including your email address.
- Cheque: Address to the Charitable Foundation of the Family (CFF), noting “Stenberg Fund” in the memo.
- Online: Use Canada Helps, selecting “Stenberg Family Support Fund” in the dropdown. (Note: 4% service charge applies.)
Contacts for Questions
- Susan Wishart – RFA Mortgages, 403-471-4245
- Jaime Hardy – Maximal Mortgages, 780-902-8696
Rob exits Twitter, I go see Ryan Holiday, and we answer a few listener questions.
Also, always be INC - CLICK HERE
And when you are, make sure you are maximizing your corporate advantage.
What's happened last week, what's happening this week, and where's it all headed next week?
Are you licensed in more than one province?
Do you know the nuances of stat holidays between that Province and the one in which you live?
A tax cut in the push for affordability
The impact of the US Election on Canada according to Scotiabank
And an MPC Conference debrief
There's a lot happening in mortgage world
Up to a 2.25% drop in rates between now and the end of 2025?
And that's just a little bit of it!
Spoiler Alert; Rob & I Disagree!
Hard to believe it happened, I know.
What does the inflation report mean?
Why Fintrac why?
Big Brokerages getting BIgger; a trend that will not end!
And new policies, the good, the bad, and the meaningless!
Are rates coming down?
Maybe
Who are you telling this story and why?
Could rates swing the other way?
Then what?
Do your clients feel like they've made their own decisions?
Or are you making decisions for them?
Bottom line; whoever feels like they made the decision is the one living with the decision.
Rob Campbell and Dustan Woodhouse unpack various things happening, conventional switches at contract, and things not happening, CRA income verification, in the CDN mortgage industry the week of Oct 1st.
Peri is focused on helping teams increase sales and improve the client experience from a neuroscience perspective.
One of my favourite points in a conversation with Peri is when a sentence starts with 'what the science says is...'
https://www.coachingandsalesinstitute.com/meet-peri/
Sure, but the real magic is likely to happen in the middle, close to 1.1 & 1.2
Gov't changes and more...
What is the most searched term that starts with 'Mortgage'?
It isn't 'rates', and that's why you need this episode, and also why you need to click this link - https://canadianmortgageapp.com/btbb
Also...
How do you win the game today?
By making more calls... probably open house calls.
Working open houses is for sure a topic we will cover in greater detail, but the co-branded financing sheet is a critical piece of the puzzle.
I could not imagine functioning as a Broker without access to a tool like this one, the amount of data, the depth of detail, is truly impressive.
The range of approval amounts it demonstrates in the case study maps out exactly how you win in a highly competitive rate environment.
The version with video can be found on Vimeo
Also, here is the link for the limited time special
https://canadianmortgageapp.com/btbb
Join Rob Campbell and I for thoughts on responses to the 1-Star review.
As well as conversation on offers being made to your database 18 months out from renewal... how often are you calling each of your past clients?
It was true, it was useful, but there seemed to be some debate about whether it was positive.
Sometimes things aren't easily framed as positive, but the facts around the thing are good to know... as negative as they may sound.
But should you self appoint yourself the messenger?
We all know what happens to the messenger!
The President of RE/MAX Chris Alexander knows it, we know it, and for sure first time home buyers know it.
What about the powers that be?
Why did I travel 29hrs round trip for a one day event?
112 pages of notes would be one reason.
To have Rick Ruby stare into my soul and extract what may be a fundamental truth could be another.
What's happening in the USA?
Why does it matter?
What are some key takeaways that apply here in Canada?
Tune in!
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Scheduling days off
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YouTube
@BeTheBetterBroker has been a long time coming, but it’s here at last!
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A passage from one of my journal; February of what year?!?!
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Housing Crisis Are Modular homes; are 3D printed homes coming to save us?
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Last Mondays Market meltdown means?
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Branch theft.
Rob Campbell and I discuss the media suggestions of a condo collapse and economic meltdown.
What does the actual data suggest will happen?
And can a 'promise' be securtized or counted on like a stock or bond?
Have you blocked time daily for the unexpected, and the inconvenient?
How to work through lifes larger unexpected inconveniences.
The final few minutes of Episode 4... which the numbering system here forces me to call episode 8.
Yes this is a real thing.
You may not believe it, clients will often not believe it.
A halfway decent Real Estate lawyer can certainly explain it is real though.
And so should you be able as well.
The short version - a refreshed for those who know what's what.
Looking for deeper understanding, and scripts for use with clients to help fix the idea that having all ones banking in one spot is a good idea... because it just isn't.
One critical piece of advice I was once very passionate about, I now see from the flipside. And in many cases today, my advice would be the opposite of what's been in the past.
Also, what's the best way to handle losing clients in the 11th hour?
And we are back, join Rob Campbell and Dustan Woodhouse for a 20 episode run.
We kick off with a general discussion around closing a Facebook account and unplugging from one social media account... but not from ALL social media.