"Pricing exceptions on every file are ridiculous. Special pricing has gotten out of control."

That's what one of Canada's most successful mortgage brokers told us today.

Big banks are the apex predators in Canada's mortgage jungle. They sit atop the food chain with the reach and funding to overpower smaller species. At yesterday's RBC Capital Markets Bank CEO Conference, these financial carnivores roared their intentions, some foreshadowing aggressive pricing strategies to amass market share.

Mainstream media covered RBC's event from its usual 30,000-foot perspective, but in this report, we'll dive deeper. We'll explore what matters most to smaller lenders and brokers, the tenacious underdogs of this ecosystem.

We'll also examine the fresh mortgage insights shared yesterday by OSFI chief Peter Routledge — because, in finance, nothing says 'intrigue' like regulatory updates.

Understanding interest rate behaviour across multiple cycles is crucial to making savvier term decisions. They may not be foolproof, but historical rate patterns yield vital insights—much like relying on a GPS that occasionally thinks you're driving through a cornfield.

At a minimum, history provides a sense of how long rate cycles last and what drives them, and that's essential knowledge for any mortgage professional.

With that in mind, this report takes a new look at what we can glean from the past.

Whenever the calendar flips, hope springs eternal for those of us in the mortgage game. This year, there's more than just wishful thinking; there are genuine grounds for optimism.

In fact, here are 10 reasons why mortgage volumes are set to climb this year. And no, none of them came from an economist who predicted six of the last two recessions. They're legit.