Tristan Kirk, managing partner (pictured top) and principal broker, and Matthew Nichol, partner, told Canadian Mortgage Professional that Citadel had been founded with the aim of improving the processes they themselves had experienced throughout their career as mortgage brokers – and that ensuring the success of its members remained its number-one priority.

“Our value proposition at the end of the day is that we created Citadel based on what we wish we had when we started out as new mortgage professionals, and what we wish we had throughout the progression of our careers,” Nichol explained.

“We know what we went through with brokerages and other brands. What we’ve done is created a model centred around putting the agent, broker and consumer first, and then putting the company behind them.”

Citadel, whose number of agents has risen from just five to nearly 300 since its establishment, has operated a revenue-sharing model from day one, distributing a share of its annual profit to its agents, brokers, senior leaders and broker-owners.

Its structure includes account manager roles for agents that may be too busy or currently unable to broker, meaning that they can pass the deals over and get paid a percentage of a referral fee.