Compare the best Big 5 Bank mortgage rates

Getting a mortgage is a major financial commitment and can make big changes to your lifestyle. So, taking the time to choose the right mortgage is really important. For most Canadians, the Big 5 Banks are what they will think of first when they consider taking the mortgage plunge, but the big banks are not your only choice.

Below are some essential details about getting a mortgage from one of the Big 5 Banks, or from any other kind of lender.

Canadian mortgage market update: June 2025

Anyone shopping for a mortgage rate in Canada right now should be aware of the economic factors below.

• Real estate update: Canada’s housing market saw its first monthly sales increase in over half a year, hinting at a possible shift in sentiment. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), 49,423 homes were sold in May, up 3.6% from April, but still 4.3% below the same month in 2024. The rebound follows a prolonged slowdown and suggests some buyers are re-entering the market despite ongoing economic uncertainty. New listings also rose, with 109,077 homes brought to market, marking a 3.1% increase from April and 8% higher year over year. With supply and demand growing in tandem, the national sales-to-new listings ratio (SNLR) held steady at 47%, reflecting balanced market conditions. Active listings totalled 201,880, up 13.2% annually. Prices remained stable, with the national average home price edging up from April to reach $691,299 – still 1.8% lower than last year. CREA’s MLS Home Price Index held flat month over month, ending a three-month decline. While the numbers signal a possible turning point, CREA maintains that one month of growth isn’t enough to declare a full recovery. In the short term, variable rates are expected to remain stable, while fixed rates may trend higher, prompting buyers to consider locking in a rate with a mortgage pre-approval or rate hold.

Read more: Canadian home sales stabilize in May

• CPI update: Canada’s annual inflation rate held steady at 1.7% in May 2025, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from Statistics Canada. This marks the second straight month of stable headline inflation, largely due to continued declines in energy prices following the federal government’s carbon tax removal. Gasoline prices were down 15.5% year over year. However, when energy is excluded, inflation stood at 2.7%, suggesting that price pressures persist across much of the consumer basket. Food prices rose 3.4% annually, with grocery and restaurant meals each up 3.3%. Drivers also felt the pinch: new vehicle prices climbed 3.2%, and auto insurance premiums surged by 8% year over year. On the other hand, shelter costs continued to decelerate in May, with the shelter index increasing 3% from a year earlier, compared to 3.4% in April. Rent prices rose 4.5%, down from 5.2% the month before and mortgage interest costs also fell for the 21st consecutive month, increasing 6.2% annually. Core inflation, which strips out volatile items, showed modest improvement as the CPI-median and CPI-trim fell to 3% in May, down from 3.1% in April. While that drop is a welcome sign for policymakers, it may not be enough to warrant a rate cut at the Bank’s upcoming July 30th decision. Additionally, the economic impact of U.S. tariffs is becoming more apparent, raising concerns about broader economic softness heading into the second half of the year.

Read more: May 2025 CPI remains stable at 1.7%

Housing market outlook for 2025

CREA has updated its housing forecasts for 2025 and 2026. While CREA's January forecast predicted a recovery in the housing market, growing tariff risks have caused a decline in buyer confidence, leading to a slowdown in home sales and price increases in some areas. This marks the largest revision between CREA’s quarterly forecasts since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. For 2025, CREA now forecasts 482,673 residential properties will be sold, representing a minimal decline of 0.02% from 2024. This is a sharp downward revision from the 8.6% growth initially projected. The national average home price is expected to decrease by 0.3% to $687,898, which is about $30,000 lower than the earlier forecast. Looking ahead to 2026, CREA expects a slight rebound in home sales, with a forecasted 2.9% increase to 496,487 units sold. However, this will still fall short of the 500,000 mark for the fourth consecutive year. The national average home price is expected to rise by 1.2%, reaching $696,074 in 2026. Given the ongoing volatility and uncertainty regarding interest rates and trade conditions, CREA’s forecast remains highly uncertain.

Impact of U.S. tariffs on the Canadian housing market

On April 2, 2025, the U.S. announced new tariffs that would affect global trade. While Canada was exempt from the U.S. 50% reciprocal tariffs imposed on other countries, it still faces a 25% tariff on imports not covered under the Canada-United-States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), steel, aluminum, and foreign cars and parts. 

These developments have caused significant fluctuations in global markets, including steep drops in stock prices and bond yields. In Canada, the 5-year government bond yield fell to its lowest level since 2022 on the morning of April 3rd, driving mortgage rates lower. Currently, Canadian mortgage rates are at some of the lowest levels in recent years, with insured mortgages available at 3.74% and uninsured mortgages at 3.99%.

The Bank of Canada (BoC), initially expected to cut interest rates in response to economic turmoil, has instead chosen to hold rates steady. The BoC is monitoring global economic conditions closely but has opted for caution, with no immediate rate cuts expected.

While lower mortgage rates offer an advantage to borrowers, the Canadian housing market is showing signs of slowing down. Home sales in February 2025 dropped 10.4% compared to the previous year, with reduced buyer activity and softening prices.

Also read: How could 25% US tariffs impact Canadian mortgage rates?

Canadian mortgage reform update

On September 16, 2024, the federal government announced sweeping changes to mortgage qualification rules for first-time home buyers, as well as those purchasing newly-constructed homes.

As of December 15, 2024:

• 30-year amortizations will be available for all first-time home buyers, regardless of whether they have an insured mortgage. These extended amortizations are also available for any purchase of new construction.
  
  
• The maximum purchase price for an insured mortgage (where less than 20% down is paid) will be increased to $1.5 million, from the current $1 million.
  

These are some of the most impactful mortgage reforms announced since 2012, and are anticipated to increase first-time home buyers’ affordability and access to the housing market. 

Learn more about these new mortgage rule changes on the Ratehub.ca blog

Posted rates vs. best rates

When comparing bank mortgage rates, it’s important to know that these rates represent the banks' posted mortgage rates. The posted rate is simply the rate that the bank is advertising in public. However, banks are often able to offer even lower rates in order to secure a borrower's business. You may be able to access these discounted rates through negotiation, or by reaching out to a representative mortgage broker. Some banks offer rates several percentage points below what is posted, so it's worth taking the time to see if you can get a better offer.

Bank rates vs. broker rates

As you may have noticed, bank mortgage rates are almost always higher than those of mortgage brokers. That is because mortgage brokers have access to rates from multiple banks and credit unions, as well as insurance and trust companies. That means they can shop around for you. Brokers also receive bulk discounts from lenders based on the high volume of their business that they can pass along to you.

As a result, it’s unlikely that a bank will post a lower rate than a mortgage broker. However, if you present the lowest market rate to your bank as part of the negotiation process, they may offer to match it. That said, we don’t recommend pitting the banks and brokers against each other to compete for your business. What we do recommend is comparing broker mortgage rates and bank mortgage rates alongside each other, and deciding which offer is best for you.

Comparing mortgage rates with Ratehub.ca

Whether you're considering using a bank or broker, a variable or fixed mortgage rate, or a one to a 10-year term, we can help. Our tools find the best mortgage rates for every category and type of lender, personalized to you. Our goal at Ratehub.ca is to give Canadians the best mortgage experience from online search to close. This means offering Canadians the mortgage tools, information and articles to educate themselves, allowing them to get personalized rate quotes from multiple lenders to compare rates instantly and providing them with the best online application and offline customer service to close their mortgage all in one place.