Perch is a digital mortgage brokerage that keeps working for you after closing. Besides arranging purchase, renewal and refinance mortgages, it tracks your home’s estimated value, shows how much equity you may be able to borrow against, and alerts you when switching lenders could save money. This review covers the brokerage, the homeowner tools and where Perch fits among the platforms in our mortgage lenders and brokers hub.
Perch at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Digital mortgage brokerage with home-value and switching alerts for homeowners |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Head office | Toronto, Ontario |
| Lender access | 30+ lenders, including banks, credit unions, B lenders and private lenders |
| Where it operates | All provinces and territories |
| Cost and how it is paid | Free tools; the lender usually pays Perch, and any fees are disclosed upfront |
The brokerage
Perch describes itself as “a digital mortgage brokerage that’s fully licensed and regulated”. You add your details online, compare mortgages from its lender panel and submit an application, with a Perch advisor available by phone or chat seven days a week. Its FAQ lists fixed and variable mortgages with terms from one to ten years. Because its panel includes B lenders and private lenders as well as banks and credit unions, Perch can place some files that a prime-only platform can’t; the B-lender guide and our comparison of private mortgage lenders explain those options.
Homeowner tools
Perch’s tools for existing homeowners are what set it apart:
- Home value estimates. Perch updates an estimate every month. It says it takes “the average growth rates in your area, of your property type” and applies that growth to your most recent purchase price or formal appraisal. That is an index-based estimate, not an appraisal.
- Equity view. The dashboard shows your mortgage balance and how much home equity you may be able to access, the starting point for a HELOC or refinance.
- Switching alerts. Perch sends alerts “when there’s an opportunity to save money by switching lenders”. Moving a mortgage at or before renewal is covered in our guide to switching mortgage lenders.
Whether breaking a mortgage early pays depends on the penalty and on the interest saved over the rest of the term, not just the gap between two monthly payments. Our mortgage break-even guide walks through that calculation.
How Perch is paid
Free tools; the lender usually pays Perch, and any fees are disclosed upfront. Perch’s FAQ says the lender pays it a commission when a mortgage closes through Perch, and that it doesn’t “accept fees from lenders in exchange for preferential treatment”. Our guide to how mortgage brokers get paid explains lender commissions in general.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Home-value, equity and switching alerts after closing | Home values are index estimates, not appraisals |
| Panel includes B lenders and private lenders | No in-person offices |
| Advisors available seven days a week | Smaller brand than the largest online platforms |
| Free tools, usable before you apply | Paid by lender commissions, like most brokerages |
Who Perch suits
Perch tends to suit homeowners who want to keep an eye on their equity and their renewal options between mortgages, and buyers who want a digital process with access beyond prime lenders. Borrowers who want an in-person meeting can look at True North Mortgage, and those who mainly want a long rate hold from an online lender can compare nesto.
How Perch compares
- nesto is an online lender and brokerage: see the nesto review. How online platforms compare with banks and traditional brokers is in our digital mortgage comparison.
- Ratehub.ca is a comparison site with its own brokerage: see the Ratehub review.
- True North Mortgage has salaried advisors and stores: see the True North review.
- Homewise is a digital brokerage that negotiates with lenders for you: see the Homewise review.
The best-known three are side by side in nesto vs Ratehub vs True North.
How we rated Perch
Perch earns 4.0 out of 5 in our view. No formula produces that number: it reflects tools that keep working after closing and access beyond prime lenders, offset by a smaller brand and no offices to visit.
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Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on October 5, 2026. How we check facts.