It’s been a long time coming but D+H finally has real competition for Expert, the system that over 90% of brokers use to send applications to lenders.

DLC Group, a subsidiary of Founders Advantage Capital Corp., has purchased D+H’s competitor, Marlborough Stirling Canada Limited (MSC), for $5.5 million. MSC produces MorWeb software, a web-based order-entry platform for mortgage brokers.

DLC is purchasing 70% of MSC and another group, led by Geoff Willis, is buying the other 30%. Willis currently runs OTTO Mortgage Systems, which also makes software that automates the mortgage origination process.

Chris Pornaras is expected to remain president with Willis also joining the management team in some capacity. As such, we suspect that Otto—or at least much of its best functionality—will be merged with MorWeb sometime next year.

DLC “anticipates it can increase MSC’s market share by having more DLC mortgage brokers use the MSC platform,” says the company’s press release. That shouldn’t be too hard, given DLC’s 5,000 agents comprise 40% of the mortgage broker market and fund $37 billion a year. By this author’s back-of-the-napkin math, if DLC gets even half of those brokers using MorWeb it could pay for the purchase in 24 months or less.

Albeit, while DLC Group has ample volume to make MorWeb viable, it will take time to shift a critical mass of agents from Expert to MorWeb. “Changing peoples’ habits is dependent on user experience,” says DLC President Gary Mauris. “Users want better access to their data, integration to the CRM of their choice and a slick mobile platform, so these things will all be on the drawing board in coming months.”

Regardless of this deal, however, Mauris says “MSC and D+H will both remain key partners for DLC.

Speaking to CMT about his MSC growth plans, Mauris said, “We’re reviewing options and potential opportunities for additional partnerships. We’re also looking for ways to more economically serve our lender partners.”

Regarding third-party brokerage partnerships, some will question whether brokerages would ever use software run by a competitor. Clearly, however, DLC would be crazy to misappropriate its customers’ data—so those criticisms probably aren’t valid.

“We’ve never held broker data hostage and marketed to past agents’ clients,” says Mauris. “A broker’s client data is their data.”

The other consideration will be getting all lenders connected to MorWeb. TD and a few smaller lenders are conspicuously absent. Without TD, many brokers simply won’t use the platform. That should be a top 2017 priority for Mauris, Willis & co. as they invest in their new platform.