Realtor, mortgage broker, or bank: who do you actually talk to first?

Why we say broker first

A realtor is fantastic at finding you a house. A bank can only offer you their own products. A broker's whole job is figuring out what you can actually borrow, across dozens of lenders, before you spend a single weekend at open houses. Starting here means you shop with a real number instead of a guess, and you don't waste time (yours or a realtor's) looking at homes above your range.

What a bank can and can't do for you

Your bank can absolutely give you a mortgage. What they can't do is show you what a different lender might offer instead, because they only sell their own products. That's not a knock on banks, it's just the structure. A broker works with many lenders at once and gets paid by the lender, not by you, so there's no cost to getting the wider view first.

When the realtor conversation should happen

Right after you know your number. A good realtor works far more efficiently with a client who already has a pre-approval in hand, since it narrows the search immediately and signals to sellers you're a serious buyer. Most realtors will actually ask if you've spoken to a broker or lender before they start showing homes, for exactly this reason.

The short version

Broker first, for your number. Realtor second, to find the house. Bank stays in the mix the whole time as one of several lenders we might place your mortgage with, not necessarily the first or only call.