High Street Financial has opened a Toronto office under High Street Financial Services Inc., a fully licensed Ontario mortgage brokerage regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA License #13809).

The move marks the first phase of the firm’s national expansion strategy and establishes a dedicated Ontario platform focused on institutional-grade commercial mortgage origination and loan servicing. 

Founded in Alberta in 2016, High Street Financial has arranged more than $2.0 billion in commercial mortgage funding across over 200 transactions. The Toronto office extends the firm’s disciplined underwriting, deep lender relationships, and hands-on execution into Canada’s largest commercial real estate financing market. 

Institutional focus

In addition to brokerage services, High Street Financial Services Inc. (Ontario), is positioning itself as a mortgage origination and loan servicing platform targeting repeat mandates in the $15 million to $100 million range, with a focus on multifamily, mixed-use, industrial, retail, office, and development land. 

The firm’s approach centers on capital preservation and “exit-first” underwriting, structuring each loan around a clearly defined refinance, sale, or structured repayment strategy at origination. 

“Our underwriting philosophy starts with the exit,” said Ken Sethi, Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Principal Broker. “We don’t structure loans unless the path to repayment is realistic and well defined.” 

The Ontario platform will also provide loan servicing and ongoing monitoring for lending partners, including covenant oversight, payment monitoring, and renewal planning. 

Market timing and capital conditions

The expansion comes as Ontario’s commercial mortgage market stabilizes. With the Bank of Canada maintaining its policy rate at 2.25% and forecasts suggesting a relatively flat rate environment through 2026, lenders and borrowers are operating in a more predictable landscape than in 2023–2024. As capital re-engages selectively, underwriting discipline and clearly defined exit strategies are increasingly critical. 

Targeting complex mandates

While Ontario’s brokerage landscape is competitive, particularly in smaller transactions, High Street sees opportunity in construction, transitional, and lifecycle financings, particularly mandates requiring structured exits and disciplined execution. 

The Toronto office will focus on construction financing, bridge loans, CMHC takeout's, acquisitions, refinancing's, and development land tied to future commercial projects. The firm operates on an origination and servicing model, an approach designed to align with lender capital preservation objectives. 

Leadership and integration 

The Ontario platform is led by Co-Founder & Executive Leader Johnny Jaswal, whose background spans investment banking, law, and senior capital markets strategy roles globally. 

“Ontario is the largest and most competitive real estate financing market in the country,” said Jaswal. “We believe there is room for a disciplined, institutional-focused platform that prioritizes governance, capital protection, and long-term lender relationships.” 

The firm’s broader platform is supported by Co-Founder Dennis Mozak, a long-time construction executive with more than four decades of experience in Canada’s real estate and construction industry. His background in construction and real estate operations brings practical, execution focused insight into High Street’s underwriting discipline. 

Ken Sethi continues to serve as Principal Broker across both Alberta and Ontario, overseeing compliance and institutional debt origination. The Toronto office is integrated into High Street’s national underwriting standards and servicing framework.

Building for the long term

For its first fiscal year in Ontario, the firm is focused on platform establishment and durable lender relationships rather than short-term volume targets. 

By mid-2026, High Street expects the Ontario operation to be fully scaled and positioned for broader national growth. 

“With our Toronto office now live, we are building a national commercial mortgage, origination and servicing platform grounded in discipline, transparency, and predictable repayment structures,” the firm said.