Stages of a Mortgage: 1. Document Collection

A mortgage isn't a single step — it's a sequence of stages, each with a clear start and end. In this series, we walk through the process from the first document to the deed. We start with the stage every file shares: gathering the initial documentation.

When it starts and when it ends

The document collection stage starts the moment you open your mortgage file — whether directly with a bank or through a mortgage broker. It ends when that file is sent to the banks for review, for the first time.

Between those two moments, your job is simple to describe, even if not always quick to complete: gather the documents that prove who you are, what you earn, and your credit history.

What banks need to know about you

Before reviewing any credit proposal, a bank needs to answer three questions: who the applicant is, how much income is available, and whether there are existing credit commitments. The six documents below answer exactly those three questions — identity, income, and credit history.

Some are quick: you already have them, or they're a click away. Others — especially the ones that go through the Finance Portal — are worth starting early, since not all of them are available instantly.

What happens next

Once the file is complete, it goes to the partner banks — and that's where the next stage begins: viability analysis. This first stage has no fixed length: it depends entirely on how quickly the documents become available. That also makes it the easiest stage to shorten — the more complete your file is from the start, the sooner your process moves into the analysis stage.