What’s in your Perch Profile—and why it matters
Your Perch profile is your financial foundation on the platform. It’s where we gather all the essential information needed to assess your mortgage eligibility, personalize recommendations, and support your long-term financial goals. A complete profile ensures faster pre-approvals and better mortgage matches.
What does a complete profile include?
If you are applying with a co-applicant, they will also need to complete their own profile by signing up for Perch. You can learn more about applying with a co-applicant here.
Each applicant’s financial details contribute to the overall mortgage application assessment, your qualifying power (i.e. maximum mortgage amount) and interest rate.
To be considered complete, each co-applicant's profile must include:
Personal information – Legal name, date of birth, marital status, residence status, and first-time home buyer status.
Residence History (3 years) – Include all previous addresses covering at least the past three years.
Employment History (3 years) – Include all jobs, periods of unemployment, and additional income sources to cover at least the past three years.
Additional Sources of Income – Please let us know about any additional sources of income that you are ACTIVELY earning.
Assets – Your assets include savings, investments, real estate, and vehicles. We use this information to calculate net worth an determine where your down payment will come from in the event your are purchasing a new property.
Required Documentation – A specific set of documents that support your profile details. The system will automatically ask you for specific documents as you proceed through the application process. You can learn more about required documentation here.
Personal Information
First things first—we'd love to get to know you! From your plan or within your profile, you can update key personal details such as your legal name, date of birth, marital status, and first-time home buyer status. These details help us tailor your experience and ensure you meet lender requirements.
Residence History
As part of your mortgage application, lenders require a full three-year history of where you’ve lived. This helps verify your identity, assess stability, and satisfy anti-money laundering regulations.
Please ensure you include all addresses you've lived at over the past three years—including temporary residences, student housing, or time spent living abroad. If there were any gaps between residences (e.g., traveling, living with family), please note those as well in the Residence History section.
Employment History
You’ll need to include your full employment and income history for the past three years, even if you were living or working outside of Canada. Lenders require this information to assess income stability and continuity. This includes part-time, full-time, self-employment, and any periods of unemployment or retirement.
A note on unemployment
If you were unemployed at any point in the past three years, please include an entry in the Unemployment section to reflect that. We require a complete three-year employment history, including any gaps in employment, to ensure your application is accurate and complete.
When filling out your current employment:
Current Year Income is based on your guaranteed salary or hourly wages and any Additional Compensation is where you include bonuses, commissions, or other one-time compensation expected this year.
Previous Year Income should be referenced via your tax slips, such as your T4 or T5. The form will automatically provide fields to enter this information for employment records where you've been employed for more than the current tax year.
Can perch use my prospective income to qualify me?
Yes, it’s possible to use your prospective (i.e., projected or current-year) income—especially if you’re a recent graduate, have a signed job offer, or are transitioning into a new career. That said, lenders typically require strong documentation to support this type of income. This may include:
A signed employment contract with start date and salary
Proof of relevant education or licensing (e.g., medical residency, law school graduation)
Confirmation of residency or work permit status (if applicable)
Your advisor will work with you to gather the right documentation and determine whether your prospective income can be used for qualification.
Additional Sources of Income
Perch separates recurring non-employment income into a dedicated section called Additional Income.
These are income sources that you are currently receiving, and may include:
Canada Child Benefit
Child or Spousal Support
Disability payments
Employer Pension
Old Age Security (OAS)
CPP/QPP
Other verified recurring income
This section is meant to improve the accuracy of your affordability assessment. One-off or past payments should not be entered here.
Assets
Your assets include savings, investments, real estate, and vehicles. We use this information for two important purposes:
To estimate your net worth — some mortgage products require a certain net worth threshold.
To verify your down payment source — lenders need to know where your down payment is coming from, whether it’s from savings, investments, or equity in another property.
You no longer need to enter debts manually. When going through the application process, we will help you complete a soft credit check to securely pull your credit profile from the credit bureau. This includes your credit score and outstanding debts. Your Perch advisor will use this data, along with the financial details you provide, to calculate your qualifying power and determine the best mortgage options for you.
Required Documents
Additionally, depending on the information provided and the type of mortgage application, the system or your advisor may request additional documents to verify income, assets, or other financial details. These documents can be accessed in the Document Center.
A complete and accurate Perch profile powers everything from pre-approvals to personalized advice. Even if you’re not actively applying for a mortgage, keeping your profile updated helps us help you make smarter real estate and financial decisions.