Mortgage aggregator Connective Originator Services Network is on target to almost double the number of brokers in the group this year. At the end of last year it had 550 brokers on board and by the end of this year it expects to have 1000.The big increase is evidence of the consolidation that is taking place in the industry, says Connective principal Mark Haron.Haron, a former chief executive of Fast who joined Connective in 2006, has a different take on consolidation. He does not expect to see a lot of brokers leave the industry, as other commentators do, but he does think many independents will be forced to join aggregator groups.He also argues that aggregators need the right pricing structure if they are going to continue to increase their broker numbers.The slowdown in the mortgage market combined with changes to commission structures is putting pressure on brokers. "Changes to commissions won't drive brokers out of business but they will have to look at how they do business," Haron said."A lot of smaller independent brokers will not have the volume to earn the top commission rates on offer now."Take as an example a starting rate of 55 basis points upfront with a top rate of 70. The broker gets more if he clears a conversion ratio hurdle, more for online lodgment and more for volume."Aggregators earn fees based on the total volume of business their brokers write for a lender and are able to attract the top commission rate.Connective charges its brokers a flat monthly fee and passes on all the upfront and trail commission. Other aggregators take a slice of the commission, typically 20 basis points out of the upfront and five out of the trail.Haron said: "An independent broker who is writing a lot of business will get a better deal with our pricing model. That means we are in a better position to attract the better independents."Haron said another factor driving consolidation was that lenders were starting to ration the business they are prepared to do with brokers. "ING is picking up a lot of business but there are restrictions on how much they will fund. They are knocking some people back."Connective has $6 billion of mortgages on its books. It will settle $4.8 billion of loans this year, up from $2.8 billion in 2007. That rapid growth is due mostly to new brokers joining the group.Haron said brokers can expect further change in their dealings with lenders. "Lenders are going to want to see some evidence that the broker has earned the trail."