I have experience from both sides of the aisle. I learned the residential lending business in 1989 as a mortgage broker in Southern California while for the last 6 years I've worked as a mortgage banker. As a broker, I would receive an endless stream of rate sheets from various wholesale lenders, each offering rates for given mortgage products. Every day, I would pore through the rate sheets and determine who had the best rate. Now, as a mortgage banker, I watch my pricing every day, and I'm always going to be competitive.
Most lenders are.
They have to be to stay in business. The difference here is that the mortgage will be issued from my company's bank account. My answer is, all things being equal, there is no difference. If you can obtain the same loan at the same rate with the same fees, it really doesn't matter if your loan is brokered or not. It's not important that someone uses their own money to fund your loan or if they get it elsewhere as long as you get what you were promised.