I am an old person, and over the years I’ve had a number of rental properties as well as those that I’ve lived in. With that, came a number of refinances. When I was trying to buy rental properties and had trouble getting a mortgage from a local bank I went through a broker. Yes that came at a cost.
for the home I am in now, nearly 25 years, I have refinanced five or six times. And I’ve never used a broker for this house mortgage. The bank was always willing to give me a decent rate and their lowest fees.
in the end, a spreadsheet is your best friend. Or a good mortgage calculator. If you are asked to pay $10,000 more upfront but save, say $500 per month, you can see the breakeven is about 20 months. The process has been discussed here on many questions. When I am back to my desktop computer I will see if I can find a few good ones and link to them.