Jessica Labonte, Verico Xeva Mortgage

Mortgage agent

VERICO XEVA MORTGAGE

Age: 33

Years in the industry: 5

Jessica Labonte’s entry into the mortgage industry was something of a surprise. “I went to a well-known broker to obtain a mortgage, and by the end of our meeting, I agreed to be her assistant,” Labonte says. “Within a year, I was licensed myself and working as a full-time broker by year two.”

Success came just as quickly for Labonte, who had reached $17 million in volume by her third year. Today, she gives back through 100 Brokers Who Care and by using her expertise to offer free credit counselling to the Kelowna community.

Labonte, like many in the industry, was challenged by the need to adapt to the new lending guidelines rolled out last year. “Conforming to the new B-20 rules and learning all of the new policies that the B-20 rules have triggered was a challenge,” she says. “It took a while to implement the rules to the point where I don’t have to remind myself of them anymore.”