"You need a bit of a personal touch where it’s not always business; it’s sometimes at the human level"
Coupled with leveraging a broad knowledge of industry developments, establishing rapport with the customer is one of the major keys to a mortgage professional’s longevity and success.
For Christina Pentlichuk of Vine Group, focusing on the client and what they want is a foolproof way of building trust.
“Being relatable is key,” Pentlichuk told Canadian Mortgage Professional. “This is [the client’s] largest asset purchase or refinance that they are doing in their lives and there are a lot of emotions that go along with that. Being able to be really empathetic with that client and to be able to talk to them in a way that is calming is important.
“You need a bit of a personal touch where it’s not always business; it’s sometimes at the human level.”
Read more: Helping brokers help their clients
Following up on already established networks helps greatly in this endeavour, according to Ash Simpson of the Kelowna-based brokerage Ash Does Mortgages.
“I found out early that using a [customer relationship management system], and spending a ton of time to keep the relationship going with the client even after the file has been closed, will create a ton of referrals and repeat business,” Simpson said. “For client acquisition, I created a system of online marketing strategies that, over time, build and add to my clientele through online acquisition, as well as nurture campaigns that touch base constantly with a personalized approach. From clients who started as cold online leads, I ended up building relationships with each and every one of them.”
“I change my processes constantly to better suit my client and lender relationships – if I need to take an extra step somewhere but it creates a better experience, that’s a win,” he added, stressing that this due diligence is essentially a requirement as “[the] industry waits for no-one, the information changes constantly, ever evolving.”
