As preparation for the 2025 CMAs ramps into gear, we spoke with this year's Young Achiever winner about the secrets behind her victory
For Chelsea Bedard (pictured), it was a “surreal” moment when her name was called out in front of hundreds of industry counterparts as the winner in the Young Achiever of the Year category at this year’s Canadian Mortgage Awards (CMAs).
But the win, which arrived in a category featuring the mortgage industry trailblazers of tomorrow, served as an affirmation for the Mission 35 agent not just of her own rapid rise in the mortgage space – but equally of the quality of the team around her at the brokerage, she told Canadian Mortgage Professional.
“It was all about the team. I totally felt it was our award,” she said. “I’m not closing as many mortgages as I do without the team. So it’s always thanks to them. I feel like it’s a group award.”
It’s never easy to pinpoint the exact secrets to success, or factors behind securing a big industry accolade. Still, Bedard – an eight-year member of the mortgage industry – said her volume funded and a sense of urgency, coupled with a laser focus on client and lender needs, had helped pave the way to that victory.
“A practice I follow is that I’m getting back to every single person every day. I don’t care if it’s a text message, a voicemail, or an email – their time is just as valuable,” she said.
Meeting the challenges and opportunities of the mortgage market
Putting up big numbers and eking out business are no mean feats in the current climate, with rising interest rates and affordability challenges pushing plenty of would-be buyers to the sidelines over the past couple of years.
However, that’s also presented opportunities – and Bedard said she’s seized on the chance to double down on her database and focus on customer outreach and care. “[Numbers] are slowly creeping back up, and this year was even better than last year,” she said. “With that comes better underwriting, being faster and smarter in this industry. I hope every year just gets better and better.
“It’s just more time with clients – and I’m not chasing the realtors anymore. I’m focusing on my database. That’s going to be where I keep the love the most, because there’s so much there.”
Empire Mortgage Group’s win at the Canadian Mortgage Awards shows what dedication and passion can achieve. Will your team be next? Nominate now for 2025!
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) November 29, 2024
Nominate here: https://t.co/Mfy52SD270#MortgageAwardsCA #MortgageBrokerage pic.twitter.com/whpy6JQQUS
She’s also made use of an unorthodox network: the one she cultivated in a past career as a dental hygienist. “I keep targeting my dental community. I’ve been back and done a couple of dental conferences and I’m there talking about building wealth through real estate, talking about knowing how to structure those deals because they have a million T4s,” she said.
“Not a lot have one full-time job. So I think I’ve just tapped into a different network and I’m not chasing the realtors anymore.”
Winning the CMA, Bedard said, has also provided a boost for bringing in business and a validation of her client-focused approach. “I have it posted on social media and as part of my email signature so when people are working with me, they know that they’re working with someone the industry has recognized,” she said, “something that sets me apart.
“It’s also really cool for the brokerage. There are two of us that have won here – myself and Teresa Franciosa, who won the private lending award last year. I say to my boss, ‘Who wouldn’t want to work for an award-winning brokerage?’”
CMAs returning for 2025
Nominations are open until January 17 for the 2025 CMAs, set to take place at Toronto’s Congress Centre on May 1 next year.
The event will see the CMAs return for their 19th year, an eagerly-anticipated event that will welcome the leading names across Canada’s mortgage industry as they raise a glass to friends, colleagues and counterparts – and compete for the top awards.
Excellence Awardees will be announced in CMP magazine and online channels in March, with winners to be revealed at the May show – so be sure to get your nominations in before January 17 for the most prestigious awards in the Canadian mortgage industry.
Make sure to get all the latest news to your inbox on Canada’s mortgage and housing markets by signing up for our free daily newsletter here.
