Give-and-take is fundamental to establishing clients' trust
For Bradyn Anderson (pictured), broker at TMG The Mortgage Group, what a mortgage professional puts into the business is proportional to what they get out of it in the long run.
“More conversations equals more business,” Anderson told Canadian Mortgage Professional. “I highly value communication. I like to have an open conversation with my clients at the beginning, try to obtain a clear understanding of what they’re looking for, what their future plans look like and address any questions or concerns they may have, as I understand the process can be daunting.”
Aside from the long-term trust that this fosters, the approach has the immediate benefit of establishing a “high comfort level and understanding” between broker and client, which ensures transparency as they navigate the transaction together.
Anderson admitted that this was a notable hurdle for him early on in his career, primarily due to his personality type.
“Prior to starting in the mortgage industry, I was fairly reserved. I wasn’t one to start a conversation with strangers and more-so kept to myself,” Anderson recounted.
“After challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone, I learned to love meeting new people. I now have a genuine interest in getting to know people, and find that taking at least one thing away from each conversation you have turns you into a more well-rounded person. This has helped my business grow exponentially.”
Much of this growth will come from lessons that can be picked up from the most unlikely sources, Anderson stressed.
“Study your competition, strike up conversations with strangers and go into it with a ‘failure isn’t an option’ mentality. This is an incredibly challenging business; anytime you jump into a position where you’re in charge of your own income is scary. However, if you approach it with the right mindset, it can be the most motivating and exciting opportunity you’ll have in your lifetime.”
A robust background in the financial industry has also bolstered Anderson’s efficacy as a broker.
“Prior to being involved on the lending side of the transaction, I started investing in real estate at a young age. I bought my first two properties at 21 and 22, which ignited a passion for the industry and a drive to one day become deeper involved in it,” Anderson said.
“After weighing between a realtor and a mortgage broker, I felt being a broker would be a better fit as I enjoy working with numbers and creating long-term financial plans for my clients. As of today, I own three and look to continue investing in real estate.”
These came hand-in-hand with Anderson’s meticulous nature.
“Another specialty of mine is understanding lender policies thoroughly, which provides various advantages for my clients,” he said. “As a broker, we have many lender options and it pays dividends to stay educated on them, study them, and truly know which programs and products are available to us, so we can hopefully find the perfect fit for every client’s needs.”
All of these foundations would feed into a strong hunger for the gold that has served Anderson well so far.
“I’m a firm believer in setting high goals for myself – I would rather fall slightly short of a challenging goal than achieve an easy one,” Anderson said. “At the start of 2021 I set a goal to hit TMG’s ‘Summit 20’ Category, which is the top 20% of over 1,150 brokers around the country and a very tough feat two years into my career in a smaller market; however, I ended up far surpassing what I needed to hit the list.
“Also in 2021, I was the only Saskatchewan Mortgage Broker – and one of the youngest in the country – to hit Canadian Mortgage Professional’s top 63 under-35 ‘Rising Stars’ list, which was an accolade I didn’t expect to achieve at 25 but am very grateful for.”
Anderson credits a large part of his success to his network.
“I found my home at TMG The Mortgage Group and have never looked back. I was so fortunate to cross paths with one of the best mentors in the industry, whom I lean on to for advice in business and life almost every day,” Anderson said.
“We’ve created an office environment where everyone problem solves and helps one another, as opposed to looking at each other as competition. I never imagined that I’d be in a position where I spend my weekends looking forward to getting back to work on Monday.”
