Broker on the steps to establishing a flourishing career in the industry
Recent years have seen an eventful mortgage market for brokers and agents to come to grips with, with rock-bottom interest rates during the COVID-19 pandemic giving way to rapidly rising borrowing costs and an affordability crisis for many homeowners and hopeful buyers.
That’s presented its fair share of challenges even for brokers with vast experience in the space – and the current landscape, still marked by steep home prices, high rates and economic uncertainty, may seem a daunting one for newer agents and brokers to come to grips with.
But that’s not to say there isn’t big opportunity out there for new entrants to the space, and finding their feet in the industry starts with mastering the basics and giving the right impression, according to Quantus Mortgage Solutions’ Remi Korent (pictured top).
Alberta-based Korent is no stranger to the industry, having started out in the mortgage space in 2007. But he says the key principles required for newer industry members to chisel out success are the same as when he set out nearly two decades ago.
“Stick with it and learn the lender policies and niche products they all have,” he told Canadian Mortgage Professional when asked his advice for industry newcomers. “Have a good attitude. Be aware of your tone of voice over the phone with clients to always project confidence. Be aware of the language you use when talking to clients.”
What’s more, while some budding agents and brokers might view the profession as a surefire route to a quick buck, that’s by no means the case – and those who enter the space should do so with a conviction that they’re in it for the long haul, Korent said.
“Don’t be in a rush to see success. Just believe you’re working towards it and it’ll come,” he said. “Consistency beats intensity every time. If you just pick up your phone when it rings and get back to people in a reasonable time, you’re doing great. I’ve only ever seen brokers’ business flourish if you operate on the principle of kindness, fairness, and doing what’s right for the client.”
Mary Putnam has received the Haventree Bank Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Mortgage Industry, highlighting the collective success of Canada Guaranty. She emphasizes teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of listening to clients.https://t.co/QKguQfERNn
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) February 18, 2025
Preparing for a busier market
Rates may have risen substantially since 2022, when the Bank of Canada introduced a flurry of hikes in a bid to lower inflation – but they’ve been on the way down since the middle of last year, with further cuts expected before the end of 2025.
They’re still not likely to fall anywhere close to where they landed at the beginning of the pandemic, when the central bank clipped its overnight rate to 0.25% and helped spur a huge surge in homebuying and mortgage refinancing. But a housing market pickup could still be on the way this year, barring an economic shock if US president Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs come into effect next year.
When the market eventually picks up, newer agents and brokers should make sure they’re prepared for a frenetic pace of activity, Korent said, even if it may not match the frenzy of the COVID years. “The hardest year I had was when I did 90 mortgages by myself in 2021,” he remembered.
“It was a gruelling year of working until midnight every night for weeks on end and sifting through online lead after online lead – basically running every facet of the business at a high level and high intensity while also meeting a ton of new realtors and referral sources and servicing them and their clients.”
Establishing a clear brand identity
Korent has been operating with the Rock Solid Mortgages brand since 2018, incorporating that the following year under Quantus and working to establish the brand identity while also tapping into Google Ads to drive leads. “I thought it was a great way to get in front of clients before they reached out to realtors in an effort to increase my outgoing referrals to realtors – and it worked,” he said.
“Over the years it’s become more competitive in the Google Ad Words space and more and more online leads would have their own realtor already, but it did help to solidify relationships with realtors by giving them leads.”
Having carved out an unconventional but effective reputation through his skateboarding persona – one also cultivated through brand-building and merchandise – Korent also said standing out from the crowd is an essential way of succeeding and thriving as a broker and agent.
The value of “celebrating your own uniqueness” – something Korent learned from entrepreneur and businessman Gary Vaynerchuk – can’t be overstated, he said. “It’s from that vein of thought that I started promoting and pushing the skateboarding angle,” he explained. “Also, I learned pretty early on that it doesn’t matter that I know how to get a mortgage approval completed – it’s just as important to get the phone ringing and to get leads coming in the door.
“I had to learn marketing and lead generation; that took a while, but it’s a big reason for the success and the volume of mortgages I do these days. A broker I know used to say, ‘You can be any kind of agent you want to be – just don’t be a secret agent.’”
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