From sales to strategy — and beyond — in alternative lending

This article was created in partnership with Community Trust.

Sebastien Kuperhause, Director Business Development at Community Trust, started his career over 20 years ago at CIBC in their E-mortgage team, where they had “a fantastic training program that got me the nuts and bolts of understanding mortgages front to back, how to look at a deal, how to underwrite it, and what the document requirements were,” Kuperhause recalled, noting that he had to write the same exams and achieve the same high marks as underwriters to pass the course.

“By the time I started selling I was very well-versed and prepared to start in the industry.” 

After CIBC, Kuperhause took the skills that he learned to help lead a sales team at ING where he managed a national salesforce. This experience helped him to land his next role as Director of National Sales at National Bank, where he spent close to a decade helping to grow the business and the brand from coast to coast.

Kuperhause then joined Home Trust in 2017 where he supported the company to realign and build to record numbers and it was that same mindset that saw him come aboard at Community Trust last July. Kuperhause was drawn again to the challenge and opportunity of getting the organization to the next level.

“I get to apply all I’ve learned over the years — the good, the bad, and the pitfalls — to help scale quickly, but not so fast that you break the engine as you go. It’s about doing it strategically, in pieces.”

The allure of the alternative space

Kuperhause has spent the last seven years in the alternative space, which he describes as a land of opportunity. Drawn to its ever-changing landscape and its steep learning curve, he spends a lot of his days supporting BDMs and brokers alike to not just hone their craft as amazing salespeople, but to get themselves properly versed in alt lending and all it has to offer. 

“Those who take the time to truly engage, will push their business further and ramp it up more,” Kuperhause noted. “At Community Trust, we have so many solutions, and if you understand how to utilize them, it helps you grow your book of business. It’s not just the product, it’s the partnership.” 

Alternative lending fits Kuperhause’s personality, as he constantly adapts to new changes and opportunities in the space. The fact that no two deals are alike makes it fun as a salesperson and a lender, which is also true for brokers. The correlation lends itself easily to Community Trust’s mission of helping Canadians become much more financially successful and secure.

Failing to work with lenders in the alternative space is “doing a disservice to yourself and your client,” Kuperhause said, because “we really are here to help Canadians achieve their financial goals of homeownership and support brokers in providing an exceptional client experience.”

Chasing new challenges and cultivating more growth

Though his role at Community Trust is keeping him fulfilled and on his toes, Kuperhause was approached due to his knowledge in the industry to run for Board of Directors for Mortgage Professionals Canada (MPC) in Ontario.  

“They’ve done a great job over the years, I see opportunity for growth and enhancement within our industry” he said, adding the goal is to push that message of why brokers are so integral to the industry while also considering the lending side and the regulatory realities. Kuperhause is eager to help MPC strengthen its message and start forging a path as to where brokers want to go next.

“I feel I am a balancing voice — my ability to understand both sides is what I’d bring to the table,” he said. “I love opportunities to build, mould, and grow. That’s where my skill set is. It’s where I can make a difference.”