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Top: Carrie CardinalMiddle: Larry BarkleyBottom: Faye Drope

Nobody would argue against 2008 being one of the toughest in recent years for the mortgage industry, but that didn’t stop the CMA Broker of the Year finalists from rising to the challenges and coming out strong

T he 12 nominees split between the two Broker of the Year categories come from

across the country and possess a range of career backgrounds and accolades. Some have been in the industry for years, building up status among other brokers, while others who are fairly new to the business haven’t let their relative inexperience stop them from rising to the top.

The following finalists were chosen after months of research conducted by staff at KMI Publishing & Events (CMP’s publisher). The CMA judges will look at several elements of the broker’s business when choosing a winner, from how the broker approaches customer service and generates new business, to what business partners and customers have to say about the nominee.

One broker from each of the independent and national network categories will be named Mortgage Broker of the Year at the third annual Canadian Mortgage Awards on April 3, taking place at the Liberty Grand in Toronto.

National network finalistsThe West rules in the Macquarie Financial Mortgage Broker of the Year (National Network) category, with four of the five nominees based in Western Canada. Here’s a look at the brokers whose outstanding work caught the attention of their industry peers.

Hailing from the city of Regina, Carrie Cardinal says she’s proud to represent Saskatchewan at the 2009 Canadian Mortgage Awards.

“Saskatchewan is a province that’s been in the shadow of other provinces for a long time, but it’s a great example of growth and it’s developing quickly,” she says.

Cardinal began her career as a personal banker in 2001, and quickly developed an interest in mortgages. She became a broker with the Verico network in 2006.

Cardinal’s passion for sharing tips and ideas helped her land a monthly radio show on the local News Talk 980, where she addresses listeners’ mortgage questions on topics like refinancing and credit scores. The show is unique to Regina and helps Cardinal raise her profile in the community, something she also does through advertising and a website filled with client testimonials.

“I really like to raise broker awareness and let people know the difference between using a broker and using a bank to get a mortgage,” says Cardinal, adding that the goal she’s most proud of achieving in 2008 is maintaining and growing her presence in the industry.

Larry Barkley, a mortgage specialist with Home Loans Canada, secured the first place spot in CMP’s inaugural Top 50 Brokers list last year and is now nominated for his first CMA.

Barkley is based in Edmonton and joined HLC in 1993 after several years in the banking industry.

After finding out she was a finalist for the CMA Broker of the Year award, Faye Drope says she was taken aback.

“I’m shocked and touched – I didn’t think anyone would recognize me like this,” says Drope, a sub-mortgage broker in Parksville, British Columbia.

Drope started her career in the financial industry in the 1980s, working as a debt collector and later a loan officer, branch manager, until eventually, a business development officer for Equifax. She switched to the broker field in 1999 and started her company, Sand Dollar Mortgages.

Looking back on her 10-year career, Drope says one of her best decisions as a broker was joining the Verico network in 2007 because of the support they’ve given her. Although she says 2008 was a more difficult year personally, she is looking forward to 2009.

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The Home Loans Canada Award for Best Community Service EffortA new category at this year’s Canadian Mortgage Awards recognizes the community work of mortgage professionals who dedicate time and compassion to causes they care about. Here’s a snapshot of this year’s finalists and what they’re doing to make a difference.

Bruce Coleman, a senior mortgage broker at Invis in Vancouver, founded Angels in the Night, a charity that provides supplies to shelters across the country, in 2002. Since it began, Coleman, along with other Invis brokers, volunteers and lender partners involved in the charity, have collected almost $1.3 million through community events like concerts and golf tournaments. The money helps build shelters that house the homeless, abused women, children and street youth. “I think we lose focus if we don’t continue to give back,” says Coleman. “The idea of being humble is something that should not be lost on us as an industry and as individuals.”

Last year marked the first Coats for Kids coat drive, an initiative Peter Kinch (of The Peter Kinch Mortgage Team)

came up with to help underprivileged children in the lower mainland area of Vancouver. After advertising the Coats for Kids donation day in local media, Kinch and his employees stood on the side of the road during rush hour and collected more than 500 coats. “Anything we can do today to help the self-esteem of a child builds a better community for

tomorrow,” says Kinch. In addition to the coat drive, Kinch has donated more than $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity through the royalties of 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors, a book he co-authored with Don Campbell.

Helping those in need in the community is also something Chris Dopp, owner of Elite Mortgage Group in Collingwood, Ontario, says is important. For the past seven years, he has given families in his community Christmas dinners, with a no-questions-asked policy for those who sign up for food. Dopp gets some donations, but pays for most of the more than 200 dinners – which include a seven-pound turkey, vegetables, buns, juice and pie – himself. “I have been fortunate enough to do well in the industry and I feel this is something small that I can do to help others and make a difference.”

Top: Steve Brouwer Bottom: Greg Williamson

“I think there’s nothing like a recession to make you realize you love your job,” she says.

Steve Brouwer says his short time in the mortgage industry has afforded him many opportunities, most notably the chance to open his own business, Entrust Mortgage Services, in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

“I am completely honoured to be nominated for this award,” says Brouwer, who is part of The Mortgage Group’s network. “To be nominated after three-and-a-half years in the industry is still hard for me to believe.”

After working as a recruiter in Vancouver for more than 10 years, Brouwer transferred the many skills he had picked up on the job to become a mortgage broker.

“My goal is to create lifetime clients, which means maintaining relationships with people – getting to know them, their family and their personal situations,” says Brouwer, who works with both residential and commercial mortgages. He adds that he thrives on working with more difficult files at Entrust.

“I never give up on deals,” he says. “Rather, I consider them a challenge. I have a competitive nature, which helps me be focused and creative on each and every deal.”

Greg Williamson says his ability to build long-term referral sources and tap into new opportunities has helped him to thrive and grow during his years in the mortgage industry.

“There is no ceiling [for opportunities], even in an economic downturn,” says Williamson, who runs Canada Mortgage Direct (part of the Verico network) in Calgary.

Williamson started in the mortgage industry in 1995 as a mortgage agent at Investors Group, before starting his own business in Regina in 1997 and expanding to Saskatoon in 2000. His entrepreneurial streak led him to move to Calgary in 2003, where he operates Canada Mortgage Direct in an office with several other financial professionals.

Last year, Williamson opened the doors of his business to other mortgage professionals to learn from his practice. This year he is planning to start a new coaching and mentoring business for brokers. He also has a blog with commentary on the industry and other economic news.

Peter Kinch

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After entering the mortgage industry five years ago at age 23, Dave Butler of Mortgage Intelligence in Mississauga is competing among the best brokers in the country at this year’s CMAs – and he’s the only nominee from Ontario.

“I truly didn’t think I’d be in this category until after I’d been doing this for 10 years,” says Butler, now 29. “I’m shocked, but happy. It means my hard work has paid off.”

After completing a degree in commerce at the University of Toronto, Butler worked as an apprentice at his father’s mortgage business before joining Mortgage Intelligence. In his first year at the brokerage, he won the rookie of the year award and ranked in the company’s Top 40 producers after his second year. He placed 17 on CMP’s Top 50 list last year.

Butler says he’s overcome several obstacles in the industry, including being a young mortgage professional working in an area with a very high concentration of seasoned brokers.

Last year, Butler starred on Rogers TV’s Real Estate show to promote the role of a mortgage broker/agent – something he says allowed him to give back to the industry.

“I can sit here and tell you how great I think I am, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter… it’s what your peers think of you,” he says.

Independents from the WestThere are several familiar faces in the race for the CMHC Broker of the Year (independent/non-franchise) category, which recognizes individuals not associated with national networks.

Twelve years ago, having no previous experience in the industry, Dave McNabb started Regional Mortgage and has since become a CMP Top 50 broker and a well-respected voice for the mortgage industry.

“I think it’s great – it’s definitely an honour and a surprise,” says McNabb, who works out of Edmonton.

Top: Dave ButlerBottom: Dave McNabb

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Along with his involvement in the mortgage industry – McNabb is past president of AMBA – he is also active in his community. In the past seven years he’s started two initiatives to raise money for the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta and other local children’s charities.

To combat a difficult market in the year ahead, McNabb says he’ll focus on past customers and other referrals, as well as continue to offer his services, which he points out as one of his biggest strengths.

“A referral from a customer is the greatest compliment that we can receive and it is what makes our team successful,” he says.

Following jobs at two major Canadian banks, John Zieman saw growing opportunities in the mortgage industry in the late ‘80s, which led him to start Mortgage Depot in Victoria, British Columbia in 1990.

Zieman’s company (which began with the name Equity Centre) has maintained a relatively small and tight-knit staff throughout the years and he says the support shown by brokers in his company, both to colleagues and clients, has made it stand out.

“Our style of business is designed to help customers make good borrowing choices,” he says. “That means providing information, but more importantly, taking the time to help the client understand the information and how it applies to their personal circumstances.”

With close to 20 years in the business, Zieman says all his new business is direct referral, which also reflects his dedication to strong client relations.

Along with Zieman’s broker of the year nomination, Mortgage Depot has also been nominated for a CMA in the Brokerage of the Year (Independent/Non Franchise) category.

While working in real estate sales for 10 years, Robert “Kelly” Wardle often became frustrated when he saw many of his clients struggling to secure financing. With that experience in mind, Wardle became a mortgage broker almost five years ago.

“My goal is to do the best on every file,” says Wardle, a residential manager and mortgage associate at Bridge Capital in Calgary. “I always put customers’ needs first and that’s paramount to my success.”

Wardle also attributes his success to working with the team at Bridge Capital, which he calls a “fiercely independent” business that puts emphasis on building strong relationships with lenders. He says it’s an

honour to be recognized among national brokerages – especially, he points out, because he keeps a fairly low profile.

“It’s absolutely tremendous – I’m very proud to be nominated and I’m proud for my team,” Wardle says, adding in a bit of advice for success in the mortgage industry. “Pay attention to the small details and growth will come.”

Morris Briglio says he feels lucky to have spent many years in a career he loves and takes his nomination for Broker of the Year as a nod to his dedication to the profession.

“It’s certainly a great honour to have been nominated for this award, especially with so many good mortgage brokers in our industry,” says Briglio, who ranked 24 on CMP’s Top 50 list last year.

The North Vancouver-based Briglio worked as a branch manager with CIBC for 13 years before becoming a licensed mortgage broker/specialist with the company. In 2006, he branched out and opened The Mortgage Advantage Financial Services, which he now operates with four other brokers.

Due to his continued success and involvement in the mortgage industry, Briglio says he’s passionate about mentoring new brokers and sharing some of his tips for success. He’s also the director of the United Mortgage Group, a network of independent brokerages in the lower mainland and Vancouver Island.

“I’m one of those fortunate people who can honestly say I love my job,” says Briglio. “I especially enjoy the opportunity to mentor and assist new brokers and watch them succeed in an industry that has been extremely rewarding to me on many levels.”

Independents from the EastVince Gaetano enjoyed two big wins at last year’s CMAs when he took home Mortgage Broker of the Year (independent/non-franchise) and his company, MonsterMortgage.ca, won the coveted Brokerage of the Year (independent/non-franchise) prize.

“Last year’s wins put a big skip in our step and ended up raising the bar for us professionally,” says Gaetano, vice president of Monster Mortgage, which has offices in Vaughan and Toronto. “Being nominated two times in a row is surprising and flattering.”

Gaetano started working in the financial services industry 20 years ago and helped

Top: John ZiemanMiddle: Robert “Kelly” WardleBottom: Morris Briglio

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form MonsterMortgage.ca in 1998. He’s been the resident mortgage expert on CP24’s Hot Property for the past eight years, and has also been featured on Global TV, CTV, CBC, as well as other local and national media outlets. All this added work makes him a prominent figure in the broker community.

“I believe that the repeat nomination is a reflection of the significant time and energy spent trying to elevate the status of the mortgage brokerage industry and my commitment to properly servicing each of my clients,” says Gaetano.

Graeme Moss says client interaction and making a difference in people’s lives is what he likes most about being a mortgage broker, and being nominated for broker of the year (independent/non-franchise) is a rewarding nod to his hard work.

“I’m very pleased and surprised – the awards mean a great deal to me because of how independent and well-respected CMP is in the industry,” says Moss, manager and partner of Fair Mortgage Solutions, which was nominated for Independent Brokerage of the Year at last year’s CMAs. The company’s base is in Hamilton and it also has an Oakville location that opened last year.

Moss has been a broker for 10 years, starting with CIBC Mortgages and working at Invis until 2005, when he started Fair Mortgage Solutions, and later, HSMC, a private lending company. He says he’s always open to learning from clients, lenders and colleagues, always striving to bring about positive change in the industry.

“An agent or broker can greatly impact a client’s life,” says Moss. “It’s a very important role.” CMP

Top: Vince GaetanoBottom: Graeme Moss