5 Questions with CMP’s Top 5 Mortgage Brokers in British Columbia - Gord Pipkey
Each year, Canadian Mortgage Professionals (CMP) Magazine publishes a list of Canada’s top mortgage brokers. The list consists of brokers who submit their financial details in order to be ranked. At Ratehub.ca, we’re always on the lookout for best mortgage business practices. For this blog series, we contacted the top mortgage brokers in British Columbia and asked them what they attribute their success to.
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Gord Pipkey from VERICO Real Mortgage Services. Ranked 2nd on CMP’s Top 75 Brokers list in 2011, Pipkey closed with over $239 million in funded deals. He is a veteran in the industry, with over 30 years of experience in all aspects of the mortgage business. Working with a small team of just 3 support members, Pipkey’s British Columbia brokerage is a fierce competitor in the industry. Here’s why:
1. How can you attribute your success to making the Top 5?
Diligence, perseverance, and keeping touch with past clients. The business and lending environment has undergone major changes over the years, and staying in touch with past clients has greatly attributed to my success. Many of my past clients are referring me to new clients, so fostering these relationships is really important.
2. Do you have a niche that you service?
Most of our business comes from past clients and their referrals. As a business, we are continuing to target to real estate buyers, but other than that we don’t have a specific niche.
3. What first got you interested in the mortgage business?
This is pretty much the only career I’ve ever had. I started out in commercial finance, then I began working real estate which led to mortgage financing, and it continued from there. I’ve always been in the business. In the 80s, I went to the US and was both a mortgage broker and agent there. In the early 90s, I came back to Canada and decided to focus on myself. From there, I decided to open my own brokerage.
4. What’s your personal mortgage product?
I do a lot of secondary mortgage financing with my brokerage. Helping clients finance their home with a secondary mortgage helps a lot in finalizing the deals.
5. Fill in the blank. ‘If I weren’t in the mortgage business, I’d be _____.’
I was in medical school in the past, but I left that. I don’t know what I’d do— maybe take some time off?
To learn more about Gord Pipkey, visit his website.