Big bank experience leads to brokering career

The broker whose sub-standard experience trying to get a mortgage led him to become a broker

The broker whose sub-standard experience trying to get a mortgage led him to become a broker.

“I was in a different industry before and I wasn’t really happy in that industry. Late into that career, I had been looking to get my first mortgage and I didn’t have a very good experience dealing with the bank,” Paul Meredith, a broker with CityCan Financial, told MortgageBrokertNews.ca. “I thought there had to be a better way; people deserve to have better service. That’s what made me leave. What led me into working in this industry.”

And that move has worked wonders for Meredith, who joined the broker industry in 2007. This year, he was recognized as one of the country’s Top 75 brokers by CMP Magazine; he funded a total of $49,211,366 on 148 files.

And despite the fact that his father has always been a broker, Meredith wasn’t initially drawn to the industry.

“My dad is the founder of CityCan, but he deals primarily with private money stuff. It’s pretty much myself that does the A stuff,” he said. “Even though my Dad was a broker, it really wasn’t something I had entertained. Until I had that bad experience.”

Meredith recognizes his poor mortgage experience may not be the norm.

“I think a lot of the banks, when people deal in-branch, they aren’t getting the best service that people should be getting,” he said. “I also believe there are some great people who work at the bank level, there’s no question, but I think many tend to look at that as an entry level position. People don’t necessarily get the best advice coming from banks.”

Still, he believes banks are upping the ante by pouring resources into their respective mobile mortgage specialist teams.

But that just encourages brokers to excel even more.

“I think just helping people get what they want and doing what’s right for people,” Meredith said. “Helping people really get what they want.”