Broker podcast 'organically' grows business

An Ottawa-based broker uses his regular podcast to connect with and contribute to his community; and a welcome side-effect of his show has been the natural way it has helped grow his business.

An Ottawa-based broker uses his regular podcast to connect with and contribute to his community; and a welcome side-effect of his show has been the natural way it has helped grow his business.

“I’ve always wanted to go into radio, have a show … and I didn’t want it to be mortgage-specific,” Nick Bachusky of Mortgage in Ottawa told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. “I always wanted to do something where I could reach out to the community and also create something … to get a very broad group of guests and I wouldn’t be limited to one kind of subset of guests.”

Bachusky’s initiative is one of the many unique ways brokers are helping raise public awareness about the industry and, with consumer recognition primarily focused on the big banks, brokers can use all the help they can get.

The podcast, which is on its 58th episode, has featured such notable guests as the mayor; the parliamentary budget officer, Kevin Page; and the owner of Ottawa’s new football team, the RedBlacks.

And each episode features Ottawa-based musicians.

“Every show we feature a local Ottawa musician, it could be a band or a dj (and it) doesn’t matter what genre; I love all sorts of music,” Bachusky said. “We want more people in the city to be going to more local concerts, right downtown because theses local acts are incredible and they only cost seven to 10 dollars.”

As an Ottawa-centric broadcast, Bachusky ensures the focus is fixed on the city, its issues and its people as opposed to his own personal business.

“I don’t mention that I’m a mortgage broker on the show frequently,”Bachusky explained. “I want to give value to the citizens of the city and not be one of those people who constantly brings up mortgage topics.”

Though he doesn’t dismiss the positive affect it has had on his business, saying it has helped organically build his name recognition throughout the city. And the connections he has made over the course of the first 57 episodes have come in handy to help add value to his business.

“I had a client once who was trying to build their own home and they just didn’t understand (certain building restrictions) in the city,” Bachusky said. “So I got the head of the planning committee on the city council on our show and I asked the questions; I can do that for any of my clients, I am able to get those answers.

“And now I have contacts throughout the city and that’s just such a more valuable resource than going to a mortgage broker that is only just trying to sell his business the whole time.”