Major network appoints new president

He may be the youngest exec in the channel, and he’s got some big plans for 2017 and beyond

He may be the youngest exec in the channel, and he’s got some big plans for 2017 and beyond.
Chris Turcotte has been named CENTUM’s new president.

The 35 year old cut his teeth in the banking industry before turning to the broker channel four years ago, when he launched a CENTUM franchise in Brandon, Manitoba.

Along with an initial three brokers and one assistant, Turcotte grew that franchise to include 18 people, three locations and the sixth largest volume in the CENTUM network, which includes around 200 locations.

“I did that by leveraging technology. My wheelhouse is online marketing, SEO and especially social media,” Turcotte told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. “I think that’s what’s going to be CENTUM’s edge going forward. I really want to give Centum an identity online and on social media.”

Turcotte believes the industry lacks when it comes to social media presence and he plans to tap into it in a big way to help grow CENTUM’s influence going forward.

“There’s the really big brand that advertises on television and everything; they’ve got some great commercials that cost their agents millions of dollars,” he said. “(But) when was the last time we actually watched a commercial? When the commercials come on, our eyes go to our phones.”

For Turcotte, social media provides a relaxed environment in which to educate potential homebuyers.

“The advantage I think I have is that I understand how to get the content on a mobile device, where your eyes actually are,” he said. “I think I understand where eyes are going in the age and the times that we’re in.”