SPECIAL REPORT
RISING STARS MICH SNEDDON Mortgage agent DLC Edge Financial Location: Toronto, ON Age: 35
Mich Sneddon uses his love of numbers and his background as a chartered accountant “to help people with that knowledge of these figures, which is something that is important to me,” he says. Four years into his career as a mortgage agent, Sneddon still considers himself a newcomer to the industry. He’s used his eight-plus years of expertise in online marketing systems to grow his business and generate online leads for other mortgage and real estate professionals. Together with business partner Jason Gray, he recently launched FSP Digital, a digital marketing agency. To stay informed, Sneddon regularly attends online courses and listens to podcasts and audiobooks on marketing. Over the past year, he has focused on processes and systems, thinking about how to scale his business by automating as much as possible and creating processes to delegate what can’t be automated.
COREY WICKS Mortgage professional Verico Xeva Mortgage Location: Kelowna, BC Age: 34
After graduating from Simon Fraser University in 2010 with a degree in business administration and finance, Corey Wicks pursued a career in real estate, beginning with a Vancouver-area private commercial mortgage and equity company. After spending four years rapidly growing his industry knowledge, Wicks moved to Kelowna, BC, where he diversified his experience with commercial banking roles in both credit union and chartered bank environments. Two years ago, Wicks became a licensed mortgage broker and joined the team at Xeva Mortgage. “I truly love helping friends, family, colleagues and new referrals with their financing goals,” he says. “Having seen many clients struggle to enter the housing market this past year, I am encouraged by our industry’s continued lobbying efforts and hope to see improved affordability and access to financing for first-time buyers.” Outside of Xeva, Wicks is an active member of 100 Brokers Who Care and several local organizations, including the Greater Westside Board of Trade, the Okanagan Agricultural Professional Group and the Okanagan Young Professionals Collective.
26
GRAHAM REIMER Mortgage professional DLC Mortgage Excellence Location: Lethbridge, AB Age: 33
Graham Reimer began his career as a mortgage broker in 2007, just before the last recession hit. “It was in those first two years that I quickly realized that being a mortgage professional meant that a broker is the quarterback of the real estate transaction,” he says. “That responsibility and stress pushed me to thrive and want to be better every day.” This realization also inspired Reimer to view his book of business as an opportunity to make a difference. He stopped setting volume goals and instead focused on the number of families he could impact each year. Last year, he worked with 165 families; his goal for 2020 is to help 200 families. “Something I’m hoping to see change in the industry is unity,” Reimer says. “I would love to see the next 12 months transform the industry to be different than what is expected from a typical sales-driven industry. I would love to see us unify as mortgage brokers, regardless of the brand we represent, to support and share with one another and encourage best practices, education, support and more.”
www.mortgagebrokernews.ca
20-41_Rising Stars 2020-SUBBED.indd 26
14/07/2020 4:39:55 AM