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CMB MAGAZINE cmba-achc.ca winter 2019 | 39
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Her campaigns include educational
advertorials in a local women's magazine
and sponsoring a tournament with the
Professional Golf Association of British
Columbia (PGA of BC). e common
denominator in these very different
initiatives is an authentic connection. "My
husband is a PGA of BC member, and
golf is such a great sport. I like to sponsor
organizations that are part of our family life,"
she says.
While these efforts all contribute, the
referrals that come from serving her clients
well are still the source of most new business,
Strong says. Especially when she was starting
out, she made it easy for potential new
clients to get to know her. "In addition to
working hard to educate my clients and
really listening to find out what is important
to them, so I can get them the best product, I
started writing a newsletter and a blog about
the market. It encouraged me to stay on top
of news and learn even more, to get a feel for
where we are in the industry. But I also made
sure to touch on things that really interest
me, and I found the most popular posts were
those more personal articles."
Collaboration has also been an important
source of referrals, she says. "I'm proud to
support local businesses, particularly those
founded by other women. And any time
I meet capable Realtors, I invite them for
coffee and create a profile on my site so
clients who are looking for a Realtor can get
a feel for who they are. I've found that, in
turn, they pass on referrals to me, and they
are also a strong source of information about
what's happening in the marketplace."
Noting that it is now just as common for
women to play the lead role in arranging
mortgages for their families as men, Strong
also works hard to support other women
brokers in creating a mortgage industry that
reflects the market it now serves.
"I'd like to see women be much more
visible in the industry. Keynotes still tend to
be heavily still weighted toward the men,"
she says. She points other women to a group
called Women in the Mortgage Industry
(WIMI) on Facebook that encourages and
empowers women brokers. Given the market
it now serves, the industry is behind, so there
is a lot of opportunity for capable women,
she stresses. "Research shows clearly that
good things always happen when you have
more women at the leadership level."
I'd like to
see women be
much more visible
in the industry.
Keynotes still
tend to be heavily
weighted toward
the men."
