Mortgage Broker is the magazine of the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association and showcases the multi-billion dollar mortgage-broking industry to all levels of government, associated organizations and other interested individuals.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1149461
CMB MAGAZINE cmba-achc.ca summer 2019 | 37 mblegend Meet Bill Macklem A chance suggestion led to a lifetime career for this successful B.C. mortgage broker who has a passion for delivering personalized service BY LISA GORDON O n Sept. 19, 2018, B.C. mortgage broker Bill Macklem was inducted into the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association's MB Funding Roll of Honour, an achievement reserved for brokers who have funded $1 billion in mortgage deals throughout their careers. It was a big moment for the Surrey, B.C.- based broker, who started out in the mortgage industry in 1987 aer a friend suggested it to him in passing. Macklem had just moved from Winnipeg to Edmonton, and was having trouble landing a job. "One of my friends suggested I become a mortgage broker," he recalls. "So, the journey started. I was hired by FirstLine Mortgages, but le because I liked a bit more freedom for my clients. I ended up with Metropolitan Trust and then with Intergroup Mortgages out of Edmonton as a mortgage consultant." In 1994, Re/Max Western Canada asked him to establish a mortgage broker program in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. "e time was right for me to exit Edmonton. Re/Max Macklem Mortgages was founded and I was their top broker for a number of years," he says. In 2007, Macklem joined Dominion Lending Centres (DLC) as the sole owner of Macklem Mortgages, which has consistently been ranked as one of the company's top 20 brokerages and at one point was No. 1 in Canada. No matter what brand he's working under, Macklem's successful 32-year mortgage career has been built on a passion for delivering personalized advice to clients who are making the biggest purchase of their lives. In the early days in B.C., he teamed up with two Realtors to deliver free homebuyer seminars that educated people on the ins and outs of buying a home, covering topics such as pre-approvals and how to find a good home inspector and lawyer. For 10 years, he also co-hosted a mortgage show on a local radio station, answering listeners' questions about buying a home. With 80 per cent of his business coming from referrals and repeat clients, it's obvious that Macklem's customized approach pays off. "We see every client at least once, if not twice," he says. "People use us more as an educational resource instead of just getting the mortgage approved, because we have a personalized touch. We've been told by a number of our lenders that that's the way it should be." at commitment to service has been ingrained into the fabric of DLC Macklem Mortgages, where Macklem and his team of 15 mortgage brokers and four underwriting staff fund $270 to $300 million in mortgages each year. He said that making the MB Funding Roll of Honour was "fantastic" but added that he could never do it without his team. "If you want to be successful in this business, you'd better have successful people around you," he says. "If you don't have a team, you're just a single guy running on gas and eventually you run out of gas." DLC Macklem Mortgages feels strongly about giving back to B.C.'s Lower Mainland community. e firm sponsors the annual Re/Max Macklem Cup hockey tournament and supports Children's Miracle Network, Children's Hospital, Walk for ALS, the Ride to Conquer Cancer and more. "We have a number of people we sponsor and have raised over $20,000 in the past year for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. We are now getting involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Association," Macklem says. Macklem – who is "71 going on 50" – is a voracious reader who consumes a book a week. "e brain is a muscle and if you don't use it, it deteriorates," he says. Along with an extensive collection of sports memorabilia, he also keeps a library in his office, offering clients a free book when they come in. "Everyone likes to feel special. We have a very relaxed atmosphere in the office, with TV, cookies, coffee, a down home feeling." He says the best part about being a mortgage professional is hearing about things that are important to his clients. "You become more of an in-depth adviser on not only today's mortgage, but also tomorrow's plan. I like helping people attain some goals." Macklem is extremely proud of his team, but added there is always room to grow. "We've got a great group here and we're trying to find ways to make it even better," he says. With 80 per cent of his business coming from referrals and repeat clients, it's obvious that Macklem's customized approach pays off."