Mortgage Broker

MortgageBroker mbabc.ca winter 2015 | 7 Hard work pays off report from the president THe MBABC HAs Been HArd AT work to represent our members. In 2014, we started off the year with a great conference and trade show, and record conference attendance really re-energized our association. We also rolled out a new logo and trademark, and created ads that were fresh and bold and spoke of the great work mortgage brokers do. We also placed full-page ads in BCBusiness magazine and on the BCBusiness and BC Living websites. Plus, we produced commercials that our member brokers can use to promote their services. It wasn't just about branding, however. We worked closely with regulators and government to ensure that the interests of the B.C. mortgage broker industry were at the forefront of any decisions. We quantified our lending activity, described what a mortgage broker license can do for you, and drew attention to the number of first-time homebuyers who use a mortgage broker. We created a private mortgage lenders' council that gives a voice to a multibillion-dollar part of our industry that can oen go unrecognized – not only for its significance to the borrowing public but for its economic impact on the B.C. economy. e MBABC wants to make sure that all parts of the province are spoken to and heard. We were happy to resurrect our Vancouver Island "Sydney Spit" event, and the Kelowna wine-tasting event was also a hit. We had great success with the annual MBABC charity golf tournament, which sold out weeks before it started in September – this event has been supporting our charity of choice, BC Children's Hospital, for many years. And in December, we had our first annual VIP Christmas luncheon to thank all our current and potential sponsors (brokers, lenders and other industry partners) and share our vision for 2015. At this event (and subsequently by email to our membership) we were proud to announce our "25th anniversary present" to all our members. is was the start of television advertising on the Global TV network promoting the use of mortgage brokers and, more specifically, members of the MBABC. I was also proud to represent you as your MBABC president in an interview on Global, in which I was able to talk about the services we provide and discuss the use of MBABC brokers. We have received so much positive feedback from our TV ads. Most of the comments are, "Why haven't we done this before?" or "I have always thought we should do ads promoting mortgage brokers and the MBABC." Well, now that vision is reality. On top of the TV advertising, we also launched our first Mortgage Broker Consumer Guide. We will send out 100,000 copies in 2015 that will speak to consumers and borrowers about the services mortgage brokers offer. is guide will reinforce the advertising we are doing on TV and the advertising we'll continue to run in BCBusiness in 2015. We will also leverage our media contacts to make sure the MBABC is the first to comment about mortgage news and interest rates. Hard work truly does pay off and, with the MBABC's 25th anniversary approaching in 2015, we want to make sure our mortgage broker members and industry partners are top of mind with consumers, business leaders, regulators and political leaders as we go forward for another 25 years. Good luck in 2015. ■ Ajay Soni President ajaysoni@mbabc.ca In 2015, we want to make sure our mortgage broker members and industry partners are top of mind with consumers, business leaders, regulators and political leaders as we go forward for another 25 years.

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