Successfully helping clients get what they want is a win-win situation
For Corina Murphy (pictured), team lead and mortgage broker at the Mississauga-based Premiere Mortgage Centre, the industry brings tangible benefits for client and broker alike.
“I love helping people, and what better way to do that than to be part of one of the biggest purchases someone will ever make? Helping Canadians navigate through the muddy waters of mortgages is what I love,” Murphy told Canadian Mortgage Professional. “It has been a great career and I have met so many great people along the way. It challenges me and provides great income, plus I get to meet new people all the time and mentor/coach fellow mortgage agents within our brokerage.”
This desire was honed by a decades-long stint in the banking industry.
“I started my banking career at Canada Trust in 1991,” Murphy recounted. “I was young and eager to learn. I moved up the ranks quickly and decided to concentrate on lending. That was my goal. I loved the feeling of helping people buy homes and being part of such a happy and exciting moment in their lives. “
Staying in the banking industry for 20 years, Murphy eventually decided to switch over to the broker side in 2012.
“While I was at the bank, my career was heavily weighted on the lending side, and I held roles ranging from teller, to senior customer service officer, to senior mortgage underwriter, to national manager of training for a mobile sales force division,” Murphy said. “The last eight of those 20 years, I worked as a commissioned mobile mortgage specialist. I have a very well-rounded knowledge of mortgages and the stages associated with lending.”
However, Murphy’s environment back then was not conducive to her goals and industry approach.
“I had a strong desire to be on the lending side of banking and was eager to learn. At that time, the branch manager was not supportive or on side with my goals,” Murphy said. “Eventually I switched branches and was in the company of great leadership. My new managers were very supportive and encouraged me to obtain my lending limits to go on to be a senior lender.”
This period taught Murphy a valuable lesson that would prove to be one of her strongest assets as a mortgage professional.
“The most important lesson I have learned in my career so far is to be your true, authentic, transparent, and genuine self,” Murphy said. “People can detect when you are fake and not being honest. The best way I have found to thrive not only in my career, but in life as well, is to be more of who you are. People will either like you or not. Being my true self has allowed me to create amazing relationships with clients, co-workers, lenders, and industry partners.”
A deft hand in establishing procedures is also a must for any broker looking to thrive for the long haul, Murphy said.
“I would have to say being super-organized and having a well-defined process has helped me stay on top of my business, in addition to coaching and mentoring others within our brokerage,” Murphy said. “Using the best that technology provides to automate as much of my process as possible, and working closely with my client care specialist, really allows us to provide best-in-class customer service.”
The value of an established routine – especially in a fast-paced industry with an ever-evolving set of rules and regulations – should not be underestimated, Murphy said.
“I start each day with a review of my daily tasks and at the end of the day, I prepare for the following day,” Murphy said. “I never deviate from my process and that allows me to accomplish all that I set out to do. It has worked amazingly for me over the years.”
Being systematic helped Murphy overcome the stresses of the pandemic-induced restrictions seen through 2021.
“I am very social and love being around others, so being stuck at home all the time was a hurdle I had to learn to jump, and quickly,” Murphy said. “I missed connecting with others – and in comes Zoom to the rescue.
“I set up an online fitness class for our agents at Premiere that also included lenders. It was a great outlet for me and others to connect, stay fit, and blow off some steam. Everyone took a turn instructing the classes, and we had a lot of fun and let out some frustration from being confined and overworked.”
