Depending on how your individual mortgage is structured, you’re going to be up for a renewal at least twice over the life of your mortgage – and, for many people five or more times. That means many opportunities to reconnect with your mortgage broker, not only to get you the best interest rates available at the time, but to evaluate where your mortgage falls in your overall financial picture.
A good mortgage broker will definitely want to keep you as a client over the lifetime of your mortgage, so your broker will probably already have their own efforts in place to reach out to you every so often and checking in on how your mortgage payments are coming along. They might even have a newsletter of some kind, with helpful tips for homeowners. Either way, it’s only to your benefit to have a good relationship with your broker; here are some ways that you can make the most out of that relationship over a long period of time.
- Be honest
- Keep in touch
Months, even years, may go by, but don’t let your mortgage broker become a stranger. As mentioned, your broker may – and should – reach out to you every so often, but if they don’t, don’t be afraid to initiate contact with them, even if it’s just dropping a quick email to say hello or asking a simple question. This way, when you actually need something or it’s time to discuss renewal, your mortgage broker won’t have to think, “Who is this person?”
- Don’t be shy
- Refer
If you’re happy with your mortgage broker, don’t keep them to yourself! A large part of a broker’s business is referrals, and often those referrals come from clients who they’ve previously worked with to get mortgages. If you know someone who is looking for a mortgage, maybe even someone who is unfamiliar with the role of a mortgage broker, offer to put them in touch with yours. It’s really a win-win-win situation: good for your friend who needs a mortgage, good for your broker who needs the business, and good for you, who just bought some goodwill from both parties.
- Educate yourself
Part of the reason it’s beneficial to speak with a mortgage broker is so that you can learn about the wide range of products and services in the market that they can get for you. But if you do your own research into a mortgage product or subject before speaking with them about it, then you can have a much more productive conversation about the products and see how they apply to your situation. You’ll be able to ask more detailed questions, and will probably understand your broker’s responses a bit bitter. It never hurts to do some preliminary homework.
Just like your relationship with your realtor, the relationship with your mortgage broker is a long-term one. Knowing how to make the most out of that relationship over the life of your mortgage can really work out in your favour.
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Why you should use a mortgage broker
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