For the fourth consecutive year, Total Mortgages director Jordan Cameron has been announced in the top six mortgage advisers across New Zealand, and first outside of the main centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
Adding to the accolades, the independently-owned Total Mortgages was also selected as one of the top brokerages first time this year by NZ Adviser, which evaluates nominees across four areas: total loan book size, average settlements per loan writer, total settlements in the 12-month period and conversion rate.
“This award recognition is really the culmination of the hard work across our growing team, and validation that we’re leading the way in our industry,” Cameron says.
Despite the pandemic and the well-documented ups and downs of the property sector over the past couple of years, Total Mortgages achieved a 35% increase in the number of loans settled by the team in the last financial year.
“The housing market had been red hot for most of last year. People decided they wanted to take advantage of low interest rates and the removal of the loan-to-value ratio restrictions and the pandemic wasn’t about to stop them,” Jordan says.
In 2021 Total Mortgages employed additional staff in response to a red hot housing market and is now comprised of a tightly knit team of experts.
With communication reigning supreme at Total Mortgages, Cameron believes setting realistic deadlines, keeping clients constantly informed and updated has seen the company inspire a loyal clientele in an especially challenging landscape.
“While I wouldn’t say it’s a ‘secret’ to our success, achieving swift turnaround times and consistent communication has seen us build a loyal client base across the Waikato and beyond,” he says.
Understanding the importance of building goodwill and long-lasting customer relationships, the team went the extra mile to overcome obstacles and provide clarity surrounding the confusing changes in the New Zealand banking industry.
Trying to minimise some of the home buying stresses, Cameron says it’s important to keep customers informed every step of the way.
“While the lenders were at capacity and unable to work any faster, we let our clients know that the extra processing time it was taking wasn’t due to their financial position, but an industry-wide influx in applications.”.
With a swing away from properties going to auction and plenty of property listings on the market, Cameron says the time is ideal for first-home buyers who struggled to get a foot in the door last year.
“Our first homebuyers have a little bit more time to take a look at what’s on the market than they did last year. Everything was going to auction and it was nearly impossible for first homebuyers to buy at auction.”
Passionate about mentoring his team and shaping a new generation of mortgage advisers, Cameron willingly shares his drive, enthusiasm and customer-centric nature.
“I’m always looking to welcome new advisers into what I see as a valuable and worthwhile sector, growing our team of experts as we look to expand over the coming years. There’s certainly more to come for Total Mortgages.”
Cameron grew up in Hamilton and has a strong sporting background, having played over 150 Premier A games in the Waikato rugby competition.
Starting his career as a signwriter before changing tack to become an insurance broker, Cameron then picked up work on the side as a mortgage adviser.
“I found the mortgage adviser work much more stimulating and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with helping people financially to purchase their new property; it’s a big drawcard for the job.
“So, I slowly transitioned to become a full-time mortgage adviser, and have now worked in the lending industry for 14 years, with seven of those at the helm of Total Mortgages.
“I’m acutely aware that buying a house can be a stressful time, so we’re always looking for what we can do to make it easy for people to get into their first or next home, whether it’s introducing new technologies and streamlining our processes or delivering innovative lending structures for clients.”
