“We believe the opportunity to offer registered and non-registered GICs allow our brokers to support their clients’ interest beyond traditional mortgaging,” Michael Beckette, president and CEO of Mortgage Alliance, said Monday. “Our plan continues to be one that supports our mortgage professionals in a holistic selling approach with the customer.”

Last Thursday, MAC struck an agreement with one of the country’s major alternative lenders extending the network’s more than 2,000 mortgage professionals the opportunity to refer clients for GICs. In the process, they win themselves the kind of alternative revenue stream most industry veterans are now focused on.

“The deposit business provides our brokers with a great new customer touch-point and another revenue opportunity,” reads a statement from MAC, issued Monday. MAC isn’t yet disclosing the lender’s name.

Still, the network is calling the agreement precedent-setting and a win-win situation for broker and client.

“With Canadians seeking a secure way to grow their savings and investments after recent market volatility, Canadian Deposit Insurance covered GIC’s are a popular choice,” writes MAC. “This move will see the 2,000 members of the Mortgage Alliance benefit from some of the $900 billion invested every year by Canadians in the Guaranteed Investment Certificate market.”

Direct Link To Article: http://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/breaking-news/mac-brokers-win-gic-referrals/124124/

“The marketing punch created is phenomenal,” says Louie Bettio, Mortgage Alliance’s Brand Champion. “Radio has worked extremely well for us in both building awareness and leadership positioning of the MAC brand and our radio station partners in return, support our philanthropic cause with free air time.”

In addition to a radio brand campaign that started in March, and according to the company will be heard by 50 per cent of the Canadian population ages 25-54 by June, public service announcements for the MAC’s fourth annual cross-Canada motorcycle charity event – Rally of Hope – will run from late May through mid-July. The brokerage is also being plugged in Sears Financial radio spots promoting “mortgages arranged by Mortgage Alliance.”

“We receive close to $500,000 in PSA support,” said Bettio. “And that creates a significant and meaningful difference to our brand building, to Mortgage Alliance professionals and to the charity.”

Bettio also feels that corporate social responsibility can have an effect on consumer behaviour in what he calls “a high-involvement category like mortgage and refinance purchases.”

“When consumers connect the rational dots with the social consciousness of the company, it’s inspires and delivers a compelling reason to create a relationship,” he says.

Direct Link To Article: http://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/news/breaking-news/macs-trifecta-of-brand-building/123759/

Sears Financial will begin to offer a complete portfolio of home financing products, including mortgages, home equity line of credits, debt consolidation and home renovation loans to its customers in Ontario and has selected MAC as its new mortgage partner.

Michael Beckette, Mortgage Alliance President and CEO said that he was thrilled by the opportunity to work with Sears Financial and help the company build a successful real estate and mortgage services division.

“Sears is an iconic Canadian brand and offering their customers real estate and mortgage service division is a logical evolution for Sears Financial,” he said. “This is a triple win; for Sears, Mortgage Alliance and the Canadian mortgage broker industry. Sears is one of the most trusted and respected brands in Canada and they chose Mortgage Alliance.

“This confirms our position as the industry leader and … benefits every Mortgage Alliance professional across Canada.”

Sears Canada is also shedding light on why it went with MAC at a time when all networks are looking to establish partnerships that elevate their profile and help drive consumer awareness.

“The review and competition process was effective in allowing us to determine that Mortgage Alliance would be the most suitable organization with which to build a relationship in the mortgage service arena,” said Vassil Chalashkanov, divisional vice-president of retail banking & insurance for Sears Financial. “We believe they can bring invaluable insights and equity that will benefit Sears and, more importantly, our customers.”

After a long and extensive review of the Canadian Mortgage Broker industry, Sears Financial selected Mortgage Alliance as the company’s new mortgage partner. This week, Sears Financial will start advertising the new program to Ontario residents with Mortgage Alliance managing those mortgage transactions.

Vassil Chalashkanov, Divisional Vice-President, Retail Banking & Insurance, Sears Financial stated the introduction of the new Mortgage & Real Estate Referral Services was a natural extension from the services and products already offered by Sears Financial. “The review process was effective in allowing us to determine that Mortgage Alliance would be the most suitable organization with which to build a relationship in the mortgage service arena.  We believe they can bring invaluable insights and equity that will benefit Sears and, more importantly, our customers.”

Sears Financial customers will be generously rewarded with $1,000’s^† in Sears rewards* that can be used towards the purchase of home furnishings and Sears market leading selection of brand name major appliances.

Michael Beckette, Mortgage Alliance President & CEO said that he was thrilled with the opportunity to work with Sears Financial and help the company build a successful Mortgage & Real Estate Referral Services division. “Sears is an iconic Canadian brand and offering their customers a Mortgage and Real Estate Services division is a logical evolution for Sears Financial. This is a triple win: for Sears Financial, Mortgage Alliance and the Canadian mortgage broker industry. Sears is one of the most trusted and respected brands in Canada and they chose Mortgage Alliance. This confirms our position as the industry leader and increases our national brand awareness and trust levels significantly. That benefits every Mortgage Alliance Professional across Canada. This expanded customer and media ‘reach’ is also a major win-win for our entire network” said Beckette.

Sears Financial will offer a complete portfolio of home financing products including mortgages, home equity line of credits, debt consolidation and home renovation loans. The Program launched in Ontario on May 1, 2012 and includes an aggressive radio, direct mail, web and in-store promotion campaign.

For more information contact Louie Bettio at lbettio@mortgagealliance.com

 or by phone at 416-499-5454 ext 214

*Sears rewards: Choose from Sears Gift Cards or Sears Club™ Points. Sears Club Points™ are awarded on your Sears Financial™ Credit Card on approved credit. Allow 6-8 weeks after final transaction for points to be awarded to your account.

^†Based on a survey of leading Canadian Real Estate Rewards Programs, March 27, 2012.

Sears Financial Mortgage Referral Services are currently available in Ontario only.

Services are not offered by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”) and the Bank does not endorse and is not affiliated with these services.

“Offering the biggest promotion is just one more reason why Mortgage Alliance brokers are unique,” said Michael Beckette. We want Canadians to do business with us because our brokers provide superior Choice, Counsel, and Convenience and as a bonus, they get rewarded with a chance to win $100,000.”

Patricia’s reward couldn’t have come at a better time. The family had been recently challenged after Jason was laid-off from his construction company earlier this year. “I couldn’t believe it!” Patricia said. “I kept asking the man (Louie Bettio, Mortgage Alliance Brand Champion) on the other end of the phone, “is this really happening?” “We’re still in shock but we’re so grateful to Mortgage Alliance for helping us with our first home and now with our new winnings!”

There was a very poignant moment when Mrs. Lopes learned about Mortgage Alliance’s 2012 fund raising effort, supporting the Weekend To End All Women’s Cancers.

Her Mother, Emilia (seen left) was just declared cancer-free after battling Breast Cancer.

When Michael asked what the young couple planned on doing with their winnings, Patricia said that they were going straight to the bank, paying off their car loans, applying some money toward their mortgage and have already booked a trip to Negril Jamaica, their first trip since being married four years ago.

It was Patricia’s best friend who referred her to Mortgage Alliance.

For more information, contact Louie Bettio at lbettio@mortgagealliance.com Or by phone at 416-727-0790

Michael Beckette, president and CEO of Mortgage Alliance presented Patricia Lopes from Toronto with a cheque for $100,000as  the company celebrated six years of its Minimize Your Mortgage Sweepstakes, which rewards its customers after they purchase a mortgage with a Mortgage Alliance professional by automatically entering them into the contest. Since the promotion began in 2007, Mortgage Alliance has awarded $500,000 in prizes.

“Offering the biggest promotion is just one more reason why Mortgage Alliance brokers are unique” said Beckette.  “We want Canadians to do business with us because our brokers provide superior choice, counsel, and convenience and as a bonus, they get rewarded with a chance to win $100,000.”

Lopes’ reward couldn’t have a come at better time. The family had been recently challenged after her husband Jason was laid-off from his construction company earlier this year. “I couldn’t believe it” she said. “I kept asking the man [Louie Bettio, Mortgage Alliance Brand Champion] on the other end of the phone, ‘is this really happening?’ We’re still in shock, but we’re so grateful to Mortgage Alliance for helping us with our first home and now with our new winnings.”

When asked by Beckette what the young couple planned on doing with their winnings, Lopes said that they were going straight to the bank, paying off their car loans, applying some money toward their mortgage and have already booked a trip to Negril, Jamaica, their first trip since being married four years ago.

Lopes also planned to donate to Mortgage Alliance’s 2012 fund raising effort, in support of the Weekend To End All Women’s Cancers. There wasa personal connection, as her mother Emilia was just declared cancer-free after battling breast cancer.

Direct Link To Article:

http://www.mortgagebrokernews.ca/site-search/mortgage-customer-wins-100000-contest-prize/123563/?keyword=Mortgage+Customer+wins+100000

When you meet Michael Beckette for the first time, you can’t help but instantly like him. It’s a Monday afternoon, and at the Mortgage Alliance head office in a bustling suburb of Toronto, Beckette is sporting a baseball cap and casual wear rather than the typical business suit you’d expect from a mortgage broker, let alone the president of one of Canada’s largest brokerages. His presence is warm and congenial and, at the same time, he possesses authority and confidence. You are eager to please and he is eager to encourage. “You want me to tell you the thing that I like most?” he asks, as we settle around the coffee table in his office, and he talks to me about creating and building the Mortgage Alliance business for over 10 years. “The thing I like the most is seeing someone who has never been a mortgage broker before come into this industry, learn how to be a broker, become one of our franchise owners and build their company into hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The gratification I get now is the success of other people.”

Beckette began his own success in the real estate industry. Prior to starting Mortgage Alliance in September 1998, he was the vice president of operations at Coldwell Banker Canada for seven years. “I started as a young man in the real estate business,” says Beckette, who earned his bachelor of business at the University of Michigan and returned to Toronto shortly after completing his degree. “I had a real job for four months and ever since then, I was an entrepreneur.” This intrinsic entrepreneurial spirit and keen business acumen is what led Beckette to enter the mortgage business, which he saw was underserviced at the time.

At that time, a large brokerage was made up of 100 or 200 people, says Melissa Rizzi, vice- president of operations at Mortgage Alliance, who has known Beckette for 12 years and worked with him for 10. “So back then Mike was talking to various lenders about having 1,000 brokers and they laughed at him,” she says, “but he is a brave, innovative thinker.” Mortgage Alliance now has approximately 1,900 brokers within its multiple networks across the country, and was the first super brokerage to be licensed in every province. The company’s mission has always been to provide the best environment for mortgage professionals, whether it’s someone completely new who requires daily hands-on training and support, or an experienced professional who wants to plug into resources that would otherwise be too expensive to recreate on one’s own. Beckette believes this is the greatest service he can offer to help grow others into success. “It’s very important brokers recognize they’re not in the mortgage industry,” says Beckette. “Mortgages is what you do but you’re in the industry of helping people achieve what they want. Nobody wants a mortgage. What they want is the lifestyle, the home ownership, the opportunities a mortgage creates for them.”

Beckette excels at creating opportunities for Mortgage Alliance brokers and his senior team to help them achieve their goals and live their dreams. One of the team members is Joe Pinheiro, vice-president of sales. “I am the luckiest person in the world because I get to talk to Mike every day,” says Pinheiro. “He brings the best out of everybody. He’s the kind of person you really want to work hard for and he inspires you to think in new ways.” The Mortgage Alliance senior management team, which includes Pinheiro, Rizzi and Laura MacLennan, vice-president of business development, have all been working with Beckette at the company for 10 years-a testament to Beckette who says what he loves about his job is the people he works with. ”When I first met Mike, what struck me about him was his passion, his vision, his willingness to take risks,” says MacLennan, who’s personally known Beckette for more than 25 years. “He’s very focused and results-oriented and knows how to execute.”

One of Beckette’s long-standing focuses since entering the business is to establish mortgage brokers, and particularly Mortgage Alliance, as a recognizable consumer brand. When he started, mortgage brokers had an eight per cent share in Canada’s market of financing mortgages. It has grown to nearly 30 per cent but has been stalled there for a few years now. “In Quebec, Multi-Prets has 45 per cent market share. It’s a recognized brand,” says Beckette, referring to Mortgage Alliance’s sister company based in the francophone province. People in Quebec, they say if you want a mortgage, you have to go to a bank or you have to go to Multi-Prets. It’s that level of trust we need to build in the rest of Canada. It requires a lot of money to build that level of trust, and brokerages don’t have nearly as many advertising dollars as the big banks do.” Currently, Mortgage Alliance spends $2.5 to $3 million each year across Canada, but Beckette says it needs to double that spending.

In the meantime, as Beckette and the Mortgage Alliance team work toward brand trust, they’re also planning a motorcycle ride across Canada, called the Mac Rally of Hope, to raise money for breast cancer research. In 2008, Beckette, a motorcycle rider himself, and three others from Mortgage Alliance travelled from Vancouver to Halifax on their bikes over 10 days and raised more than $77,000. This year (they couldn’t attempt it again in 2009 because they were too sore, laughs Beckette), they are riding from Vancouver to St. John’s, Nfld. In segments over 16 days and anyone can participate, as long as they raise some money. ”My favourite experience had nothing to do with riding a motorcycle,” says Beckette, echoing his sentiments about what it means to be a mortgage broker. It was the people we met across the country. Everybody we ran into had an inspirational story about breast cancer or breast cancer survivors in their family. The reason Mortgage Alliance chose to support this particular cause is because the mother of one of the senior management team was inflicted with breast cancer.”

In a rush to get to downtown Toronto, Beckette interrupts me but not without first attributing Mortgage Alliance’s success to his senior team. “It’s not about me,” he says, as I notice his baseball cap reads the Mac Rally of Hope, “it’s about them.” Even as he’s out the door in an obvious hurry, he introduces me to his management team in a flourish and offers up his office for me to talk to them. I watch him give one last hug and smile to another employee, and understand quite thoroughly what Michael Beckette enjoys most about working in mortgages is helping people achieve their dreams. CMP

The event held at Toronto Pearson Centre with over 500 members in attendance was streamed live to the company’s Calgary & Vancouver locations simultaneously, with the balance of MAC members watching the event remotely on-line.

The event also featured a sold-out trade show exhibit in 3 locations featuring MAC’s lenders and ancillary strategic partners.

The theme of this year’s show was “Scope, Innovation, Focus & Philanthropy.”

The event included several memorable highlights and exciting new announcements made by President & CEO (and recent Canadian Mortgage Hall Of Fame Inductee) Michael Beckette.

Among all the new initiatives Michael shared, it was announced that the company is launching a NEW mortgage product. One that it spent two years developing based on market research and broker involvement. It offers real “Home Virgins” an attractive product that’s been bundled with the essential service and insurance products in an all-in-one mortgage.

The new product offered exclusively through Mortgage Alliance Brokers will be immediately available to all Ontario residents with plans to roll out the brand nationally over the next few months.

When asked about the product’s potential appeal Michael replied “we wanted to focus a product that will help grow our broker’s business amongst our most important consumer group AND that will appeal to our broker’s realtor partners.”

Based on Mortgage Alliance’s track record including the highly successful RightMortgageÒ (more than $4Billion in sales to date) and it’s SmartMortgageÔ Solution, “My First Mortgage “should do quite well among what has become the “bread & butter” consumer group for the mortgage broker industry.

Another major announcement made at the show was the unveiling of Mortgage Alliance’s new Web Video Ad. The company produced a television broadcast quality execution that will be exclusively shown on the company’s web site, which receives well over 1,000,000, hits a month.

The ad features a fictional “Director of Apology” spokesperson that apologizes to the viewer for the injuries that keep happening to customers celebrating after they’ve received the good news from their Mortgage Alliance Professional. The spot titled “AcciDances” displays hysterical scenarios whereby customers break into dance after being approved for their financing requests. Louie Bettio, Brand Champion of Mortgage Alliance told CMP that the on-line commercial was created for two reasons; recent research conducted by Microsoft and Neilson’s media measurement demonstrated that consumer’s “likeability” towards a company (especially in the financial services industry) is significantly increased when they see an original on-line video ad versus a “repurposed” TV commercial. His second point was “we wanted to take an otherwise stressful situation for a consumer and add some levity into the process, affecting favorability towards the brand and moving the consumer from consideration to conquest- in order to further grow our broker’s business. “Creating for the visitor a unique web experience and winning more “share of heart” in the process for all Mortgage Alliance Professionals” he went on to say.

Based on the reaction from the over 500-person audience, the on-line ad will definitely strike the funny-bone of MAC’s web visitors and could go viral given the creative and “unusual” message of the ad. The spot will be launched on the company’s NEW website in late February to coincide with MAC’s new National Radio Campaign launch.  The 7-year successful campaign with its iconic jingle, will once again feature MAC’s President as spokesperson and consumer mentor.

Part of the new radio campaign will include the company’s $100,000 Minimize Your Mortgage Sweepstakes Promotion, now in it’s 5^th year. Michael announced that on February 29^th they would be drawing the potential 2011 Grand Prize Winners – which marks over $500,000 that the company has awarded to clients during the promotion’s life-time. The highest sum awarded in the mortgage broker industry to-date.

Still focused on the “consumer” and building its agents business, MAC announced the launch of a new Integrated and automated consumer correspondence program. The system called “IMPACT” has been a strategic advantage for MAC Broker’s to stay in-touch and top-of-mind with consumers for both retention and referral building opportunities. The system has been integrated into MAC’s own MortgageBOSS software system which now “automatically will send out the elements of the IMPACT program on behalf of its brokers over a 60 month period.

Michael also announced the automated direct mail program (which also available in an e-mail form) will be automatically integrated for MAC Brokers with every RightMortgage & My First Mortgage transaction.

Underscoring the investment and value toward customer management he stated, “As we’ve learned and seen through the Maritz broker research, 67% of brokers don’t contact their client post-deal” said Michael Beckette. “Over the past 7 years we have aggressively focused on helping our Brokers build stronger Broker-Client relationships. Systems like MortgageBOSS help our Brokers generate better “prospect-to-customer and customer-to-repeat customer conversion” he went on to say.

In-fact, to emphasize the important of customer contact and relationship mining, Mortgage Alliance hired Rob Daniel, Managing Director, Loyalty and Research, Maritz Research Canada as the event’s feature guest speaker.

When closing his presentation, Michael Beckette announced that Mortgage Alliance has pledged to raise more than $200,000 towards The Weekend To End All Woman’s Cancer Charity in 2012.

The company who’s had a long history of philanthropic fund-raising will be using it’s MAC Rally of Hope cross-Canada motorcycle event in concert with it’s Golf, Boat Cruise, Gala and other 2012 events as additional fund raising occasions that lead up to the 60 kilometer walk in September.

Michael was recently appointed an Honorary Chair on The Weekend to End All Women’s Cancer Board of Directors.

As part of the event’s focus towards reaching it’s charitable goal, every audience member in each of the three locations received a complimentary DVD Movie called “Hope, Fate & Thunder” that documents Mortgage Alliance’s inaugural cross-country trek the company conducted to raise funds for Breast Cancer research. The film was recently submitted into the New York Museum of Modern Arts – New Canadian Film Festival at the request of the Festival’s Senior Curator, Laurence Kardish and by Tele-film Canada.

The company’s passion towards fighting the disease was brought home (in a manner of speaking) when Michael called onto the stage some of MAC’s own Cancer Survivors. A poignant moment of the event and somber reminder of how many people have been touched and affected by Cancer.

Finally, the event culminated with Mortgage Alliance recognizing and rewarding its Brokers with a series of 2011 awards handed out throughout the show. These incorporated $100 Million Plus Top-performance agents and a variety of others including; MAC University Graduates, Masters Club, Elite Club, President’s Club, 5 & 10 Year Service, 5 Diamond Customer Service Award, Franchise awards and several Specialty awards.

With the highlight of the awards ceremony announcing the winner’s of MAC’s coveted Rewards & Recognition trip happening in April at the 5 Star Resort, Palace Playacar.

The Canadian Mortgage Hall of Fame was created to recognize and honour mortgage industry leaders whose achievements and service have contributed to the success of the Canadian mortgage industry. Inductees to the Mortgage Hall of Fame have provided leadership, vision and inspiration in their profession and strive to make a difference to enhance industry standards. The 2011 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place on Sunday, November 20 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Mortgage Alliance first opened its doors in 1998, which included Michael and his partners and Quebec broker firm, Multi-Pret Hypotheques. The company became the fastest growing mortgage broker in Canadian history garnering many awards and industry accolades over the past thirteen years.

The company prides itself on offering the mortgage consumer a unique set of experiences including; Choice, Counsel and Convenience. Mortgage Alliance or “MAC” as it is often referred to has also created the industry’s most successful mortgage professionals by adhering to its original corporate mission statement. It emphasizes “creating an independent team of mortgage professionals through the recruitment and development of entrepreneurial people”. It goes on to say, that the company “strives to provide the optimum environment and resources to deliver its customer with these exclusive set of experiences.

Since founding The Mortgage Alliance in 1998, Michael and his partners have seen the organization grow to more than 2,000 mortgage professionals and over eight billion dollars in mortgage volume annually.

Today the company, which works with over 40 lender partners helps thousands of Canadians achieve their dreams of home ownership and financial security.

See Michael’s induction speech – click here.

For more information about Michael Beckette or Mortgage Alliance, please contact Louie Bettio at lbettio@mortgagealliance.com or by phone at 1886-705-4447