For almost ten years I’ve owned my own mortgage and insurance business Mortgage Link Hawkes Bay. As a broker I work with clients to find the deal that meets their needs and allows them to realise their dreams of property ownership. I pride myself on being able to offer unbiased advice that is in the best interests of my clients and nobody else.
In order to offer this advice, I draw on my own expertise and experience in the mortgage and insurance business. As well as this, I find that my active participation in BNI (Business Network International) Hawkes Bay gives me access to information that improves and enlarges the advice I’m able to give my clients.
I’ve been a part of BNI Hawkes Bay coming up to five years. BNI’s underlying philosophy is ‘Givers Gain’, an idea premised on a structured system of referrals and reciprocity. Each chapter has a single business type involved with it and members refer each other to businesses during weekly meetings. We currently have a great mix of 17 businesses associated with our chapter from a solicitor to a builder, someone involved with general commercial insurance to a plumber. Plus many other businesses in between.
As the top mortgage writer in Hawkes Bay, I know that every week at BNI I’m getting businesses continually referring me (as I refer others). I’m in an environment of people that I trust; something that has built up over time – you can’t be in BNI for 5 minutes and expect success. You learn about other members and they learn about you.
Meetings are not just about providing referrals, or general networking; they are also about exchanging information and learning about what is happening in the district. I often feel that if you aren’t a part of BNI, you don’t understand the vibe of the town and what’s going on in terms of business. A huge amount of information about local business is shared in BNI. Perspectives on other businesses and the pulse of community are frequently discussed in weekly meetings.
This exchange of information is a major benefit of belonging to BNI Hawkes Bay. I have a better view of local businesses and am less inward looking from the experience. I’ve learnt so much by being a part of this chapter. I can discuss law with the solicitor, or ask the real estate agent about property. I can find out about changes to insurance rules from the insurer, which has proven enormously valuable for my own clients. I can discuss with them the many recent changes to insurance policies which has often assisted their decision making process. I simply would not have known the details of these changes without my participation in BNI and I would not have been able to share this knowledge with my clients.
I’m very much a people person (one of the reasons I love networking) and outside of work I spend a lot of time with my children, grandchildren and my first great-grandchild! Five generations of strong women in one whanau – it’s fantastic.
Judy Steiner is the owner of Mortgage Link Hawkes Bay and member of BNI Hawkes Bay
