"I Would Recommend Sabeena Without Hesitation"

Sabeena Bubber • December 18, 2014

FROM A RECENT CUSTOMER SURVEY

As a way to make sure I am always paying attention to the service I provide my clients, I use a survey after a mortgage funds. It’s a simple question and answer format and provides me with tremendous insight.


I wanted to share one of my most recent testimonials (with his permission of course) with you as it highlights that the mortgage process isn’t always straight forward. Often times lenders products aren’t always what we want them to be (or need them to be)… and in this case, it meant changing lenders completely to get the right product.


I believe this is one of the biggest benefits of working with me as your mortgage professional, I work for you and not the lenders. It sounds so cliche, but it’s the truth. My goal is to make sure you find the right product, regardless of how many lenders that means working with.


From Glen April of 2014,

Would you recommend your Broker to a friend or Relative?

YES. Without Hesitation.


What aspect of our service did you value the most?

We appreciated Sabeena’s professional and creative approach to our financing needs despite our somewhat unconventional banking history of 3 countries in 5 years and was able to provide timely solutions as well as several options for both the builder’s loan and finally our mortgage.


Do you have any suggestions on how we could improve our service to you and to other clients in the future?


The only surprise along the way was with the initial builder’s loan provider. Their initial offering letter made it seem as if we would receive the loan proceeds in 2 sums; initial advance to proceed and at 80% completion we would receive the balance to get the house to completion. The actual loan contract had different language and while there were some tense moments Sabeena was able to quickly provide a second mortgage option. I still feel that was a slight of hand trick by the first lender.


Will you recommend us to your friends/family/colleagues? and if so, what would you tell them about us?


As stated above I would recommend Sabeena -and have done so already- without hesitation and when I have been asked about Sabeena I have described her professionalism and that she genuinely cares about her clients and takes an interest in their needs that is far too often lacking from loan departments in major banks. If you don’t fit their mould they don’t seem to care too much about your needs. Sabeena understands and appreciates that flexibility and creatively addressing financing needs can be a very good business on both sides of the relationship.


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