FINDING JOY

BY LISA GORDON

Sabeena Bubber has celebrated many successes in her 30-year mortgage industry career. From her early days underwriting for an alternative lender to a position as a bank mortgage specialist, and finally to her current role as a mortgage broker with British Columbia-based Xeva Mortgage, she has no regrets about following the intuition that led her to mortgage brokering.

“I can’t see myself ever doing anything but mortgage brokering,” she said during a recent interview. “I love what I do.”

It was a mortgage broker who told her, when she was underwriting, that she was sitting on the wrong side of the desk. Intrigued, she explored her options and successfully completed the broker’s course while working at a bank.

But, like many other mortgage professionals, Bubber was frustrated at being restricted to the bank’s mortgage products.

“They wanted me to bring all my referral sources from outside and yet, once I completed a mortgage, I could no longer provide advice to that client,” she said. “I wanted to be able to provide long-term advice to my clients. I felt I could provide them with better solutions and more products at a brokerage.”

Today, Bubber handles mostly residential mortgages and specializes in helping clients who are self-employed or those who are going through a divorce.

“When I was going through my own divorce, I gained a whole new perspective,” she recalled. “I started a group called the Divorce Circle in 2019, where we have professionals from different areas come in to educate women about their rights, the processes available to them, and how to get through it. From there, I developed a website, www.divorce.mortgage

“This website takes the valuable information from all the professionals I’ve worked with and puts it in one convenient place, with videos and information for people going through divorce.”

Two years before the Divorce Circle was founded, a personal tragedy in her close friend’s life prompted Bubber to start a Go Fund Me campaign to provide financial assistance to her. It was the beginning of what she now calls her “passion project” – Brokers Who Care (www.brokerswhocare.ca).

“About $7,000 of the $30,000 we raised for my friend came from mortgage brokers across Canada, from my network. It gave me an idea,” said Bubber. “What if the broker community could come together to help other families in need?”

Fast forward to 2023, and Brokers Who Care now includes 217 members from across the country.

Top: Sabeena with her daughter Kavika. Above: Sabeena with her two daughters Kavika (far left) and Anoushka (alongside) and a friend Luci (second from left).

We still have to be there for ourselves and our families. Health is something you can’t overlook –when it’s gone, it’s gone.

“Brokers contribute $100 per quarter, or $400 per year, and in addition to the benefits of helping others, they are given marketing materials to promote their involvement to their communities,” explained Bubber. “Then, every three months, the membership has a nomination period. We vote virtually on who we’ll donate to: kids with cancer, people with long-term ailments, parents who are struggling. We help them out. Sometimes it’s actual mortgage brokers or people in the industry, or clients of a broker, or just people we hear about.”

To date, Brokers Who Care has donated an impressive $325,000 to 47 separate causes.

“It's a good way to show your clients that you’re involved in something that is philanthropic, and you can help people they might know,” she commented. “It feels good to see the people we’re helping. In starting this group, I just wanted to show we are all people, and we have a collective interest in helping our communities.”

In addition, Bubber participates in The MotherBoard – a network of successful women and mothers that offers support for dealing with everything from babies to boardrooms.

Bubber is also a big proponent of U.S.-based Mindpower Coaching with Steph and Shay. She plans to certify as a Mindpower coach and offer her services in her spare time.

As well, she never misses a “Power Hour” meeting, a biannual gathering of 50 local women in business.

“Since I started in 2016, I know exactly what to do to get myself back up again,” she said. “It gives me the tools to create the life I want from day to day.”

The resiliency emphasized by the Mindpower program came into play on Feb. 4, 2022, when Bubber was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. While she underwent surgery, radiation and chemotherapy treatments, her team stepped up, ensuring her clients were looked after while Bubber focused on getting better.

The life-changing experience taught her many important lessons.

And, as much as we all talk about achieving “balance” in our lives, Bubber said there really is no such thing.

“Burnout is real. As brokers, we had such a busy market in 2020/2021 and we give so much of ourselves. We have these cycles in our business where we are so busy, we can’t leave our desks. Then, when things slow down, people aren’t taking breaks because they cannot afford to. It’s so important to take breaks – walk, work out, take your vacations, enjoy your life. We still have to be there for ourselves and our families. Health is something you can’t overlook – when it’s gone, it’s gone.”

She’s achieved many of her bucket list goals since doing the Mindpower program in 2016 and now, since having cancer, that list has evolved even more: growing Brokers Who Care to double her original goal of 100 members; taking memorable vacations with her two daughters, aged 19 and 17; spending more quality time with family; and meeting some personal financial goals.

“There have been significant changes as I prioritize the more important things,” said Bubber. “How do I show up for my family, friends, clients and community? Those are the things that matter most. I am clear on what I want. I focus on that. That’s what helps me get through those tough times.

“I make a point to find some joy in every day – even if just for five minutes.”

This interview with Sabeena Bubber continues our series Brokers off the Clock. In every issue, we ask a mortgage broker to tell us what they like to do when they’re not behind a desk. Be it working with animals, travelling to exotic places or creating an award-worthy garden, we want to know how you unwind. Would you like to be profiled in a future edition – or suggest a fellow mortgage broker? Contact info@cmba-achc.ca