Skills and know-how sharpened by different facets of the mortgage business are major ingredients in long-term success
A broad palette of industry experience has propelled Zuzi Valente (pictured), senior residential underwriter at Equitable Bank, to the upper echelons of Canada’s mortgage professionals.
Starting out as an office manager at OC Mortgage (now known as Monster Mortgage) in 2002, Valente steadily honed her skills and know-how when she shifted into being a manager of mortgage administration for a commercial private lender in 2007.
“There, I underwrote commercial and construction loans,” Valente told Canadian Mortgage Professional. “I then transitioned to residential alt lending at Equitable Bank in 2012 where I work to this day.”
The combination of this background and good, old-school work ethic has earned Valente consistent acclaim, most notably the Gold Award for Lender Underwriter of the Year at the 2020 edition of the Canadian Mortgage Awards.
“Having the support and recognition from our industry motivates me to keep up my positive attitude,” Valente said at the time. “Winning the Underwriter of the Year award validates that I represent Equitable Bank’s values on the frontlines.”
Valente stressed that the value of multi-faceted experience in the industry cannot be understated.
“Because I have seen the mortgage industry from the broker side, commercial private side, and now the alternative lending residential side, I have a great understanding of how to put files together and am able to assist our client base with very complex deals,” Valente said.
She added that her nearly two-decade long career has taught her not to hold any preconceptions.
“I try to approach each deal with a fresh set of eyes,” Valente stated. “Every one of these deals is a puzzle that needs to be put together and I really enjoy being able to assist the broker channel in getting the files funded.”
