In 1972, for the first time, the province of British Columbia formed legislation regulating who was allowed to broker mortgages. This was the start of the mortgage brokerage industry. It was only a short 7 years later that the story of Tekamar Mortgages starts. In 1979, Richard “Dick” Smith wished to securely invest his money mortgages. Instead of just putting his money with someone else, Dick took the do-it-yourself route and attained his mortgage broker’s license in 1979. It didn’t take long for people to hear that Tekamar was offering a secure investment based on high standards of morale. Soon Dick was busy managing a portfolio of mortgages with not only his money, but a series of new investors.
This continued successfully over the next 13 years, until 1992. This is the year Tekamar Mortgages went into mainstream mortgage brokering. After 10 years in the Veterinary Medicine industry, Richard Smith (Dick’s son) decided it was time for a change. Richard took the mortgage broker course over the winter of 1992 and became licensed quickly. He began brokering that year.
Taking over for his father, who wished to retire at this time, Richard quickly figured the job and industry out. Richard realized that most people found dealing with mortgages to be a very stressful and overwhelming experience. It didn’t take Richard long to find out that if you offered exceptional service based on integrity and honesty – with no BS - , you will have a very loyal clientele. That is what he did, and continues to be what Tekamar is built on today.
Although, he started with the ability to send mortgages to just one lender, Tekamar worked hard to quickly find more options and better lenders to make sure their clients were getting the best options available. In 1998 Tekamar Mortgages also became a Mortgage Investment Corporation, allowing even great flexibility for people who didn’t qualify with conventional banks.
It has been over three decades since Tekamar was formed out of need. Over twenty years ago it evolved with a focus on the needs of clients, simplicity and honesty. Today with five brokers working under the Tekamar name, a name recognized for its service, the company continues to grow and evolve, better serving the needs of its clients everywhere. We are Tekamar mortgages and we are proud of what we do and how we do it.