Passion play: Robert Afan and his risk to success

When does one bring the passion card to the game of life? Is timing everything? Is it a scenario-based kind of decision? Or perhaps the real deal is to just have the guts to bring out that card?

Saying that entering the international arena of business owners of different corporate industries in a foreign land is difficult, is a huge understatement.

The hardships one must face may be unimaginable yet unfathomable for those walking down the path.

However, a Filipino in his prime age of wit was able to penetrate the real estate industry and lead one of Canada’s 10 largest brokerage firms.

Here at Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Robert Afan, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Clear Trust Mortgages Ltd., tells a story of how passion plays in taking a risk.

Starting cards

Before he reached where he is now, Robert’s humble beginnings unfolded in the homeland – the Philippines.

In his early years of schooling, he started as a green archer, but from grade four in elementary until high school, Robert graduated as a blue eagle. After high school though, he was already set to leave the country.

Having a physician father who travelled to Canada and the United States, perhaps, was one of the keys that opened Robert’s young world to the overseas. According to him, his father ended up practicing in both Chicago, Illinois, and Seattle, Washington.

“My family did not want to move to Canada. They did not want to give up the lifestyle in Manila and I did not blame them. But I wanted to explore North America. I was more the adventurous type.”

Just like how he described himself of being adventurous, in his very early teen years, he stayed with his uncle in Vancouver for a couple of years.

The year after, Robert went to Missouri to stay with his relatives there for one more year.

“That experience, I think, has a lot to do with my being independent now. Because at that time, I learned to become independent because my parents were not there. My brothers and sisters were not there, so I had to fend for myself.”

Although Robert was with his relatives there, the presence of having his parents with him still cannot be compared especially at his age then. But because he wanted to explore North America, it was one of the experiences he had to go through.

The comparison of living in Manila versus living in Vancouver became more apparent when his family decided to move to Canada in the late 80s.

His family sold off everything to start their new lives in the Great White North.

The Philippine way of life and the Canadian way of life are two really different things and for him, “it is very true that it is more fun in the Philippines, but it balances out afterward.” After all, for Robert, Canada houses some of the friendliest people in the globe. Though if there is one thing that he is wishing for, it is to possibly have more Filipino restaurants in the country.

His sense of being Filipino did not really disappear despite his venture in Canada. In fact, he shared that as a family, he and his three sisters and brother would meet every Sunday night to have dinner at their parents’ place.

As a family man, Robert also said that having a daughter made his sense of being a Filipino parent quite different.

“I must admit, I was a bit stricter than most North American dad would be, so that became of an issue, being strict. I’ve explained to my daughter and at some point I hope she would understand that it was all about looking after her more so than anything else.”

Shuffling to next round

Vancouver may be a city in Canada, but for Robert, it must be a whole new world.

Originally wanting to be a lawyer who grew up to be a shy kid, Robert said one thing.

“That was what I wanted to do and all that changed when I moved to Vancouver.”

Academically-wise in his life story, Robert pursued Real Estate in University of British Columbia – and it was something he got inspired to do because of his friends’ push.

“They thought there was a big upside for me to get into the business. I was a little nervous at that time. I never sold real estate before.”

Contrary to that ‘shy kid’ that he referred to himself to before, Robert learned that he actually liked meeting people, talking to people, and being with people.

“When I moved to Vancouver, I guess, my personality had changed. I became more of a people-person and I switched gears to doing the business that would deal with public. That has been a good fit for me since that has put me where I am now.”

More than this part of his story though, Robert said that in the 90s, the real estate industry in Vancouver was very active due to the move of people in Hong Kong to the Canadian city.

“I thought it was a good time for me to participate in the business and I ended up taking the course for real estate and got my license, worked as a realtor.   On his second year in the real estate business, he was qualified as one of the top ten percent realtors in British Columbia.

“And in 1992, the bank of Scotia – one of the largest banks in Canada, me and asked me if I would like to join them to become one of their Mortgage Specialists.”

This milestone, Robert considers it to be the start of more of his career progression. And indeed, it was only the beginning of something bigger to unfold.

Critical move

“Clear Trust Mortgages is near and dear to my heart.”

These were the words Robert first uttered when he was given the chance to talk about the company he founded – Clear Trust Mortgages.

As its founder, he gave PCI a glimpse of what a man in his late 40s is capable of doing? Robert found the answer through making one of the toughest decisions in his life.

He earlier said that he saw himself as someone who wanted to build things.

“I like to build things from the ground – up. And I take a lot of pleasure in doing so.”

But for someone who wanted to build, perhaps it can be a bit ironic to see him in a situation where he had the guts to throw away everything he has built through years of experience in the real estate industry.

But he learnt that to build things from scratch, you need to make that scratch first.

To have Clear Trust Mortgages, Robert had to leave TD (Toronto-Dominion) Bank – a bank that has cared for him for almost 10 years, but this did not mean like just any resignation. It meant leaving a senior position in the said company. It meant leaving a role that had the favors of the executives who have trusted him.

But why? Why would he leave such a stable and comfortable post for something surrounded with uncertainty? Even he knew the absurdity of the idea when he told himself that he did not have to do it, but…

“My heart told me to do it.”

All Robert knew was that there was something special in setting up a new and independent brokerage firm.

“If being an independent mortgage broker did not work, who would hire a 50-year old individual to get back into banking again when I’m competing with the younger millennials for that position?” This was the dilemma Robert was facing at the time.

“I drew a line on the sand and I never looked back.”

To make the decision even have more weight than it seems, Robert unveiled that he had to start with a blank slate

“When my partners and I put this business together, I did not even have one broker with me because I could not even mention to any of my staff at that time that this was what I was doing because once the bank finds out that I was doing this, I would have been terminated.”

Yet he knew that he had to something to offer to the mortgage broker industry of Canada.

This man right here makes it a must to look back at his racial origins when it comes to going on about his path to success.

Despite having over 3,500 square foot office in a foreign country to walk on every single day, Robert does not forget the blood that runs in his veins and he honors this through the culture he has been building in his company.

“The biggest adventure for me was to be able to build a culture within the company so that we would be different from the rest of our competitors because I knew that if we could build a culture that was very attractive… a culture where people join and felt that they were part of the family, they would never leave us.”

And true to his word, according to Robert, in the seven and a half years of Clear Trust Mortgages, not one broker has left the company.

“Our people, our brokers, our staff… They’re my family. I love walking in my office every morning. And when I walk into my office every morning, I make sure that I say good morning to every single one of them and it’s a long hall.”

Robert must thank his being a Filipino for it.

“It was the family culture… you don’t leave any man behind. It was if you’re a part of us, we will look after you, we will take care of you. If you’re part of our team, we’ve got your back. And that is a Filipino trait, no question about it.”

Secret move

Somehow, the good cards laid themselves out for Robert. It was not an easy journey, but his viewpoint may have affected the turn of fate. Unlike other stories that were filled with pain and struggles, Robert considers that his was more of an opportunity pool.

“I always viewed struggles as opportunities. It was something that would encourage me to become even better. It encouraged me to come up with a solution because not having a solution was not even an option.”

Apart from this, Robert also thinks that he has been so blessed, through the support he receives from his partners and the team.

Perhaps his dream of “being the most successful Filipino-owned mortgage brokerage firm in Canada” also fuels him to not be downed by anything.

He added, his job is not really a job, but it is a hobby that he enjoys and that he is good at.

For aspirants, Robert bares the secret move – not a shortcut – but an essential advice.

“It’s very simple. Once you decide what you want to do, be very passionate about it. Because without passion, there won’t be any success. Surround yourself with good people and good things will happen.”

“I have 120 brokers right now – all of whom – are good people and every single one of them make up the success of Clear Trust Mortgages. Without one of them, we wouldn’t be where we are.”

For someone like Robert who pursued an adventure in a foreign country, though there were a lot of things to be grateful for, it was “absolutely” him being a Filipino that had a huge impact on where he is currently standing.

“I knew then that if I could prove my capabilities, I would get to where I am, regardless of the color of my skin.”