When Joanna Lang began her career, she asked a simple question: How can an individual broker differentiate herself in one of the country’s most competitive and crowded markets?

The answer would set the stage for a career of success and recognition as one of Canada’s top mortgage brokers. From her early days in university, Joanna knew that she wanted to work with numbers.  She graduated from the University of Toronto in 1997 with a double major in economics and industrial relations, and soon kick-started her career as a financial advisor with TD Canada Trust, later moving up the ranks to become a mortgage specialist in 2004.  It was around that time that she discovered a passion for working with people and developed a knack for helping clients understand the many financial risks and opportunities they faced.

“I fell in love with client relations and gained an appreciation for using smart mortgage planning as a powerful personal finance tool,” she recalls.  An engaging approach and in-depth product knowledge came to define her competitive advantage. Joanna held the position until 2010, when she took a role as a Home Financing Advisor with Scotiabank.  Along the way, she accumulated an impressive list of accolades starting with Mortgage Specialist Rookie of the Year for Canada in 2004 at TD Canada Trust, followed by numerous top 1% Canadian performer awards at both TD CanadaTrust and Scotiabank.

But it was in 2012 that she and husband Jason decided it was time to change professional course, setting out on a life-changing entrepreneurial adventure.  With her mortgage broker acumen and client-management experience, and his insurance, finance and managerial expertise, the two founded the Lang Team, now Outline Financial, to deliver strategic mortgage and insurance brokerage services for clients and their families.

As one of Outline’s Managing Partners, Joanna’s approach to client service is unwavering—and guided by a paraphrased nugget of wisdom courtesy of investment legend Warren Buffet:  The rate is what you pay, but the value is what you get.  “There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” she says.  That would explain why Joanna almost never discusses mortgage rates during a first call or meeting with new clients.  She instead turns it into a financial planning consultation focused on strategy and helping clients understand the wide range of mortgage products across the market.  “We present different ways of thinking about borrowing,” she adds, “but simplified in a way that anyone can understand.”

What Joanna wants you to know about Outline Financial:  “We take the time to listen to clients’ needs beyond simply searching for favourable mortgage rates and terms.  Frankly, anyone can do that.  We want to be able to provide our clients with mortgage solutions to drive their personal financial success and give them an array of options to achieve their short- and long-term goals.”

Here’s what you may not know about Joanna:  Before launching her mortgage financing career, Joanna was an ESL teacher, a role that taught her how to adjust to different learning skills and convey information in a clear and simplified manner—skills she continues to use today.  And when she’s not helping clients purchase a dream home or find the right financial product, Joanna enjoys spending time with Jason and their three children, as well as playing tennis, and skiing in the winter months.