How culture and tech are driving Tango Financial forward

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The brokerage is remaining laser-focused on giving its agents as much flexibility as possible while supplying them with the cutting-edge technology they need to thrive

Throughout the growth of Tango Financial into a national, multibillion-dollar, full-service mortgage brokerage, one thing that’s never changed is its focus on developing an “amazing” culture – and specifically, its commitment to allowing agents full flexibility in building their own teams. Jason Henneberry and Dean Larson told Canadian Mortgage Professional that the company, which is now home to more than 50 brokerages and teams and around 400 agents, had never lost sight of the importance of giving its agents as much freedom as possible in growing their business, a factor that’s been key to Tango’s success.

Tango Financial is a full-service mortgage brokerage based in British Columbia, with a presence in Alberta and Ontario. The company is focused on fundamentally transforming the mortgage process for brokers and agents through cutting-edge technology and innovation, and has over 400 agents across those three provinces. The company was founded by Dean Larson, chief executive officer, and Jason Henneberry, chief operating officer, heading up technology and strategic initiatives.

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“We have a very sustainable model, the services we provide are well executed, and word seems to be getting around that Tango is a great place for growing teams”

Dean Larson, Tango Financial

“We recognize that our agents and teams want to build their own brands, and have the flexibility to build their business in a way that best suits them,” Henneberry, who serves as chief operating officer, explained. “We’ve set up a unique structure that makes this possible, and easy. “We really try to listen to what our agents want, and wherever possible we go out of our way to provide maximum choice and flexibility in the areas that matter most to them.”

It’s an approach that has clearly proven hugely popular among the mortgage agent community. Tango, which has built a strong presence in British Columbia and Alberta and is also making big inroads into the Ontario market, generates about $4.5 billion in annual fundings across Canada, with that emphasis on agents’ independence remaining a lynchpin throughout. For Larson, the company’s president and chief executive officer, the fact that the company has retained so many agents despite having “very open” contracts that can be broken with 30 days’ notice and no penalty is a testament to its strength. “They’re here because they want to be here,” he told CMP.

Independence is also a cornerstone of Tango’s approach to technology, Larson said. Agents are free to choose whichever operating system they’re most comfortable using. “When it comes to tech, we’re basically open source,” he said. “We don’t force anyone to use any specific technology. Our philosophy is that our agents and teams should be able to choose the technology that’s best suited to how they want to run their business.” At the same time, the company’s scale also means that it’s able to negotiate preferential access and pricing for many of the technologies its agents request, Larson added. “While we believe in personal preference, size does matter,” he said, “and we’re proud to be able to offer so many options for our agents.”

That focus on technology is essential to Tango’s ethos, which is centred around changing the way mortgage brokers do their jobs. The company came away with the much-coveted Digital Innovation in a Brokerage Award at the 2022 Canadian Mortgage Awards, a vindication of its commitment to cutting-edge tech. Its suite of tools and services for agents includes the Canadian Mortgage App, BrokerHQ, The VIP Club, StrategyHub, BrokerMail, Turkey Agent Websites, Closing Gift Services, and Lender Spotlight – and its star product is TangoPay, Henneberry said, a proprietary payroll system that the company says takes away the heavy lifting for teams and brokerages who want to focus on more important things, like growing their business and supporting their agents. “One of the most important things when running a large brokerage is the ability to deliver payroll accurately and in a timely manner,” he said. “We’ve invested heavily in our system and our team to deliver an exceptional payroll experience. “In fact, this is one of the reasons we’re able to attract larger teams and brokerages to join Tango, because we fully support their back-end operations so they can focus on growing their teams.” The company has spent over $250,000 on lead-generation initiatives for agents, including Adwords and third-party partnerships, resulting in over 8,500 leads distributed to top agents and teams. Its BrokerHQ social community platform, meanwhile, keeps agents connected and ensures operations remain efficient and streamlined as Tango continues to scale upward.

Looking ahead, making waves in Ontario is a big priority for the company, with new technology partnerships and tools constantly rolling out – and Henneberry and Larson emphasized its carefully planned approach to expansion. For Henneberry and Larson, that means not just growing for the sake of growth, but scaling upward in a way that maintains and expands opportunity for its community of mortgage agents across the country. “It’s a continuous process of improvement,” Larson said. “We try to make sure we really nail something down before doing the next thing. We grew slowly at first while we developed different aspects of the business, and we really focus on making sure we deliver a great experience for our agents and teams.

“Word travels in our industry, and we feel this approach has served us well. We have a very sustainable model, the services we provide are well executed, and word seems to be getting around that Tango is a great place for growing teams. That’s evidenced by our rate of growth, which seems to be accelerating more and more lately – and that’s a good thing.” That approach has served the company well in its rapid rise to date – and it’s clear that nothing in its culture of flexibility, independence, and tech-driven progress will be sacrificed as it prepares to take the next steps. As always, the needs of Tango’s agent community will be front and centre throughout whatever lies ahead, according to Henneberry. “We see a lot of potential for expanding our model with some of the larger teams in the Ontario market,” he said. “Obviously, we’re enjoying some growth momentum at the moment, but we don’t set aggressive targets. “Our benchmark for success is the feedback we get from our agents. We try to listen and do more of what they love, and less of what they don’t. As long as we stay focused on that, the growth will take care of itself.”

A tech-driven approach

Focusing on the future

Published 24 July 2023

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“We recognize that our agents and teams want to build their own brands, and have the flexibility to build their business in a way that best suits them. We’ve set up a structure that makes this possible, and easy”

Jason Henneberry, Tango Financial

400+ agents

Presence in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario

Headquartered in British Columbia

$4.5 billion funded annually

Tango Financial profile

Executive team

CEO

Dean Larson

COO

Jason Hennneberry

Chairman of the board

Steve Rogerson

Executive team

Dean Larson

Jason Hennneberry

Steve Rogerson

CEO

COO

Chairman of the board