On International Women's Day on March 8, The Indian Weekender spoke with Rasleen Kaur, Mortgage Advisor at Sandeep Khanna Mortgages in Christchurch. She shared her inspiring story of success through resilience and determination.
Kaur takes pride in helping women achieve their dream of home ownership while also empowering them to take control of their finances and become financially independent.
Kaur started her career as a home lender with a bank in 2014 and worked there until 2021. During these years, she worked as a home lender in retail and business banking. After having her second child in 2021, she got an opportunity to work as a mortgage advisor, which offered her the flexibility she needed while working full-time and looking after her young family.
Despite facing situations where her skills, knowledge, and experience were underestimated because of her gender, Kaur feels fortunate to work with the right people who believe in her capabilities.
"As a result of the encouragement and mentorship I have received from Sandeep Khanna and Mona, I have managed such situations to deliver positive outcomes for my clients," she said.
Emphasising the importance of financial independence for women, Kaur says, "Homeownership provides financial security and a sense of empowerment that helps women focus on other goals, such as retirement savings, raising family, and improving the quality of their lives."
She takes special pride in helping women, including single mothers with young children, achieve their home ownership goals.
"I remember the feeling of joy when I helped a single mom with young kids in achieving her home ownership goals by working with them for a few months. This involved a lot of hard work ranging from helping them with budget planning to tidying up their accounts, working with them on their short-term and long-term goals," she said.
She believes women these days have many resources available to them, such as social media, seminars by financial institutions, and professional guides to help them become financially independent.
Kaur's tips for women wanting to secure a home mortgage include sorting out their finances, differentiating between needs and wants, and cutting off other liabilities and debts. She also advises seeing a mortgage advisor early on in the home-buying journey.
Being a working mother in the financial industry can be overwhelming as Kaur shares, "Being a woman professional in this industry undoubtedly can be a bit much sometimes; this gets even more challenging when you are a mom as well. The mortgage mom is another level; I am a mother of two little kids under the age of 4, and no matter how much flexibility we are given in this industry, some days get really tough.
Sometimes, I get calls when putting kids to sleep or when I am out spending quality time with them. One of the reasons people come to advisers is that they can be contacted after hours or on weekends. So this is something that's unavoidable and we are prepared for."
Kaur says she is fortunate to work for SKM, where she has been given opportunities for professional growth and flexibility in managing work-life balance.
Kaur also hopes to see more women join the industry to bring a different perspective and empathy much needed in the ruthless financial industry.