Meet the real Matt Royston
We think our BDMs are pretty great, which is why we want to share their stories with you. We asked our BDM Matt some candid questions about himself to help you get to know him a little better – and like him as much as we do.
Meet the real Matt Royston. Son, guitar player, Al Bundy fan, baseball superstar and last but not least, Bridgewater Bank BDM for the GTA and northern Ontario.
Q: Why did you decide to work in the mortgage industry?
A: Growing up, my Dad was a realtor. Conversations around the house were often regarding real estate deals and mortgage transactions. I was interested in how these transactions took place and talked about the details frequently with both family and friends.
Q: What’s your favourite aspect of your job as a BDM?
A: I enjoy helping brokers get the deal done; it is the most satisfying part of the job. Being a broker for fifteen years, I truly understand their pain points and have empathy for them daily.
Q: How do you stay informed about what’s happening in the market?
A: Industry events, conferences and through my brokers. I am constantly learning and looking for information about the industry. I have made it a daily practice to discuss industry trends with my brokers and anything new they’ve seen or heard. I have a small group of very informed brokers that reach out to me weekly to discuss industry trends. I also follow MPC and Mortgage Broker News.
Q: What’s a skill you’d like to learn and why?
A: I have purchased a left-handed guitar and I’m going to try to get my Jimmy Hendrix on. I am taking up the guitar because our executive staff is like a guitar-playing rock band, and I am feeling left out.
Q: In the span of your career, what are you most proud of?
A: Creating a fifteen-person real estate and mortgage team. There were many bumps in the road, but getting it to run smoothly and successfully was a feather in the cap.
Q: Who do you most admire in life?
A: My Dad. The most caring and giving man you could ever meet.
Q: What’s your best childhood memory?
A: Summers on the baseball field and travelling to tournaments with family and friends. I was lucky enough to play with a group of guys that even today I consider my best friends. I started playing tee-ball at age five. I continued to play throughout university in Florida and Michigan on baseball scholarships. Even though I got to see the southern and northern USA, my closest friends are still the ones that I met between the ages of fourteen and nineteen. Winning an Ontario championship gives us all great memories that we reminisce about more than we should, similar to Al Bundy at Polk High.
Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
A: Hawaii, this seems to be the destination of choice for my counterparts out west. I hear so many great things about the location.
Q: What’s your most treasured item?
A: My Dad’s fishing collection. He loved fishing, but he may have loved the collection more.
Q: If we asked your best friend to describe you, what would they say?
A: They’d call me passionate. Whether it’s work, school or sports; I have a great passion to succeed in what I am doing.
Q: If I had the opportunity to pass through your region, what would be your top recommendations for things to do?
A: I would recommend taking in a couple of pro sports games in Toronto, then head north to golf at Rocky Crest and to top it off, dinner at the Water’s Edge.
We know it’s impossible to sum up a great person in 11 questions, but we hope that you learned something new about Matt. He’s like family to us, and we want you to feel the same – a distant uncle at least! If you’re ever in the neighborhood, we’re sure he would love to catch a fish or hit a ball with you!
Stay tuned for our next BDM article.