The capable, easy-going all-rounder: warm-hearted, effective and a man of few words

Looking back over these fifteen years, so many moments linger in the mind, and so many friendships remain close to the heart.

Among them, the stories of working alongside longstanding clients who knew us in our early days, and helping projects grow from sketches into impressive buildings, are founder York Zhang's (Zhang Yong's) and every Plaxo team member's most treasured, heart-warming memories.

Today, we share the stories of Chapman Leung, one of Plaxo's most experienced fully licensed mortgage advisers, and his clients:

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The professional, dependable “warm-hearted all-rounder”

‘Sorry for the late reply. I'm in Hong Kong, so there's a time difference.’

‘Sorry, these past two weeks have been quite busy. The late reply is my fault.’

‘Sorry’ and ‘my apologies’ were Chapman's most frequent expressions throughout our intermittent interviews.

The time difference made interviewing Chapman a little more difficult, but his deeply apologetic and sincere replies kept this hard-working, occasionally hot-tempered YIJU writer feeling warmly supported. They made it clear that Plaxo's ‘warm-hearted all-rounder’ deserved his reputation, and that he could be relied on to respond to every enquiry and follow through on every matter. His accounts during the interview, together with his clients' glowing feedback, also revealed his clear thinking, strong professional expertise and commitment to service.

People say career success depends on ‘following the right people and doing the job well’. Alongside his professionalism and reliability in doing the job well, following the right people has also been one of Chapman's secrets to success.

Seven years ago, Chapman left a well-paid job in Hong Kong to return to New Zealand and join Plaxo Mortgages. Despite having attended intermediate and secondary school in Auckland and earned a bachelor's degree in finance at the University of Auckland, he could not find suitable work because he lacked local work experience. York recognised his potential and decided to bring him on board after just one conversation, launching his career at Plaxo.

York chose Chapman for his confidence, composure, humility and gratitude. Chapman chose Plaxo because York's cultured approach to business ‘made people feel very comfortable’ and showed he was ‘someone worth trusting’, as well as for Plaxo's positive company culture:

‘We brokers never compare ourselves with one another. Instead, we help each other. Whenever a bank or finance company updates its policies, we share the information immediately, drawing on teamwork and mutual support to ensure every employee knows the latest lending news, so we can help more clients.’

Chapman has now completed his eighth year at Plaxo. Through tireless effort, he has grown from a young man unable to find work into one of Plaxo's top mortgage brokers, with outstanding performance, extensive experience and highly satisfied clients. He has built a large client base and strong relationships with major banks and finance companies, earning widespread recognition and praise from fellow professionals.

 

The amount is not what matters; the number of loans is

‘For me, what matters most is not the total value of loans settled, but how many loans I have settled, because that represents how many clients I have helped. That gives me the greatest satisfaction.’

Unlike many mortgage advisers, who see total lending value as the best measure of their achievements, Chapman cares most about the number of loans he completes:

‘For me, a straightforward application may be just a small case involving a single loan. But for the client, it could determine whether they can have a home of their own.’

Like other immigrants, Chapman understands deeply what a house and a home mean to every immigrant family in New Zealand. Guided by his responsibility to each client's family and respect for his profession, he offers only the most appropriate loan solutions. This has earned him the trust of many clients: in 2020, he completed more transactions than any other Plaxo broker.

Self-employed Mr Zhang is one of Chapman's loyal clients. When applying for a home loan, Mr Zhang was turned down because of a vehicle loan he had taken on for his business. An industry professional recommended Chapman. Although the loan amount was modest and the self-employment documentation complicated, Chapman gave it the same attention as any other application. He reviewed all the documents, spoke with Mr Zhang to understand his business and carefully analysed the reasons for the rejection. He then addressed the issues directly, preparing a detailed proposal and choosing the bank with the most suitable policies. Mr Zhang's loan was approved smoothly, leaving him deeply grateful to Chapman.

‘The greatest satisfaction comes from helping clients solve problems and receiving their heartfelt thanks. That joy cannot be measured in money. Whatever the loan amount, my job is to secure approval for applications I believe have a chance of succeeding.’ Chapman's voice conveyed joy and pride as he spoke about helping clients obtain loans and gain the opportunity to own their homes.

 

An office in the bathroom

‘There is no doubt this job offers great flexibility. With just a mobile phone and a computer, you can handle everything from anywhere.’ But the convenience of that flexibility is for Chapman's clients rather than himself. ‘My habit is to answer clients' questions as quickly as possible, so my phone is always with me, even when I'm using the toilet. Since the pandemic began, communication with clients has been limited to video calls or the phone, so my phone usage is extremely high.’

During the pandemic lockdowns in particular, Chapman's two children were both at home, and laughter and rough-and-tumble play were commonplace. To respond to clients more effectively, Chapman simply set up his office in the master bedroom's ensuite. ‘I discovered the bathroom was a great place to work. Once I closed and locked the door, it was extremely quiet, so I got used to replying to clients' voice messages in the ensuite.’

One client's loan, Ms Chen's, was arranged by Chapman from the bathroom.

Ms Chen, a lawyer working in Hong Kong, was keen to buy an investment property in New Zealand. However, the pandemic and her work prevented her from travelling to New Zealand to open an account and arrange a loan, and several banks had turned her down. Through repeated, detailed discussions to understand her circumstances, Chapman helped her secure a loan and become a private banking client, allowing all account-opening and lending matters to be handled remotely.

‘It was only through working with Chapman that I realised the importance of a financial adviser. Chapman understands different banks' policies and is good at making complicated matters simple. You can have complete peace of mind by leaving things to him and cooperating with him. Working with him saved me time and helped grow my wealth.’ Ms Chen is deeply grateful to Chapman.

 

Winning a place for Plaxo in clients' hearts

By consistently treating people sincerely and working professionally, Chapman has won his clients' heartfelt trust. Many clients and professionals he has worked with have even become close personal friends, full of praise for his character and expertise.

A longstanding client once said Chapman showed maturity and composure beyond his years. He has a distinctive quality that makes people willing to trust him and entrust important matters to him. At its heart, this quality is confidence, rooted in his command of professional knowledge, the experience gained from hundreds upon hundreds of cases, and his clients' complete satisfaction. He also conveys this confidence, composure and professionalism to those who work with him.

Yet Chapman remains humble, understated and grateful. He truly sees his clients as the people who sustain his livelihood, believing these so-called achievements depend on their understanding and encouragement, and that he has simply fulfilled his duties as a mortgage broker. Throughout the interview, Chapman repeatedly thanked the clients who had trusted him over the years, the professionals in related industries who had supported and cooperated with him, and all his Plaxo Mortgages colleagues for their help and recognition.

Winning a place for the name Chapman in clients' hearts and enhancing the Plaxo Mortgages brand is the goal Chapman continues to pursue tirelessly.