Member Spotlight: Ru Toyama, Rate

1. Tell us a little about yourself. What brought you into the mortgage industry, and what has kept you passionate about it?

After serving 10 years as a US Navy Officer I transitioned into the Mortgage industry via my wife who is a Realtor and introduced me to her go-to lender. He brought me in taught me the ropes and what kept me passionate is about serving each and every family towards their goal towards homeownership.

2. What do you enjoy most about helping clients navigate the homebuying and mortgage process?

What I enjoy most is helping clients understand exactly what they want to afford is different than what they can afford. Thus breaking it down for them to understand it’s possible to buy a home when they thought it wasn’t is what makes me happy.

3. What is one common misconception about mortgages or homebuying that you wish more people understood?

A common misconception is that you DO NOT have to bring 20% down payment. There are so many different options out there and as low as 3% down payment to essentially 0% down.

4. What is one piece of advice you would give someone who is thinking about buying a home but isn’t sure whether they’re ready to take the first step?

My one piece of advice is for someone thinking about it but scared to take the next step is to simply just give me a call. It can take 10-20 mins to talk them through the process, understand their numbers/budget and ensure they understand what they’re getting into before they get all the way into it!

5. You’re also a familiar face here at Intelligent Office Alexandria and actively involved with BNI. What do you enjoy most about being part of the community here?

I enjoy the camaraderie amongst the members and the IO community. We’re all about helping each other out and focused on making the right connections to ensure business growth.

6. How does Intelligent Office Alexandria fit into the way you work and connect with other local professionals?

Intelligent office gives me a professional work environment/office type space for our meetings for our BNI chapter which in turns leaves a positive perception/credibility for me as a business.  Our weekly meetings all 30-40 local business professionals connect and further grow our businesses.

7. What stands out most about your experience at Intelligent Office Alexandria, and what keeps you coming back?

The office space, the amazing staff, and the amenities available to use is what keeps me coming back. You have the gym, plenty of parking, mailbox, office space, conference space!

8. Outside of mortgages and networking, what is something people might be surprised to learn about you? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

When I’m not working, I enjoy to play golf and just earlier this year June 2026, I hit my first hole in one!  A lifelong bucket list I thought I’d never check off the list!