Anthony, these are all wonderful reasons to cite to clients or potential clients, but I'd like to add a few more reasons to your list, if I might.

• Mortgage Broker Peripheral Services- The good mortgage broker doesn't just focus on getting the client to land on workable loan terms and then close on the loan. No, the good, professional broker also looks for additional information and resources for his clients on an on-going basis. These can be anything from creating a directory of service providers for the property investors (i.e., painters, contractors, electricians, etc.) that the investors can use when rehabbing their income properties [this practice alone firmly establishes you as providing extra value and communicates a sense of genuine concern for your clients' interests, while at the same time creating a network that is referral-rich and can be invaluable in developing your business on a shoe-string marketing budget.]; helping a potential homebuyer target the right area for their first or next home that is right for their goals and their family, instead of just producing a pre-approval letter to take to the realtor's office [this service is simple to put together and again can help build relationships with other real estate professionals]; credit repair services (if done correctly and within mandated guidelines, this service can really win you great favor with clients, move your clients closer to a workable loan, and you add a line of income to your mortgage origination); and a host of other services, too numerous to go into in a blog response (but I will be glad to give you additional information if you'd like- just give me a call or drop me an email!).
• Creative Thinking- The ability to think 'outside the box' is what sets the good mortgage broker aside from those loan officers who have to conform to direct lender policy and guidelines. This does not mean that you bend or disregard rules; rather, it simply means that you can see past obstacles and can pair programs or products from one source with the products of another in order to accomplish the greater goal that your client is searching for. For example, if you have a client looking to purchase commercial property in an effort to expand his current business, but he is short of cash to close the loan on that acquisition, you can structure a business LOC or standard operating capital loan to provide the necessary cash to seal the deal on the property acquisition. A client will definitely appreciate that ccaliber of service that he might not have otherwise received from a direct lender.
• Side-by-side product comparisons/ GFE's- When a client deals with a direct or retail lender, they are usually limited by the product that will either work for them or will be offered to them, as most direct lenders have a narrow field of options from whixch to choose. However, in working with a broker, especially a well-sourced and experienced broker, the client suddenly has a full spectrum of choices at her or his disposal. The solid broker goes to work choosing the right products that match with the needs and goals of the client, and, VOILA!- the client suddenly gets a comparative look at what he/she can do with their loan. That's a powerful tool that the direct-lender LO's pretty much does not have in their toolbags.
• Bargaining and leverage power- As mortgage professionals, specifically as mortgage brokers, we all know that we have a fair number of working relationships established with our A.E.'s from at least ten different lending sources. The LO working for XYZ Bank does not have those relationships to work with; at best they have a great rapport with a Branch Manager, but that relationship will only go so far as the guidelines for that lender will allow. But with a field of lenders and A.E. relationships at our disposals, we broker types have a greater chance of getting greatly needed exceptions, custom-tailoring, or the luxury of a nudge from the A.E. to put us in the right direction. That is an asset for which the client who is desperate to nail down a loan cannot put a price on.

Of course, this is but a short list of abilities and resources that the mortgage broker owns. If you do a little creative thinking, and adaptive planning, it will not take you very long to see where you can not only beat out the direct lender competitors, but also outshine the non-progressive mortgage broker. Believe me, a little planning and a good bit of effort upfront will pay out great dividends for years to come.

Thanks, and just let me know if I can be of any help to you. And, oh yeah, either go through namb.org or contact your US Representative or Senator and let them know that the proposed Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007 (scary bill!!!) is a travesty, and will ultimately hurt the very consumers it aims to protect. (Read all about it at namb.org)

Wes Guptill