Wonder if this picture is how the public views Mortgage Brokers right now, I am sure this is how Congress and the Media are portraying our profession. First lets use dictionary.com and define TRUST. A reliance on the INTEGRITY, STRENGTH, SURETY, etc of a person or thing; CONFIDENCE. By looking at the 4 key words in bold type and listening to the media and what is going on in Congress I can see why the public ranks Mortgage Brokers next to "snake oil salesmen". So how do we change the perceptions.
Lets look at the first word INTERGRITY;as defined in dictionary.com; adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. There are some interesting and important words here. Our first step in regaining,earning and keeping the Public's trust is being honest and straight forward in all our dealings with them. By holding ourselves to a higher standard. If that is calling for a national license, so be it. Personally, I feel that ALL LOAN OFFICERS should be licensed even if they work for a depository institution. But the key is HONEST and open dealings with the public. How many brokers/loan officers know there is a national code of ethics? You can find it here http://www.namb.org/namb/Guidelines_and_Practices.asp?SnID=1236905833 .
STRENGTH, what a great word and the first thing that pops to mind is muscle. But how about moral power, firmness, or courage (again from dictionary.com). There it is again, morals,ethics and honesty all rolled into one nice little package.
SURETY something that makes sure; ground of confidence or safety or certainty. This looks rather easy, right? Instilling confidence and how do we accomplish that. Through licensing, bonds if needed and eduction of our members. By continuing to do the best job we can for our clients.
And finally, CONFIDENCE which is define as; full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing. If we can accomplish the first three then the public will regain its confidence and trust in our profession.
As a profession we need to hold our heads high and continue to act in the best interest of our clients. Push for licensing across the board, (every state but Alaska is now requiring some form of licensing). Maybe even national standards for education and continuing education.
If we do all of this and work with our clients we can turn that first picture into this 
.
Have a wonderful day
Comments(0)