9 things loan officers aren't doing.... but should.
As a Realtor in Southeast Wisconsin, I work with many different lenders - some recommended by me and others that came along with the buyer I was working with. At the end of the day this blog "9 things loan officers aren't doing... but should" is a good reminder that when you have a Lender who does these things ... you will have a smooth sales transaction and you will even probably want to refer your lender to your family and friends so they have a good experience too. Of course, if you are thinking of Buying in Kenosha or Racine Counties, and you don't have a lender yet, I'll be happy to recommend the right Lender of Choice according to your needs.
1. More Social Media!!!! - It’s no secret. This is the age of social media. Potential buyers and clients will check your Facebook page and website to get a good bead on you. Share your successes! Pictures of clients smiling happily at closings. Short tutorials on relevant topics. (how to get your credit score up, short tutorials on the different types of loan programs FHA, USDA, etc.) It’s all good.
2. More customer Reviews!! - No customer reviews on your Facebook page? Why the heck not!???! Look we all know not ever deal goes smoothly. That’s a given. But what about the ones that do? Those clients are your best form of free advertising. Ask them if they would mind writing you a short review. Or… better yet…. whip out your iPhone (or android… i don’t want to discriminate) and have them say a few words about how awesome you are! Remember… Google and other search engines will rank your page higher if you have video. So stop screwing around and get some!
3. 3 New Realtor Calls Per Day!! - Listen. This may sound obvious.. But in my job, I talk to loan officers all day… every day. And I ask them all the time…. How many new realtors do you reach out to every week? The answer is almost always a variation of the phrase…”Uhhhh…. I don’t really.” - WHAT!!??? That’s crazy! Realtors (or brokers now) are your best friends. Your main source of new business. Think about it… If you had 10 solid realtors sending you lets say…. 2 deals per month… That’s 20 deals! Ok… so even if only half of them close. That’s 10 deals per month past what you are already doing! The average loan officer in the US is only closing around 3-5 deals per month. That’s just the facts. So if you are doing 10… You are among the best in the nation. Take an hour out of your day. Go to realtor.com or zillow.com or trulia.com and call some realtors that work your target area. Offer to come to their office and bring donuts or red bulls. Offer to meet them at starbucks. Get in front of them for the love of Pete!!! It won’t take long if you do this. You’ll be surprised at your results!4. Dress Better! - I can’t stress this enough. People want to work with people that look good. Guys.. I’m not saying you have to have on a suit and tie every day and Ladies… I’m not saying you have to be in a dress or pants suit every day either… BUT… I’m not saying you don’t either. Think about it. When is the last time you saw someone dressed to the 9’s and said…”UGH! Look at how well they are dressed! That’s Terrible!” HELLO!! - You haven’t! If you have on jeans and sneakers with a un tucked button up shirt and go to see a realtor or client… I have news for you. You look like a hack! You don’t have to spend a thousand dollars to dress better. (more for the guys since I can relate.) Hell man… Go get yourself some nice slacks and polos to start. Tuck your shirt in. Iron those pants! Look good, feel good, smell good. The rest will fall into place.
5. Call Your Clients and Realtors More Often!! - I know. Obvious right? But we all know the #1 complaint from realtors and clients about their LO is what? “Lack of communication.” With TRID changes we all know loans are taking a little bit longer to close. That is what it is. But for goodness sake. Call your people and let them know what’s going on with their file. Appraisal come in? Call them up. Get an updated approval? Call them up. Bulls win a close game and your client or realtor is a Bulls fan? Call them up! No one is going to be mad at you for over communicating. I’m not saying call every day and chat like a monkey in a tree…. But jeez… Pick up the phone!
6. Help your realtor grow their business! - You don’t even have to spend money to do this. But it shows the realtor you are interested in helping them as well as yourself. Share your realtors listing on your Facebook/twitter’linkedin page. Help your realtor make a short youtube video. Teach/Show them how to write a blog post. (Hint…. this is a blog post) Go to the realtors open house and bring some nice cookies :-) (I love cookies)… Here’s a tip… THE OTHER LOAN OFFICERS YOUR REALTOR WORKS WITH AREN’T DOING THIS!!… Here’s your opportunity to set yourself apart. If this get’s you 1 extra deal from that agent per month… It was totally worth it!
7. Stop bad-mouthing your competition. - Worst thing you can do! (well, that’s a slight exaggeration)… but you get the point. Have you ever done comparison shopping for…. well anything? Ever had a sales person say.. “OMG.. Whatever you do… don’t go here or there… They’re horrible!”… What did you think about that sales person? Exactly. Look. Unless you’re that rare loan officer that none of his/her clients shop them around… best believe you are going to get compared to other lenders. Assuming the rate is the same or close with you and your competition…. You know who is going to get that deal? The person who the client likes the most. You don’t have to hate on your competition in order to stand out. Show your strengths. Have awesome customer service. Be honest and respectful. Smile more! Talking bad about a competitor makes you look desperate. Don’t do it!8. Offer some time to teach realtors or the community something for free. - When’s the last time you went to your realtors office and offered to educate them on the new TRID Changes? When’s the last time you went to a local library and set up a free 1st time home buyers seminar? Here’s one…. If you live near a rural community.. When’s the last time you offered to talk to your realtors office about the no money down USDA program? (which the vast majority of originators and agents are clueless about)…You can go to subway. Spend about 50 bucks and get a lot of those mini sandwiches and spend an hour giving a brief overview on any topic and answering questions. Everyone loves a free lunch. Especially Agents! God forbid you may even end up getting a deal or 2 out of it!
9, ASK FOR REFERRALS!!! - You would think everyone did this. You would think it’s second nature. But we all know it isn’t. When you complete a deal for an agent. That’s an opportunity. When you close a purchase or refinance for a borrower. That’s an opportunity. Birds of a feather flock together. Chances are, that borrower knows another couple that wants to or has been talking about getting a home. Maybe they think their credit isn’t good enough. Some people think that 20% down is a requirement to get a home. (We all know that isn’t true.) Maybe the agent has another agent friend that’s having a problem with a deal right now. You never know because you aren’t asking! Remember this phrase. “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.” The only way you are going to get referrals is to ask for them. Stop being chicken! Ask for that business!
"Wealth is what you accumulate, not what you spend."
With Respect;William Piotrowski
Mortgage Originator
Originator License # 031.0016549
N.M.L.S #219299
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Lake Forest IL 60045
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