Learning from Teaching

Recently, I taught a class to a group of Real Estate Professionals through the affiliates brown bag lunch, hosted and organized the East Polk Association of Realtors group, where I am a member. I attempted to impart on this experienced group of Associates, what I think, they need to know, to better facilitate the transaction from contract to closing. What happens in the middle, during processing/underwriting. I hoped this would help the Mortgage Broker/Realtor partnership; allowing us all to be more efficient and close more transactions in a way that better services the mutual client. It was a lovely lunch and I was grateful for the lively Q&A session and such a captive audience.

I immediately wanted to learn their side of the process as best I could. To ensure that this partnership (that is often much like an arranged marriage - forced to be together and hoping to fall in love) I was giving 110%. I started researching articles and other (Realtor) blogs, and came up with a top 10 principals for other mortgage folks out there, wanting to increase your own satisfaction!

"I am so proud and grateful for the families we have served and the company my mom and I have built, based on the principles of trust and relationships. We are in the relationship business. First with our clients and second with our industry partners that also focus on service to their clients."

10 Principals that Realtors appreciate in their Mortgage Partners:

1. Don't pop by the office. Productive agents are busy and the "pop in" is unscheduled and not respective of time their or my own.

2. Communication, when there is lack thereof, both parties feel anxious, most important the client.

3. I need to know you are in this for the long haul, and proactive in problem-solving. The best mortgage pros see a problem before it is a problem.

4. My real test for you is when it's crunch time and you need to perform under pressure.

5. "Sorry folks, but if you just discovered FHA, I'm not giving you a loan." -this was a direct quote from a Realtor. No rookies, please!

6. If you advertise no closing costs, I worry about what catches there are for my buyer, all loans have closing costs.

7. Tell me how you will solve the problem without scaring me.

8. Make it seem easy and smooth. Real pros make their job seem easy, we all know it isn't.

10. When you explain the loan to me, I am imagining you are explaining it to the client. We shouldn't assume others know our business, we aren't experts in their field.
BONUS :-)

11. I just might call you to sight unseen if I like your blog. Blogs are personal, reflective and illustrate a passion for that which you are blogging about!