Review this material several times. Pick a dozen or so to focus on, and try different approaches and strategies for each one. Perfect them, don’t give up, and eventually find your niche and make lots of money.
Immediately notify all your friends and family that you are now in the mortgage business. Tell them that even though you are new to the business you are working with an experienced mortgage person and team to learn the business. Ask them to please refer you if they hear the word “mortgage” mentioned.
Call and / or visit FSBO’s (For Sale By Owner’s). Generate a sales flyer they can give people that view their home showing financing options. Offer to work with the owner and pre-qualify the potential homebuyers who look at their home. Offer our FSBO kit to help them sell their home. This is a great lead generator. There is a never ending supply of FSBO’s out there.
Visit real estate offices consistently, with or without flyers. When you call on these offices be effective. Give them the impression that you’re serious about your business and adding value to the people you are talking with. Don’t rely on flyers to grow your business for you. Flyers are only useful to let Realtors know that you were there, or for announcing a new program that’s unique to you or Coastal Lending. If you are using flyers as a crutch (to give you a sense of security) to call on offices, do it!
Ask to talk at weekly meetings for real estate offices. When you do land a meeting, be sure to prepare. Make them want to do business with you. Do something different from everyone else. Make them laugh, make them more knowledgeable, make them better, and make them want to do business with you.
Go to real estate offices and bring goodies. Answer questions, be available, and build relationships. Make your presence known when you visit. Let them know (in your own way) that you are there to do business and to add value to them.
Go to real estate events and parties. Make friends and build relationships at the events. Caution! Don’t drink too much. Your conduct must command respect if you are attending these functions to grow your business.
Offer to sit in the real estate office on weekends with the Realtors to be available for pre-qualifications, answering questions, and taking new loan applications. This is an aggressive move and shows them that you are mean business and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Attend real estate conferences and seminars. This is a great way to build long-term relationships with prospective clients. Because of this environment, your chances of “hitting it off” with others attending the seminar or conference increase dramatically.
Put your business cards and flyers on as many bulletin boards as you can find. Especially those real estate related businesses like license training schools and classes. Never pass up a bulletin board. Carry flyers and thumb tacks in your car so you can quickly add to the board.
Ask your dentist or doctor if you can leave business information on residential home loans in their waiting rooms. Remember you’re a politician campaigning for yourself.
Mail out quality letters to renters in apartment complexes where they are paying rents of $700 or more. Make such the rents are high enough so that the borrower has a chance of qualifying for the potential mortgage. Otherwise, you could be wasting a lot of time sending information to individuals who may not qualify.
Use door hangers promoting a new loan product or program. Count this as your exercise time or hire a couple of kids to place them on doors in a neighborhood. Either way, it’s a great way to “farm” an area and get your name and phone number out there.
Create a knockout flyer and place them on windshields at your local Public, Winn-Dixie, or Wal-Mart. Pick the busiest time of the week and or day to do this. You’ll be surprised how many can be delivered in a short period of time. Stick around for a little while when you’re finished and pick up any flyers that end up in the parking lot. No littering please!
Set a goal of getting your business card out to someone new each day. If my goal is three a day...that’s 90 per month. If my goal is five per day that’s 150 per month. Do this consistently and the calls will come in. Use the back of the card as a conversation starter like “Ask me about the 1.25% start rate mortgage,” or what ever.
Check the newspapers for open houses. Create a financing flyer that a Realtor could hand out. Most Realtors love this service. Your name and phone number is on the flyer so you will get calls as a result of this activity.
Develop a tri-fold marketing brochure to hand out. Pick a subject or use the samples available in the “Marketing and Promotion” section of our computer system. The tri-fold is an excellent handout and/ or display piece that draws attention.
If you are good with the computer, offer your services. Offer to do a tri-fold for one of your Realtors in exchange for their business. Get familiar with the computer and the internet as soon as you can. There is a wealth of information available about our business and it’s all available via the computer.
Make a list of everyone you know. Most people know at least 250 people. Those 250 people know 250 people each. That’s 62,500 people that you can be connected with right now. Look and explore ways to make contact with these people. On average, 1 out 5 people have a mortgage need. That means 50 people in your group are either re-financing or moving all of which require a new mortgage.
Join and participate in local business organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce. This is a great way to get instant referrals.
Conduct a “New Homebuyer” seminar for the public. When done right, this works great! You can get a sponsor or two to help make this more of a success. Realtors, title companies, and financial planners are good contacts for sponsors. Use ads that draw attention such as: “Don’t Buy Your First Home Before Attending This Free Seminar.”
Conduct a real estate finance seminar for Realtors. This is a great way to show your stuff as an expert. There are always new Realtors entering the business. There’s a tremendous need here that you can fill. Show your expertise and you’ll get leads.
Improve your platform and public speaking skills by joining a speaking organization such as Toastmasters. Always be looking for ways to improve your image and presentation skills. The better you are, the more money you will make.
Visit new model homes on the weekend. The key to builder business is starting relationships with the builder’s salespeople sitting on the new home tracts. Check the weekend paper for their locations. Consistently visit their site so that you get to know the homes as well as the people selling them.
Do a mailing to a select group or groups. Make sure your list is current and valid. Make sure your message targets your mailing list.
Develop a website. Get it started and improve it as you go. You’ll want to be included in as many search engines as possible. A basic website can be had very inexpensively.
Join and attend Investor Group meetings. This is a great place to network and meet people in the business of investing in real estate.
Teach a class. Call an adult school or community college and offer to teach a class on credit and / or mortgage finance. Being an expert is not enough. The trick is to let everyone know that you are an expert.
Send a weekly flyer, newsletter, or other mailer to Realtors. By keeping your name in front of people will ensure a steady supply leads coming back to you.
Stop by a new subdivision model home and build a relationship with the sales agents. Offer to do a cost sheets on their models.
Keep in touch with all of your customers. Ask for referrals! You’re throwing business way if you don’t keep in touch with your existing clients. You have their birthdates. Send them a birthday card. In the case of a purchase, be sure to remind them to apply for their “homestead exemption.” Instead of Christmas cards, send Thanksgiving Day cards. Very few people get Thanksgiving Day cards.
Keep a journal or some kind of record of who you talked to about a mortgage. Check back with them every week or ten days. Get in the habit of taking notes when you talk to people and refer to them during your follow-up call.
Keep a tickler file on leads. Never stop prospecting for new leads. If they say no once, ask again, and again, and again. You’ll be surprised over time how many of those no’s turn into yes’s and a new loan.
After you close a loan, send thank-you notes to the borrowers and any Realtors involved. Calling them personally and thanking them is a great touch and they will remember you for doing that.
Send flyers and business cards to CPA’s and financial planners in your area. Many times, loan officers overlook these professionals. They can provide a steady stream of business to you.
Send flyers and business cards to attorneys. Promote yourself and your business. This helps you separate yourself as an expert.
Join outside groups and clubs like churches, gym memberships. Whatever your interest and beliefs are, make sure you tell everyone what you do! Always keep your business cards with you and ready to give out.
Use “Promos” like pens, note pads, and coffee cups. Use anything that will help you gain exposure. Keeping your name out there is critical.
Attend real estate conferences and seminars. This is a great way to build long-term relationships with prospective clients. Because of this environment, your chances of “hitting it off” with others attending the seminar or conference increase dramatically.
Call on bank officers. Most banks don’t offer the same loan programs that you can offer. You’d be surprised how many referrals you can get from this source.
Get a list of potential re-finance customers from a title or escrow company. These lists are usually free and you can team up with the title company and grow your business. This a must because it’s an inexpensive way to reach many customers.
Do joint advertising with a Realtor or builder. This team concept is a great way to expand and grow your business. Make such to monitor what you invest to make such you’re getting a return on your investment.
Put a flyer in an income tax shop or a CPA’s office regarding the use of income tax refunds for a down payment on a home.
Offer gift certificates for a free appraisal, free credit report, or lower closing costs. Look for places to put your coupons that are low cost and yet high traffic for best results.
Send congratulation cards to parents of newborns. They can be found in the newspaper. Many times they are looking to move into bigger homes, or they may know someone who is purchasing.
Send a congratulation note to a Realtor that has achieved success with his company. These can be found usually in the real estate magazine section of your newspaper. Congratulate them on their success and hard work and offer your services to them.
Always provide free credit counseling for people interested in buying a home. Make sure you give them accurate and professional advice. If they can’t qualify now, let them know when they can and advise them accordingly.
Visit your local courthouse and search public records for mortgage leads. For example, if I know that “Finance America” is a sub-prime lender, I can use that as a search criteria and retrieve a list of people with sub-prime or high interest rates. Knowing the name and address of these people allows me to effectively target them.
Specialize in particular loan product or mortgage and study it well. Brand yourself as being the loan officer that specializes in No-Doc loans for example. Target people that need a No-Doc loan. Eventually you will become known as an expert in No-Doc loans and you will have a steady stream of leads.
If you don’t mind the look, invest in magnetic signs for your car. Pick a hot mortgage product like the 1.25% start rate mortgage and promote it using this method. This does work and is well worth the investment.
Always encourage people to give you leads and referrals. I always tell people that I never ever forget the source of my mortgage leads and I don’t.
Always ask people that you talk to “what do you do for a living?” They will eventually ask you ”what you do for a living?” and you say…”I SELL MONEY.” It makes them curious and they ask about your business, which of course is mortgages.
Send a congratulations letter (and a discount coupon for closing costs) to newlyweds. Many of them are currently looking for a house to buy. You can find their names in your newspaper’s society section.
Create a consumer-friendly phrase to separate yourself from other loan officers. Many loan officers use “Loan officer for life” theme. Think original, such as “Moving? Take me with you to finance your next home.”
Work a student housing fair at a local college or university to educate students that their parents can buy a townhouse, condo or single family home and let their roommates and tax breaks pay for it. A great opening line to a student is, “If I can show you how to live rent free for the next three years, will you go home and tell your mom and dad?
Leave personal brochures and mortgage information in housing brochure racks at area hotels. Realtors also use these areas. People stay in area hotels when looking in a new area that they are thinking of moving to.
Be passionate about your business and don’t be afraid to show it. As an example, begin your voice mail message on your cell phone with the following: “I’m glad you called. This is an absolutely great day to purchase or re-finance, etc.”
Run a small classified ad under “Houses for Rent” that says, “WHY RENT - List of Zero-Down Homes Available - Call Your Name (123)123-4567.” This is a very inexpensive ad that will get you calls.
Incorporate into your normal daily routine systems (profit centers) that work for you. Do those activities that you feel comfortable with. Plan the work and work the plan. Create a strategy for each system or profit center you are working
Always promote and sell payment not rate. People do buy mortgages emotionally. Always ask the question, “Do you want a low rate or a low payment?”
Always take a different route to work, the office, the bank, or the grocery store etc. Look for FSBO (For Sale By Owner) signs. Many will place a sign in their yard and not advertise in the newspaper. These are perfect candidates for our program. Write down their address and phone number and contact them.
Always always always wear your name badge. It looks and is very professional. Places that you frequent will start calling you by name. The name badge works in your favor through “branding” and you will get business as a result of this.
On Valentines Day (February 14th) and only on that day...Enstein Bagels makes their bagels in the shape of hearts. If you have a favorite Realtor or Realtors, or what ever, deliver bagels to them that day with a flyer with a big red heart that says: “We put our heart in everything we do” with your name and company. See the “Valentine Flyer” as an example.
Attend Realtor “Open Houses” on weekends. When its time to go, leave a small bottle of cold water with the Realtor. Buy water...remove the label...and place your company’s label on instead. The label should read in bold print “Compliments of Your Name.” Carry a small cooler with a little ice and a few bottles of water in your car. Believe me...they do remember you.
Even if your company provides business cards...I firmly believe there are advantages to printing your own. Since I now control the format of my card, I can present the exact message or branding I’m trying to portray. This also gives me the ability to use the back of card however I wish. As of this writing, since low start rate mortgages are the hottest thing going, the back of my business card looks something like this:
ASK ME ABOUT THE 1.00%* Start Rate Mortgage *The 1.00% Start Rate Mortgage is based on the fully indexed MTA with an APR of 4.365%. All loans are subject to credit approval. Rates and programs may change without notice. |
NOTE
Laminate your business card. Please trust me on this. I can’t tell you how many people comment about what a great card I have. The whole idea of laminating is that people do not throw away anything that is laminated. The other amazing thing is...once you laminate your card...it no longer fits in a normal business card folder. And yet, I’ve received calls from my card years after I handed them out. How do I know that? From the message on the back.
People love something that is FREE. That’s why I try to make a free offer as often as I can. Whether it’s a business card or a flyer I usually try to offer a free credit report, or a free report entitled “When to Refinance,” or a free mortgage review, or a free mortgage pre-qual., or a free appraisal or what ever. People do respond knowing they’re getting something for free.
Use an email signature on all of your out going email including email to family and friends. You want to constantly remind peoplke you are in the mortgage business. You would be surprised how many loan officers and mortgage brokers miss this one. If you don’t know how to set up an email signature, open your email program and go to “Tools,” then “Options,” then “Signature.” My signature would look a lot like this and is attached to the bottom of each email I send:
*********************************************
YOUR NAME
Licensed Mortgage Broker
Ask me about the 1.00%
Start Rate Mortgage
(123)123-4567 Direct
(123)123-4567 Fax
.
*********************************************
ABC Mortgage, Inc.
123 Main St.
AnyCity, FL 12345
*********************************************
Record a unique, cheerful and positive greeting to begin your voice mails at home, work or cell phone. Change the greeting every now and then so it’s fresh. My current greeting goes something like this:
Hi...you’ve reached YOUR NAME. This is an absolutely great day to purchase or refinance. Although I’m not available...your call is very important to me. Please leave your name and number....etc.
Libraries are a great source of information and I use them often. When I visit a library I always carry a few business cards. I stop by the “Real Estate” section and embed a business card deep in each real estate book that I can find. That card should carry a special message geared towards investors or cash-out refinancing or what ever. You could even design and print a special bookmark just for this purpose.
Look for outside help to assist you in getting more referral business. I currently use a company by the name of “RightPath Marketing.” They offer many services however, the one I use a lot is called their “Congratulations Ballon Box.” You can use this service for a multitude of reasons...after application...before closing...after closing, etc. This is how I use their service: When a Realtor gives me a purchase customer and we have finished the application...I give RightPath Marketing the Realtor name and office address and a ballon box is shipped UPS Ground. The box is about 18” square and when opened a helium filled ballon (that says “Congratulations”) rises to the ceiling. The ballon is attached to a ribbon and at the anchor end of the ribbon is my greeting. It says:
Congratulations
Thank You for the Referral
Your Commission is in Good Hands
YOUR NAME
(123)123-4567
ABC Mortgage, Inc.
Obviously every realtor in the office takes notice of this. The cost as of this writing is about $19.95 for the service and I do not get a referral fee from RightPath. They can be reached at (866)273-5211 and www.rightpathmarketing.com and everything can be done online. They provide a nice service.
Here’s another service company I use. They are called ”Continuity Programs, Inc. and for $24.00 they will mail 20 postcards to addresses surrounding the address I have just financed. As above...no referral fee. The message reads as follows:
