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Entering the Mortgage
Industry
After selling The Last Detail, I realized the opportunities of
the real-estate industry. I had grown up in a real-estate family
with a custom homebuilder for a father and a real-estate agent
for a mother. I thought there was the potential to earn more
money, and having been raised in the home buying business, I
knew I had a leg up on the competition.
In July 1997, I met Hal
Magruder, Cary Reines, Kenny Kasnett, and Rich Guber, four men
who had founded a mortgage company known as Mason Dixon Funding,
and who were looking for talented, business-minded professionals
to join their team. We all immediately took to one another, and
they offered me a job offering mortgages.
I took on the position with
the same tenacity that I did when I ran The Last Detail, and I
passed out flyers to neighborhoods twice a week. I closed 155
loans my first year for $21 million dollars in volume. I became
number one in the company instantly and have remained in the top
for the past eleven years. As a result of my production record,
and my ability to train and motivate my co- workers, I was
promoted to Vice Presidency status in 2004.
My Philosophy/What You Can
Expect
In the beginning I had no idea I had found my niche but I
quickly started outselling my co-workers. My secret: To offer my
clients the lowest possible mortage rate, while providing
exceptional service. Let me explain. Offering the Lowest Rates
(e.g., “King of the Singles”)
On a regular basis, other mortgage originators ask me, “Brad,
what’s your secret? How do you get so much repeat business?” My
response: “I don’t try to hit homeruns - I love the singles.”
What does this mean? In the
mortgage business, a “single” is a mortgage at a low,
competitive rate. A “homerun” is where the broker charges a very
high rate and is periodically lucky that an uninformed customer
actually purchases it. Homeruns always leave the customer with a
bad taste when they find out they are getting overcharged (or,
worse, at closing they find out that they overpaid).
It is far more productive for
me to earn less on each deal (while earning referrals) instead
of earning more on each deal (and losing referrals because
people are not satisfied when they find out they did not receive
the best rate possible).
For me, doing “well” means
getting my clients the most competitive rates. I absolutely
thrive on hearing clients say, “Brad, your rate was the best.”
For me, this is success.
I’ve become the 94th-ranked mortgage originator in the United
States (see below) by being the “King of Singles.” If you think
about it, this is really the smartest way to develop a loyal
following over the long-term (and I’m not going anywhere). My
clients are so happy with the rates and service that I provide
that about 60% of my business is referrals and past borrowers.
Customer Service
You don’t want to worry about your loan closing on time or being
left out of the loop. The benefit of having a team is that I and
my assistant are able to handle all of the administrative
aspects of your mortgage in a streamlined and efficient matter.
As detail-oriented as I was in my auto detailing business, I am
the same way with my mortgages. We provide constant updates on
the status of your loan, and I am always available in either the
office or on my cell phone. Lastly, I pride myself on being able
to explain the complicated mortgage process in an
easy-to-understand manner, in “plain English.” For whatever
reason (I still can’t quite figure it out), I have an ability to
explain this stuff in a way that people understand.
Acknowledged Expertise in
the Industry
It’s this type of customer service that has earned the public’s
attention. For example, Channel 9’s “Mind over Money” invites me
appear monthly as a mortgage expert to share insight on
different types of products with callers and to offer advice on
the current mortgage market. Channel 4 News recently had me on
as well to talk about today's current market conditions. I also
have been ranked # 49 by Mortgage Originator Magazine for their
list of top mortgage originators in the country for 2008 which
is up from #94 in 2007 and # 125 in 2006.
I love my job and look forward to coming into the office every
morning. I pride myself on customer service and I treat everyone
as I would want to be treated! To see what other
satisfied
clients have said about working together, click on
satisfied
customers on the home page.
To find
our more, please contact me directly. |