Realtors! How'd you meet your favorite Lender?

[Ryan Zamudio]

Hey Everyone!

I've read multiple articles online on the subject, but I want to hear it straight from the people crushing it! I want to hear YOUR voices!

I'm a Loan Officer working in Scottsdale, Arizona (though I'm licensed both in AZ and SD), and I've been dying to make more real estate connections! Realtors, Title Agents, Insurance, Contractors, you name it! I'm a big fan of in-person events, though obviously due to the current environment, those have taken a hit. I'm very lucky to be provided leads on a daily basis, so every single day I'm grinding, cranking those calls, and obtaining clients to either pre-qualify or refinance; I don't need to rely on anyone to send me clients, and for that I'm thankful; but I know full well that this is not a solo industry if you want to hit the big numbers, and I plan to!

So with that said, Realtors: How did you meet your preferred lender? Do they do anything particularly special to keep your business? Other than just doing their job (not undermining this), what other value do they bring to you?

I know that many times you have a personal connection with this lender - that's great! Now, I also know you're not necessarily *married to one single LO (though that LO might feel differently, hah), what would make you open up, or consider giving another Loan Officer a shot to earn your business?

Lastly (and maybe most importantly), what are acceptable ways, in your opinion, for a Loan Officer to approach you? Is the whole "dropping in to a random office with donuts" thing REALLY still effective? (I've heard many a loan officer be taken for a ride this way). What if one unexpectedly drops into your open house to chat? Are you maybe open to receiving a text/call/email asking for your time, maybe a cup of coffee some time? I'm good at what I do, but I don't know that I'm at Teaching-A-Class level quite yet, so that's likely a little further down the line.

I'm dying to hear your opinions, especially you veterans out there! You've been doing this a long time, and clearly your methods are working, so I'm sure that if it's not broken, why fix it? You probably don't NEED new business. But how does one approach you, while you already have your tried-and-true colleagues, and earns a shot to maybe just be in your rotation?

I've actually already met some phenomenal, like-minded individuals on this website that I'm VERY excited to collaborate with and grow, and if anyone reading this would like to work together, great! Send me a message! But I also really want to step away from my office more often and get in front of people, and I want to do it in a way that, successful or not, is respectable by all parties!

Thanks in advance!