Leadership/Sales Management – Page 2

Why Hiring Based Solely on a Sales Candidate’s Interview is a Mistake

In a recent article from The MReport, mortgage managers discussed their strategies for selecting and retaining new hires. While many managers easily evaluated sales candidates based on production reports, they often had difficulty trying to assess an originator’s people skills. To help them finalize a hiring decision, managers said they frequently relied on how well […]

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Are You Zigging When Others Are Zagging?

In every conversation I’ve had regarding the 2022 mortgage banking forecast, it’s clear that the year ahead will be challenging for lenders and originators. For those new to the industry, this might be a shock but experienced producers are all too familiar with the industry’s boom-or-bust cycles. To be sure, interest rate fluctuations, housing supply

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The Key to Improving “B” Originators

During a recent conversation, a mortgage banking executive shared how difficult it is for some originators to transition from the easy business of borrowers shopping for lower interest rates to the arguably tougher sell: Convincing prospects that financing a home loan for 30 years is in their best interest. Even when producers recognize and admit

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What Bill Parcells Can Teach Mortgage Bankers

The latest MBA industry forecast indicates a precipitous 62% drop in refinance volume for 2022. I think that all managers knew this day would come and it has finally arrived. The refinance party is over. The key question for leaders: What strategies will they implement to generate loan volume in a purchase money environment?

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The Solution to Poor Online Customer Reviews

During my training classes, I always ask students to check online ratings to see how borrowers feel about their lender’s customer experience. I also review a lender’s Glassdoor ratings to gain insight on employees’ experience with a company. I was curious whether borrower ratings were similar to employee ratings or not. Did consumer ratings correlate

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What a Ryder Cup Captain Can Teach Mortgage Bankers

Last week’s Ryder Cup golf tournament was exciting to watch and certainly a terrific win for the U.S. While team captain Steve Stricker has played on losing teams in his own career, he knew things had to change if the U.S. team was going to turn it around this year. So, how did Stricker build

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Is Sales Training Only for the Slow Times?

A senior manager recently confided he is considering training to keep his sales team busy now that volume has dropped since the refi boom. He also revealed that many of his peers share a similar concern: If originators aren’t kept busy, they will jump ship for another company. In mortgage lending, the prevailing wisdom

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The Number 1 Strategy for Surviving the Refinance Decline

Last week, the MBA adjusted its 2022 forecast predicting that refinance lending will account for just 25% of total loan volume vs. the current percentage of 53%. This will be a 28% drop, a significant decline that could put many mortgage lenders on the ropes. While the last two years generated record profit for

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Has One-Stop Shopping Arrived in Mortgage Banking?

In a recent investor presentation by Better.com, the digital-first homeownership company deemed the mortgage industry “broken” as “consumers deal with repetitive data requests, high fees and lack of certainty.” If customer satisfaction surveys regarding the home loan process are any indication, Better.com’s assessment is accurate. Better.com’s technology-driven platform offers a glimpse of mortgage lending’s future.

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The Critical Importance of Soft Skills in Mortgage Banking

With the mortgage industry’s emphasis on technology as the solution for all productivity issues, it seems that hard skills are mandatory when recruiting and developing personnel. Invariably, companies require employees to have computer and analytical skills no matter what their position. Soft skills such as communication and emotional intelligence are perceived by many managers

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