Rising interest rates, limited housing inventory and the skyrocketing price of consumer goods have made the last half of 2022 an uphill climb for many lenders and LOs. While mortgage managers struggle to generate loan demand in a more volatile marketplace, I believe that the companies with solid hiring and employee retention strategies in […]
Does Your Lender Have a Winning Retention Strategy in Place? Read More »
I often hear from managers asking about training their underperforming originators. With the marketplace shift to purchase money, leadership teams have put underperformers on their radar as they try to address lower volume. When the market was hot last year, underperformers were there but overlooked because refi volume was off-the-charts. Now, with a less
When Does a Training Investment Make Sense? Read More »
Since 1999, I have analyzed top originators’ practices and personality traits — that’s 22 years and counting! I have conducted numerous validation studies in collaboration with psychologists to pinpoint the innate competencies that drive individuals to succeed in mortgage sales. The simple reality is that mortgage origination is a hard business and not everyone
How Well Are Your Originators Managing Their Most Important Asset? Read More »
In mortgage origination, declining interest rates can result in overwhelming volume, as the industry experienced in 2020. While companies and producers alike racked up record profitability last year, a robust refinance market can distract lenders from focusing on critical long-term success strategies. When business is humming along, it is easy to become complacent and
Lenders: Are You Focused on What Matters Most? Read More »
In my 25+ years in mortgage banking, one thing that has remained constant is that most lenders recruit sales professionals who are experienced in mortgage origination instead of hiring rookies. These companies hire experienced “C” players rather than potential “A” producers who need to be trained and developed. There are two main beliefs that
Are You Evaluating Sales Candidates for Willingness to Learn? Read More »
Last week, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) announced its first-ever Diversity & Inclusion Transparency Report. According to a recent Fortune article, “women and racially diverse talent now account for 65% of [PwC] entry-level hires, 7% of whom identify as Black, 12% as Latinx.” Shannon Schuyler, PwC Chief Purpose and Inclusion Officer, said the company’s goal is to
Why Large Mortgage Firms Need to Issue Annual Diversity & Inclusion Reports Read More »
Why do sales groups and originators fail? While there are many reasons for poor results, one that I see frequently in my sales consulting practice is the “I am different” rationale for not making necessary changes and adapting to a new environment. Yes, every lender has a distinct customer base and marketplace. But, the
The Fallacy of “I am Different” Read More »
Recently, the catchphrase “OK Boomer” has been trending in the media and on the Internet. The saying gained popularity when CNN showed a video of Chlöe Swarbrick speaking about the Zero Carbon Bill in New Zealand. When she was heckled by an older official, she casually dropped a sharp-tongued retort — \”OK Boomer\” —
Three “OK Boomer” Moments in Mortgage Banking Read More »
Last week, scientists announced the discovery of an extraordinary, “supermassive” black hole at the center of Messier 87, a gigantic galaxy about 55 million light years away in the constellation Virgo. The image was produced by the Event Horizon Telescope, a network of 10 radio telescopes spread across the planet that functioned as if it
Messier 87 and Mortgage Banking Read More »
After working with sales organizations for the past 20+ years, I am always amazed how accurate the Pareto principle (80/20) is when analyzing loan officer production. In every sales group, there is always a smaller number of originators (the vital few) who are successful regardless of market conditions, volatile pricing and the highly regulated lending
Be Obsessed or Be Average! Read More »
