The topic regarding lender/real estate agent gridlock that I hear from mortgage colleagues across the nation has been lingering on for years and I cannot help but write about it this month. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but worth discussing. In prior years and primarily during the housing boom, I feel that the mortgage industry painted a bad picture regarding who we are and what it is we do. During that time, there were unqualified, and at times, unethical people, in the industry which most are aware of from the sub-prime meltdown, etc.Click to continue

In yesteryear, your customers had a much easier time of shopping for a mortgage because the options were fewer and there weren’t as many programs to review. Now, there are thousands of mortgage companies and hundreds of different programs to choose from. The task has become quite daunting for those who are not lucky enough to be cash buyers. So, the question becomes, how do you make sure your mortgage company stands out?Click to continue

Question one: What's my mission and purpose? Every plan starts with a mission … a reason why. For example, if your mission in 2013 is to make $200,000 in income, you would conceivably do anything and everything to achieve that goal, regardless of whether your actions are healthy or unhealthy for you, your business or your relationships. It becomes easy for you to lose focus, and engage in daily habits that meet your immediate needs for money at the expense of your long-term needs for money and growth.Click to continue

When is the last time you got a real solid rejection? I’m talking about something right down to the core like a punch to the gut. I’m not referring to the deal that did not go through because the value came in too low and you personally paid for the appraisal out of your own pocket.Click to continue

Buying signals are a lot like moving through a submarine. You close the water-tight doors and then progress to the front of the boat. As your prospect displays buying signals, they are letting you know the watertight doors can close and you can move ahead. Rarely is a buying signal a sign that someone wants to sign the contract then and there. But it is a cue they want you to move ahead faster.

Here are some of the verbal and non-verbal cues that will indicate when you have said enough:Click to continue

focusIT Inc. has announced a partnership with renowned mortgage sales and marketing guru Greg Frost, integrating Greg’s sales and marketing software, including the ACTion! Marketing System, Daily Communicator, Call Capture Marketing System, and more, with focusIT’s Pulse productivity software for mortgage originators, providing Pulse users with a comprehensive, effective system for marketing, selling and managing loans.Click to continue

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) has announced that it has launched a free Web portal that enables brokers they work with to produce customized flyers, with options geared towards also marketing to borrowers and real estate agents. The system offers an easy-to-use interface by which to tailor marketing pieces, thus promoting the growth of their businesses and personal brands.Click to continue

Being the subject of recruitment by a competing firm is a sign of respect. It means that you have earned their awareness and that they covet your proven capabilities and results. In the mortgage origination industry it likely means that you have a sizable and sustainable book of business. And as the subject of desire, you have earned the right to encourage the advances of your admirers or to shut down their pursuit. There is power in being the object of desire—use it!Click to continue

Have you ever been oversold? Have you ever talked so much that you talked yourself in, and then out of the sale? Sales is not a process of convincing someone to buy. A sale is made because you probed so well, you learned what they want and then recommended a solution to their problems. When you are new to sales, you try to talk people into buying. When you are more experienced, you try to listen for openings, and then try to talk them into buying. But professional salespeople are so elegant, they “listen” people into buying.Click to continue

Leads360 has announced the availability of Leads360 Express, a cloud-based CRM software solution designed to help small mortgage companies and loan officers improve their sales lead conversion rates and grow their revenues.Click to continue