Directly.com is the new online community where borrowers can meet mortgage professionals as they receive answers to their questions. Savvy originators are joining early to build their reputations and earn rewards. I’ll show you how to do this in a moment; but first, I’ll explain why I think communities like Directly are important and three reasons you should consider becoming a part of it.
Five years into the crash, borrowers are still reeling. Homebuyers are frustrated with the mound of paperwork, and they’re baffled by underwriting conditions. Homeowners looking to refinance are being blocked by poor appraisals and stiffer credit requirements. People seeking loan mods complain of being stonewalled or misled with double-talk. All of these folks need answers—and that presents an opportunity.
Institutions and regulations are ever-changing—purportedly in an effort to help borrowers—but the reality has been higher costs, slower processing, and continued confusion. Surprisingly, while the Internet is revolutionizing industry after industry, its impact on any aspect of mortgage outside of origination has been minimal.
But things are changing. Online real estate communities are springing up around popular real estate websites like Trulia and Zillow, allowing consumers to speak quickly and openly with a broad set of professionals. Many of the extraordinary dynamics of these sites, and social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, promise to bring a new level of trust and transparency to the area of mortgages. Consumers are sick and tired of feeling like they are in the dark.
Directly.com is the first community designed to help borrowers with specific questions about their mortgages via answers that come from a narrow set of experienced mortgage professionals that provides rewards to the professionals. Here are three specific reasons I think you’ll want to join the site:
1. Reputation. Online reputation has become critical to success. As a Directly professional, you receive a profile page that showcases how you’ve helped consumers. These reputations help you and the institution you’re affiliated with.
2. Rewards. On Directly, you earn cash rewards from customers who offer remuneration for help. You can cash these rewards out via PayPal, or double your impact by donating them to the non-profit of your choice.
3. Reach. On Directly, in addition to reaching tens of thousands of borrowers, you can build and cultivate a following (like Twitter) of people you’ve helped in the past, and use this network to drive referrals and a bigger audience.
One silver lining to the crash is that many of the unskilled and less scrupulous originators have been flushed out. There’s a chapter in my book called, “Mortgage Stars Who Rock” that refers to the honorable loan officers who work hard to be available to consumers anytime and anywhere they’re needed. Today, consumers are benefiting from online communities that are powered by the true professionals who are focusing their careers on helping people.
If this sounds like you, then you will not want to be left behind. I invite you to join me in helping good folks while you earn rewards and build a strong reputation. It only takes a few minutes to submit your application for acceptance at www.directly.com/mortgage.
Carolyn Warren is the best-selling author of Mortgage Ripoffs and Money Savers: An Industry Insider Explains How to Save Thousands on Your Mortgage or Refinance. She is the owner of www.mortgage-helper.com. She may be reached at directly.com/in/carolyn-warren.
