Everyone needs someone to turn to, even mortgage brokers. Thanks to the new program from Rocket Pro TPO, called “Crews,” every broker partner with the company will have direct access to a small, dedicated team of mortgage experts to assist in the loan process. The program officially launched yesterday and is already up and running.
Rocket completely restructured their operational support system to create tailored teams of experts for each of their broker partners, who are willing to answer any questions pertaining to any part of the loan process. These experts, including seasoned underwriters, closing specialists, purchase title coordinators and more, are contracted to work full-time with Rocket.
Currently, every broker partner has a crew assigned to them who are informed on their business operations, strategies, goals, and more – essentially knowing all there is to know about these brokerages to assist them. However, one of the most important features of this service is that assistance will be available to brokers located in any time zone.
“One of the top complaints from mortgage brokers are wholesale hours,” said Austin Niemiec, vice president of wholesale lending at Rocket Pro TPO. “Rocket is headquartered in Detroit, MI, but partners with brokers across the country, and the difference in time zones means not everyone has the same working hours. Now we offer East Coast and West Coast Crews, who are available during each broker’s specific working hours.”
The East Coast and West Coast Crew branches will have knowledge of local guidelines, and will be able to assist partners in any state. “Before Crews we had the expertise,” Niemiec stated. “Now we’re focused on building a customized relationship with our partners.”
There are three overarching benefits this program provides brokers, including: consistency, accessibility, and speed.
Brokers typically work with different people for every loan, even if they’re working with the same lender. In order to minimize confusion and allow the development of relationships between lender and broker, the Crew program allows brokers to work with the same group of experts every time. This way, brokers will receive a customized experience with Rocket that’s tailored to suit their business needs.
Accessibility will improve dramatically, as well. Brokers will have experts available to them during their working hours, no matter where they’re located throughout the country. Brokers can call in to ask for assistance on any part of the loan process and get an immediate response, solving disruptions and roadblocks instantly.
Speed is also expected to improve now that help is more accessible. “We already have the fastest closing times in the country – making it from clear to close in just 15 days,” Niemiec said, ensuring that Crews will only improve these closing times and make the process more consistent for their partners.
“Our mission is to provide the best of both worlds,” Niemiec added. “We spent a significant amount of money – $100 million in the past year – for broker technology platforms. The Crews program is more like a boutique, offering a personalized service for brokerages.”
While the outlook may be looking dismal to many in the industry right now, Rocket is spearheading their way into the new year by investing more in broker technology and resources. Rocket plans to follow the same strategy they went into Covid-19 with, which is to double down on support, gain more partners, onboard more people, and grow their reach even further.
“Right now there are mortgage companies and lenders – big and small – who are being acquired or are shutting down. Big lenders are literally shutting their doors because they can’t survive in these market conditions. Meanwhile, we’re doing the opposite," Niemiec said. "We'll continue onboarding more people, investing more in technology, and expanding our reach.”
When asked about profit goals for the Crews program or even for the new year, Niemiec said, “We don’t have a goal in terms of profit. Instead, we like to help brokers win, and believe the money and numbers will follow.”
