Anyone starting from scratch in a new line of work knows there isn’t any fancy way around it. To find new clients you just gotta pick up the phone and make some “sales calls”. I’ve written hundreds of mortgages and been in real estate for eight years…but brokering mortgages was many moons ago. I had a list of random homeowners to call and when she picked up I started in on my whole "I can help you save money on your mortgage" pitch. She paused. I thought she hung up. Defensively, she replied: Thanks but my husband isn’t here. Okay, fair enough, but perhaps we can talk about what I can do to help you save money on your mortgage. She opened up a tiny bit more and we discussed some sensible options. But hearing her hesitation, she was defensive. Even over the phone, you can sense someone’s facial expressions. Pam couldn’t trust me. And I know what probably happened. The “careless and clueless” had gotten to Pam before me. You know the type: fast slick-talking mortgage broker who wants to get a homeowner committed and signed to any loan as quickly as possible. “Well, thanks for calling Mr. Bauer, I’ll have to talk to my husband about it”.
A week went by. I was ready to throw her application away. Then I got a call.
Okay, Dean and I are perhaps interested in your loan. But we want the terms in writing before we agree to anything. Pam is a very sweet but deceivingly strong person. She raised two kids who are in D1 universities. Ever hear the saying “if mamma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy”? If anything goes wrong with this loan, she will drop me like yesterday’s trash sack.
Pam and Dean closed with me on their loan today. All smiles. They cut the term of their loan and will be paying for fewer years with less interest. To understand how Pam felt about me at first, then to see the difference I was able to make in their lives when we finished…well I consider it a privilege to be a part of helping two hard working people realize their goal of homeownership. Not just homeownership. Home free-and-clear ownership.
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