The Producer Profile series highlights career anecdotes and insights into the success of the loan officers who appeared in National Mortgage News'
This week's edition features Oren Orkin of Guaranteed Rate, where is a vice president of mortgage lending in the lender's Chicago office.
Orkin received his MBA with a concentration in real estate finance from DePaul University. Before joining Guaranteed Rate, he worked at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Bank of America Home Loans, Capital Funding Mortgage Co. and Perl Mortgage.
Last year, Orkin originated 100 mortgages for a combined dollar volume of approximately $32 million — putting him
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results?
It is hosting real estate broker open houses. I get the list of broker open houses on Monday and then make cold calls to the agents offering to host the event with them. I picked up a couple of agents that way over the last year and they started sending me business right away. It was my own idea.
What's unique about the local market that you serve and what do you do to address those needs?
We have a lot of condos. I pretty much have done everything to learn about condos and how to flag problematic projects. I know the guidelines in and out, what's needed for Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Affairs approval and the agencies' exception process.
Tell us about an unusual or difficult loan scenario and what you did to ensure a successful closing.
I had a borrower that recently moved to the U.S. from Spain. Because of the time difference, the only way to get the verification of employment done was to call the borrower's employer at 4 a.m. Central time to catch a human resources person on the phone during the company's office hours in Spain. The customer appreciated the effort and after the closing of that purchase, I've done two more refinances and another purchase for that borrower.
What do you know about the mortgage business now that you wished you knew when you started out?
How to treat my team. They are my most important clients. I take good care of them and they push my loans through.
Who is someone in your life, personally or professionally, who helps contribute to your success?
There is another loan officer whom I've known for the last five years. He's my inspiration as he's got great work ethic.
