Northeast mortgage originators relied heavily on referral relationships with attorneys and financial planners and less so with homebuilders last year, the
Attorneys and financial planners came in as the third most cited source by originators in the region — behind real estate agents and past clients — at 90%, compared to a nationwide average of 77%.
Meanwhile, 65% of the originators in region had a referral relationship with a homebuilder, versus 74% nationwide. All the respondents from the Northeast had referral relationships with real estate agents; there was a 98% positive response rate countrywide.
Having the right referral partnerships can set a business apart.
"Strengthen my relationships with my current referral partners and cater to my client's needs," said Christopher Gallo, a mortgage originator at NJ Lenders in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. "Both of these things has allowed me to deal with the changing market place easier and adapt as needed."
During 2018, 87% of northeast originators used organic social media posts (as opposed to paid posts). When asked the direction their organic social media usage would take during 2019, 75% replied they would start or increase their activity.
"I have implemented the use of a digital mortgage platform and expanded my social media presence," said Michael Borodinsky, a producing branch manager in the Edison, N.J., office of Caliber Home Loans. "While the vast majority of my lead generation remains 'old school' via direct referral from agents, builders and existing customers, I am growing my lead generation through the use of technology."
No matter the strategy, the right technology is key to helping move a potential customer into a loan applicant, another originator added.
"Having a CRM tailored to our industry and specific to our company is an essential tool that helps to cultivate and solidify leads and transition them into clients," said Craig Andriulli, a senior vice president at Bond Street Mortgage in Paramus, N.J.
Here are the top 20 mortgage originators based in the Northeast:
| Rank | Name | Company | City | Volume | # of Loans |
| 1 | Shant Banosian | Guaranteed Rate | Waltham, Mass. | $536,294,703 | 1215 |
| 2 | Brian Cohen | Wells Fargo Home Mortgage | Brooklyn, N.Y. | $528,000,000 | 613 |
| 3 | Jason Shannon | Contour Mortgage | Garden City, N.Y. | $250,991,094 | 282 |
| 4 | Baret Kechian | loanDepot | Hoboken, N.J. | $240,752,560 | 519 |
| 5 | Christopher Gallo | NJ Lenders | Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. | $187,496,471 | 485 |
| 6 | Michael Borodinsky | Caliber Home Loans | Edison, N.J. | $181,310,000 | 562 |
| 7 | Jeremy Durkin | Trident Mortgage | Wayne, Pa. | $167,462,208 | 585 |
| 8 | Bruce Salik | Guaranteed Rate | New City, N.Y. | $116,242,295 | 334 |
| 9 | Roger Brasil | Guaranteed Rate | Boston, Mass. | $111,988,417 | 241 |
| 10 | Christopher Keelin | Family First Funding | Sparta, N.J. | $109,230,805 | 398 |
| 11 | Jon Lamkin | Guaranteed Rate | Parsippany, N.J. | $107,471,113 | 194 |
| 12 | Justin Bonura | NJ Lenders Corp. | Little Falls, N.J. | $103,896,495 | 274 |
| 13 | Steven Grossman | NJ Lenders Corp | Little Falls, N.J. | $94,484,752 | 202 |
| 14 | Michael LiPari | Bond Street Mortgage | Paramus, N.J. | $85,227,681 | 244 |
| 15 | Craig Andriulli | Bond Street Mortgage | Paramus, N.J. | $82,603,877 | 212 |
| 16 | Robert Wishnick | Guaranteed Rate | Philadelphia, Pa. | $80,716,854 | 243 |
| 17 | Eric Bryce | Guaranteed Rate | Philadelphia, Pa. | $77,832,901 | 178 |
| 18 | Megan Wells | Guaranteed Rate Affinity | Mount Laurel, N.J. | $76,456,074 | 225 |
| 19 | Jeffrey Angelucci | Guaranteed Rate | Philadelphia, Pa. | $75,511,453 | 238 |
| 20 | Lucas Ross | Metro Credit Union | Chelsea, Mass. | $73,202,725 | 225 |
