For the next few weeks, Broker Universe will feature some of our favorite Sue Haviland columns from the past year.As a reverse mortgage specialist, you probably have a marketing plan and strategy that you can rely on that provides predictable results. If not, we need to talk! I'm sure you use a mix of tools that position you as the local expert and that you can track the effectiveness of each.
But what do you do when you're in front of that prospect that just needs a bit more convincing that you are indeed the logical choice to handle their reverse mortgage? Especially given the current environment where negative press about reverses seems to rear its ugly head from time to time. Do you carry the one item in your arsenal that you can rely on in a pinch?
I started assembling this item years ago. It's a simple binder, simple yet very powerful. It contains a collection of carefully selected pieces and it has proven quite worthwhile over time.
What's in this binder? My story - it lets my prospects know they are dealing with a dedicated reverse mortgage specialist. I include thank you notes from past clients and their families and testimonials and pictures from clients. I have letters of thanks and testimonials from professional referral sources. Think attorneys, financial planners, real estate professionals, in home care agencies, and the like.
Have you been recognized by your company for some achievement? Participated in a function involving a local charity or community organization? Be sure to include those items.
Remember, seniors want to get to know you. On the advice of one of my mentors, Brian Sacks, a name I'm sure many of you know, I started to add pieces I had written for a local senior newsletter and other publications. All these pieces put together build credibility and show that you are in this arena to stay.
Reverse mortgages are not just the hot product of the day for you. If you have not started collecting testimonials, do it now. Make it a point to ask, your clients and their families will be more than happy to oblige. It won't be long before you'll have your own collection, and you'll have others "telling your story."
Sue Haviland is a reverse mortgage consultant in Baltimore and the founder of Reverse Mortgage Success, a leader in the training and education for originators around the country in the rapidly growing reverse mortgage arena. Ms. Haviland has worked in the lending industry since 1981. She has been originating reverse mortgages for the last six years and still originates loans every day. She has helped hundreds of families all over the country in the last several years. Sue also shares her knowledge of this market in presentations before the Women's Council of Realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Professional Mortgage Women, and SRES - Senior Real Estate Specialists, Brian Sacks' Insider Seminars, as well as the public. Sue is a Certified Senior Advisor and is active in many professional organizations. Sign up for her free 7-part mini-course at
