This week we are pleased to share with you one of our favorite columns from Sue.
I received a very good question recently via e-mail and I thought I'd share it with you. You may have heard me comment on this topic before but it bears repeating. The question went something like this: "Sue, I'm an experienced loan officer thinking about getting into the reverse mortgage business, but I'm only 31 years old. I am concerned that my senior clients will not want to work with me because I am so much younger than they are. Should I even try?"
This question shows insight on the part of the writer since she is obviously thinking about her clients and how they will relate to her. The fact that she has thought this through makes me even more confident in my response.
Of course she should pursue the reverse mortgage business and not for one moment be concerned about her age. Whether you are young or a little older, it's your passion for the product and your concern for the client that will make you successful. Once the senior realizes that you are genuinely interested in their needs, you will win their loyalty and their business.
I'll relate a personal experience on this topic as well. One of my team members who came to me from a bank environment had the same concern about her age. We discussed how she communicated to her clients and how she thought they saw her. She was only 29 at the time and the concern was really all on her end. As it turns out, her prospects embraced her almost like a granddaughter and once she shed this misconception about how she was perceived, her business took off and she has been successful ever since.
To put this another way, it is similar to other concerns I have heard over the years. Some loan officers are worried that they live in a small town vs. a big city. Don't let any of these concerns stand in your way. For the most part, they are all in your mind; it's your mindset that will make you a success. The seniors in your area need your help. Be there for them and let nothing stand in your way.
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 seven-part mini-course at
