Top Producer Pro Tips: Northeast Notables 2016
April 18, 2016 3:00 PM
Northeast Regional Rankings
Learn how the some of the industry's most successful loan originators get it done with these tricks of the trade from the 2016 Top Producers top 20 loan officers of the Northeast.
No. 20 Michael Dunsky, Guaranteed Rate<br> Franklin, Mass. (No. 119 overall)
What do you know about the mortgage business now that you wished you knew when you started out?Nothing. It's all changed. I say that halfhearted but the truth is that the industry has evolved so much since I began in 1988 that it has virtually all changed. I remember ordering a credit report via fax and having to wait four days for it to arrive in the mail. Now, it's instant. That's just one example but the industry today is nothing like when I started. I could not imagine the changes that we've been through, or the changes that are to come.
No. 19 Roger Brasil, Guaranteed Rate<br> Boston, Mass. (No. 109 overall)
Tell us about an unusual or difficult loan scenario and what you did to ensure a successful closing.I had a client going through a divorce and she needed to refinance her ex-husband off the loan or sell the house. She did not want to sell because she loved her home. However, the property had to stay on the market while the refinance processed and that caused an issue. Plus we needed to take cash-out but we got creative and found a way to get it done for her after she was denied at two other lenders.
No. 18 Vincent DiOrio, Academy Mortgage<br> Farmingdale, N.Y. (No. 105 overall)
Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results?I work for the client and offer them options that suit their needs. I treat clients as I would want to be treated and the results are many referrals.
No. 17 Scott Hemsworth, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage<br> Summit, N.J. (No. 99 overall)
Who is someone in your life, either personally or professionally, who helps contribute to your success?An executive vice president/managing director at a large investment bank in New York, who when I called on in my early years asked me why he should endorse my services to his thousands of employees. I went through the litany of services and products we offered and he said, "No, that is not correct. I will be endorsing you. You are what you are selling. Very few clients you call on will understand the true difference of the company you are representing compared to other lenders, but what they will see, is your presence, knowledge, personality and enthusiasm. You are selling yourself more than anything else."
No. 16 Jeremy Durkin, Trident Mortgage<br> Philadelphia, Pa. (No. 97 overall)
Who is someone in your life, either personally or professionally, who helps contribute to your success?Each manager I worked with in my younger years helped me out greatly. I learned a lot from them on how they communicated with others effectively in ways that swayed the sale to their favor. Rich Serpe was a great teacher for this art.
No. 15 Jon Lamkin, Guaranteed Rate<br> Parsippany, N.J. (No. 96 overall)
What's unique about the local market that you serve and what do you do to address those needs?The majority of my business comes from Essex, Union and Morris counties. I have a very diverse client base, I can do a $2.5 million loan for one client and the house 1 mile down the street could be $200,000 FHA client.
No. 14 Mendel Klagsbrun, Funding Source<br> Monsey, N.Y. (overall No. 94)
What's unique about the local market that you serve and what do you do to address those needs?We have a lot of condo projects. Prices are on the rise and appraisals can become an issue, we have a very strong knowledge of the local market so we can help a lot of these issues. Secondly, I deal with a lot of first-time homebuyers and there is a lot of holding hands to walk them through the process. My staff is well trained to deal with this.
No. 13 Christopher Smith, Trident Mortgage<br> Philadelphia, Pa. (No. 86 overall)
Who is someone in your life, either personally or professionally, who helps contribute to your success?Two of my best friends who are also in the mortgage business, Jason Griesser at Prospect Mortgage and Larry Cohen at Guaranteed Rate. We all worked together here at Trident Mortgage. They contributed to my success by keeping me motivated and driving the company forward. We dominated the market together as a team. Even though we no longer work for the same company we still help each other to become successful.
No. 12 Rusty O'Dowd, Guaranteed Rate<br> Waltham, Mass. (No. 81 overall)
Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results?There is not one idea or marketing campaign I've run that I consider to be the magic bullet. I've always believed in good old fashioned hard work and staying in touch with all of my clients. A very simple practice that has helped my business grow year over year.
No. 11 Sean Logue, Trident Mortgage<br> Philadelphia, Pa. (No. 70 overall)
Tell us about an unusual or difficult loan scenario and what you did to ensure a successful closing.In any loan, it's about asking the question. If the loan can't be done, then you're not asking the right question. There are no problems, only solutions.
No. 10 Joseph Smith, Guaranteed Rate<br> Boston, Mass. (No. 57 Overall)
Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results?We send a monthly marketing postcard to everyone we have done a loan for. It keep us top of mind so that when they consider refinancing or buying a new property they always have our information close at hand, plus they know a new postcard will arrive shortly.
No. 9 Lisa Nicholas, PrimeLending <br> Shelton, Conn. (No. 47 overall)
Who is someone in your life, either personally or professionally, who helps contribute to your success?It takes a village to close a loan. I couldn't be successful without the help of my team, The Shelton Dream Team. Each player on the team is dedicated and committed to make every client feel like family, to ensure that we are doing the best for PrimeLending and lastly for having each other's back, day in and day out.
No. 8 Michael Tanionos, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage<br> Woburn, Mass. (No. 41 overall)
What's unique about the local market that you serve and what do you do to address those needs?I am able to offer a quick turn-time on non-qualified mortgage jumbo purchase loans. In my market if you can't do them, you won't get any market share.
No. 7 Allyson Kreycik, Guaranteed Rate<br> Wakefield, Mass. (No. 36 overall)
What do you know about the mortgage business now that you wished you knew when you started out?If a loan isn't going to work don't spend time on it. Educate the buyers on what they need to do now to get pre-approved in the future. Never take a loan that will keep you up at night because it may not work.
No. 6 Jason Shannon, Contour Mortgage<br> Garden City, N.Y. (No. 27 overall)
Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results?The best way that I get business for myself is through word of mouth and mailers. I have had huge success in mailers and small advertising in local papers.
No. 5 Michael Borodinsky, Caliber Home Loans<br> Edison, N.J. (No. 21 overall)
What do you know about the mortgage business now that you wished you knew when you started out? The better question is, "Would I enter the mortgage business today as a new recruit straight out of college (which is how I got started in 1983)?" The answer is, not without some hesitation.
No. 4 Andrew Marquis Guaranteed Rate<br> Waltham, Mass. (No. 12 overall)
Tell us about an unusual or difficult loan scenario and what you did to ensure a successful closing.Recently I came across a Federal Housing Administration loan that failed the inspection due to peeling paint, which is a safety hazard due to lead paint. I very quickly switched this to an FHA 203k streamline loan (which can be used for fixing up a property) and closed it very quickly.
No. 3 Julie Long Commonwealth Mortgage<br> Woburn, Mass. (No. 8 overall)
Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results?My most successful marketing strategy is emailing at very early hours or late evening hours. I find that email is now more preferred than phone calls and I get a higher response rate emailing early morning or late evening that I do during the day. People are busy with the hustle and bustle of the every day American life. But with smartphones and almost everyone has one today it's easy to be accessible via email during all waking hours.
No. 2 Shant Banosian, Guaranteed Rate<br> Waltham, Mass. (No. 4 overall)
What do you know about the mortgage business now that you wished you knew when you started out?How important is communication with all parties in the deal. Become friends with everyone on all sides of the transaction. Teamwork takes you a lot further and gets you more.
No. 1 Brian Scott Cohen, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage<br> Brooklyn, N.Y. (No. 3 overall)
What's unique about the local market that you serve and what do you do to address those needs?My local market, like many others, has a limited housing supply. There is stronger demand then inventory, which means you need to work that much harder to get the business; it's very competitive. Besides, the inventory issues, in my market it's not just approving the buyer; we have to deal with getting a condominium or co-operative building approved as well.
