What It Takes to Be a Top Producer

Irina Hines, Union Mortgage Group

Tell us about an unusual or difficult loan scenario and what you did to ensure a successful closing. I had a client with Chinese bank statements. I had to search out a professor at a local university who taught Chinese. He was an accredited individual with all the necessary qualifications. Myself and my processor had to go meet him at the university to translate the document by hand. We got all of that accomplished right in time for closing. This is one of so many that I can think of right now; honestly, sometimes you just have to block it out of your memory after the stress it causes as long as client is closed on time and happy.

Chris Schoenthal, HomeBridge Financial Services

Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results? I took jars of pickles and made labels with my contact information. I put on them, "Don't get stuck in a Pickle. Call Chris." It got a great response from people and it was a clever idea.

Shashank Shekhar, Arcus Lending

What do you know about the mortgage business now that you wished you knew when you started out? I used to get really stressed at the beginning of my career if anything didn't go as planned. One of the reasons was sometimes I had only that loan in my pipeline, so the income meant a lot. With a bigger pipeline, more control over my lead sourcing and being able to look at a much bigger picture, I have been able to stay extremely calm and rarely get stressed. In fact, my team members think I am an "alien"— how else how could someone be so unfazed by all the chaos that's part of a top producer's daily life?

Jamie Tyndall, Mortgage Master

Tell us about an unusual or difficult loan scenario and what you did to ensure a successful closing. Before I came to Mortgage Master I had a client who was adopting a baby from Russia and they got the call that their baby was ready just when they were closing on their home. The bank would not allow a power of attorney to sign the papers. So we had to send the papers to Russia but there was no FedEx or one-day delivery service there. I reached out to the embassy here to find a courier service and we were able to get the papers to the embassy in Russia where the buyers could sign the papers and get them back here in a timely fashion.

Eric Rotner, Commerce Home Mortgage

Who is someone in your life, personally or professionally, who helps contribute to your success? The owner of the first company that I worked for was an exceptionally difficult person to deal with and offered very little support. However, she insisted that I learn all facets of the business from sales to processing. The experience in handling all aspects of the transaction has provided me with levels of expertise that my competition does not have.

Thad Musser, Atlantic Coast Mortgage

Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results? I didn't think of it as a marketing strategy when it started, but after Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., saved our son's life, my wife and I have made a commitment to make a donation to Children's National in the name of every client that closes a loan with me. We've also set up a website that chronicles our son's journey working with Children's National and link to it on my work website. I came up with the idea with nothing but altruistic intentions because it seemed the right thing for me and my family to do. But it's also helped humanize me to potential clients, many of whom had children with similar experiences.

Marc Demetriou, Residential Home Funding

What's unique about the local market you serve and what do you do to address those needs? The market I provide services to expects and demands great service as well as expertise. I deliver both and always impress my clients by being available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to take their calls and respond to their emails or texts.

Ryan Kelley, NewCastle Home Loans

Tell us about your most creative or successful marketing strategy. How did you come up with the idea? What were the results? The measure of success of marketing is to keep growing. I have done direct mail pieces with me sitting in a bathtub of credit cards drowning in debt. I have also done radio and television commercials that are all unique to each listener.