Art of Mortgage Marketing

The Top 7 Ways to Automate Your Mortgage Business, So It Runs Like a Finely-Oiled Machine In Your Absence

No one gets into this industry with the intention of trading all their time for money, but by insisting on doing everything themselves, many mortgage pros have sacrificed their dreams of freedom in favor of doing it the hard way. 

 

To build the kind of businesses that set us free, we have to stop relying on human efforts to get everything done. It’s the 21st century, so why are so many of us still shying away from automation?

 

Does the prospect of learning new systems scare us too much to dive into the deep end? How can we move past that fear and start implementing the kinds of systems that blast our businesses to astronomical heights?

 

In this episode, I’m sharing which parts of our businesses we need to automate for maximum results.

To build a business that sets you free, you need systems that undergird your operations so you’re not trading time for money. -Doren Aldana

 

Takeaways 

 

• Why automating our lead capture is the only way to move forward: 
  
  How can we expect to capture all our leads’ data and track the thread of communication when we’re still settling for caveman tracking from the dark ages, like Excel spreadsheets? 

 

• Why tracking leads by source is vital for a thriving business: 
  
  Why spend an inordinate amount of time on a lead source that brings in the smallest percentage of our business? 

 

• How to automate Realtor attraction: 
  
  Capturing the attention of top dog Realtors is mission-critical for a booming business, but too many of us are still doing it the hard way. Instead of cold-calling agents, why not use 21st-century technology to automate the process? 

 

The Best Way to Prospect for New Loans - Without Having To Meet Face to Face (Even If You're a Newbie)

Pre-COVID, meeting top producers in person was a great way to build profitable relationships, but that’s no longer an option. If we plan to dominate the industry in the face of the pandemic, we have to roll with the times and find a new way forward.

 

A lot of so-called ‘experts’ would have us believe the next best option is cold-calling, but that’s doing it the hard way. COVID-19 or not, we’ve still got to find the fastest path to the cash -- and that means ditching old school strategies for good.

 

How should we be marketing ourselves to top dog agents in a time when networking as we knew it no longer exists? Are there any foolproof solutions in unprecedented times, or is it time to try reinventing the wheel?

 

In this episode, I’m sharing how both newbie LOs and seasoned pros can build solid connections with top producers, without meeting anyone face to face.

The shortest path to the cash in this business, newbie or veteran, is and always will be attracting top-producing Realtors who make you their exclusive and act as your brand ambassador. -Doren Aldana

 

Takeaways 

 

• The WORST way to prospect during this time: 
  
  Cold-calling and reaching out to Realtors to be ‘helpful’ sure is better than doing nothing at all, but is it the smartest, most fruitful way to capture the attention of top producers?
  
  
• How to attract top producers without smiling and dialing: 
  
  Realtors aren’t answering phones anymore, and if they are, chances are they’re spending the full duration of the call trying to get rid of us. How can we attract the attention of the top dogs using 21st century technology?
  
  
• How to shatter the perception that LOs are loan leeches: 
  
  How can we change the way top producing agents see us, so we can go from mortgage hawker to marketing partner in their eyes?

5 Hacks For Maximizing Your FREEDOM, So You Can Earn More While Working Less

We all have the same number of hours in a day, but what separates superstars from the Average Joe LO is how that time is spent. If we want our businesses to be a vehicle for freedom, we need to shift our focus from activity to productivity. 

 

To get better results, we don’t need to put in more hours, we just need to get more from the hours we’re already putting in. How can we squeeze as much profit-producing nectar out of our days as possible, without over-exerting ourselves?

 

Is it possible to kick battery-draining tasks to the curb for good, so we can spend more time on the things that ignite and excite us? 

 

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 tips on how to get more fun, flow, freedom, and fortune from the time we put in. 

Liberate yourself from the minutiae of operations so you can focus on making it rain and dancing in your strengths. -Doren Aldana  

 

Takeaways 

• How to feel our freedom in advance: 
  
  Self-doubt will take us out, so what can we do to cultivate a sense of certainty that liberation and victory are already en route to us? 
  
  
• Why we need to fill our own cups first: 
  
  We’ll never have the energy and vitality we need to power up the mountain of success if we aren’t prioritizing our wellbeing, but how can we find the time to put ourselves first? 
  
  
• How to maximize our mornings: 
  
  What would our days look like if we dedicated mornings to pouring into ourselves, instead of getting sucked into the vortex of reactionary mode? 

7 Signs Your Marketing is Broken (And How to Fix it)

It’s tough staying motivated when it feels like we’re spinning our wheels in the same spot, but most of the time, average results come down to one thing: poor marketing.

 

When our marketing isn’t positioning us as the only logical choice, we’re paving the way for mediocre results. It doesn't matter how great your products are or how great your service is, if you don't know how to market yourself effectively, you're going to have skinny kids.

 

The irony is, bad marketing usually goes hand in hand with conventional thinking. Conventional ruts, lead to conventional results. How can we stop following the herd, and rise above the crowd?

 

In this episode, I’m sharing how to identify if our marketing is on the wrong track and how to get back on the path to marketing excellence... the path of prosperity.

If you feel like you were born to soar but you’re scratching in the chicken yard, it’s probably because your marketing is losing steam. -Doren Aldana

 

Takeaways 

 

Why cold-calling in the 21st century is only holding us back:

 

Cold-calling is the quickest way to work harder, rather than smarter. What other, more effective options are available to us? 

 

How a “feast or famine” mindset lets us know we’re doing something wrong:

 

Are we holding ourselves back from our wants because we’re worried about an unpredictable, fluctuating income? How do we fix that, once and for all?

 

What our average loan size says about us:

 

If our average loan is $100k below optimal, we could be approaching the wrong Realtors. How can we align with top dog agents who work with a more affluent client base? 

 

 

3 Steps to Creating a Breakthrough in Your Purchase Pipeline... Without Cold Calling, Begging, or Bribing

Growing our purchase pipeline without making a ton of cold calls may sound too good to be true, but that’s only because we’ve become used to doing it the hard way.

 

Most LOs are so accustomed to begging Realtors for their business that the thought of doing it any other way seems downright audacious, but it doesn’t need to be. When we channel our efforts into working smarter, not harder, breakthrough becomes reality.

 

What can we do to flip the script on Realtors and get them to ask us for business? Is it truly possible to partner with top dog agents who bring us better deals without calling the same 40 Realtors every Monday?

 

In this episode, I’m sharing the 3 steps that guarantee purchase pipeline growth.

 

Work with people who have the highest capacity to send you the most business, the most often. -Doren Aldana

 

 

Takeaways 

• Why we need to stop wasting time working with mediocre agents:
   
  A lot of the time, we end up working harder than we should because we’re partnered with bottom feeder agents who do the bare minimum. How can we stop aligning with low producers for good? 
  
  
• How to bait the right Realtors: 
  
  Superstar agents want to work with superstar mortgage pros. What can we bring to the table to show we’re the obvious choice for a lender partner? 
  
  
• The process we should be taking agents through: 
  
  Could our approach with Realtors be the one thing stopping us from building fruitful relationships with them? What should we be doing instead? 

 

How Erica Dose Went From a 4-Year Rut of Stagnation to DOUBLING Her Purchase Business in Just 3 Months (Without Cold Calling)

Getting “good” results year after year may sound like a blessing, but every seasoned mortgage pro will agree that after a while, good just isn’t good enough. To feel fulfilled by our careers, we have to aspire to be great. 

 

The key differentiator between ordinary and extraordinary lies in growth, but far too many veteran LOs have tasted minor success and become complacent. 

 

Since it’s our comfort that keeps us settling for average, what can we do to bust out of our comfort zones for good? How can we stop reliving groundhog day and get back into enjoying our careers?

 

In this episode, Sales Manager at loanDepot, Erica Dose shares how Mortgage Marketing Coach helped her reach the next level of success.

 

If you don't grow, you'll go backwards, and if you go backwards you’ll end up in the ground. -Erica Dose

 

Takeaways 

• How to define our ‘why’ when we’re already relatively successful: 
  
  Once we’ve reached a certain level of success, money stops being our chief motivator. What’s really driving us to do more?
  
  
• How to get past the debilitating fear of failure: 
  
  The chief reason so many mortgage pros stay in one spot is because they’re afraid of not being able to get to the next level. How can we overcome this once and for all? 
  
  
• How to make decisions faster and more effectively: 
  
  Something all high achievers have in common is the ability to make decisions quickly. The question is, how can we be sure we’re making the right choice?

 

Guest Bio-

Erica Dose is a Sales Manager at loanDepot. An industry veteran with 18 years of experience in the business, Erica got her start in the business after her mother circled an ad in the paper shortly after her graduation, and she hasn’t looked back since. Erica holds a degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

 

To find out more, head to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-dose-4a9a6416 

www.loandepot.com 

 

How Having Less Realtor Partners Actually Makes You More Money

One of the biggest reasons loan officers struggle to delight in their work comes down to who they work with. Not all Realtors are created equal. Some energize us and our businesses, and others cause nothing but drama and trauma. If we're working with a lot of the wrong Realtors, we won’t be able to have more fun, flow, freedom, or funds. 

The problem is many mortgage pros believe they have to work with every single agent to have a healthy book of business, but the opposite is true. The most successful mortgage pros have designed their businesses around working with a special select few who value and respect them -- and send them a boatload of referrals. 

By going for quality over quantity, we get to maximize our performance and our results. 

Which Realtors are best to work with? How can we get more out of our businesses by working with fewer higher-quality partners? In this episode, I share the top 5 reasons less is more when it comes to who we work with. 

 

Be selective about the quality and caliber of partnerships so you’re getting maximum reward for the least amount of responsibility and stress. -Doren Aldana    

 

Takeaways 

 

Why we have to choose our Realtor partners wisely:

Every client and Realtor comes at a cost. Some give us the delightful experience of flow, ease, and synergy. Others bring nothing but drudgery, drama, friction, and frustration. 

 

 

The trouble with average Realtors and low-producing agents: 

The average Realtor is too much thankless drama, difficulty, and trauma. We’ll get treated like a commodity with the mediocre results to match. Become irreplaceable and indispensable as a mortgage pro by making one simple change. 

 

How working with the right people improves our quality of life:

Working with a select few Realtors doesn’t just maximize our earnings. It maximizes our fulfillment, and the mental and emotional reward we get from our work. Think about all the areas of your life that will be improved! 

3 Hidden Obstacles to Success That Stop Most Mortgage Pros From Living Their Dream

Struggling mortgage professionals tend to blame external factors for their stagnation, but sometimes the culprit is a lot closer to them. Even with the best intentions, the highest level of potential, and the biggest dreams, there are still certain hidden obstacles that we can’t outrun or outperform until they are dealt with. 

These obstacles secretly suck the life out of our ability to achieve our full potential, and even the most talented people can become victims of them. 

How can we get rid of these insidious barriers to success? What practical steps can we take to make sure we’re equipped to soar? In this episode, I talk about three things that might be holding us back without our knowledge. 

Replace delusional optimism with clear-headed accurate thinking. -Doren Aldana  

 

Takeaways 

• Why fear does nothing to protect us from risk:  
  Human beings are naturally designed to look out for danger, so it seems wise to focus on fear and keep a watchful eye on risks. The problem is when we focus on fear, we expand the things we actually don’t want. What should we focus on instead?
  
  
• How delusional optimism perpetuates our problems:
  Delusional optimism is when we expect things to get better without actually making any changes to aid the situation. How can we take action ourselves to pull our business out of stagnation?
  
  
• What our terror barrier tells us about ourselves:
  Our comfort zone encircles our life and the current results we have. Stepping out of that will inevitably feel scary, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar. That doesn’t mean we’re doing something wrong, it actually means something good is happening. How can we use it to create the life we want? 

7 Reasons Why It Pays to Proactively Pursue the Purchase Market (Even in a Refi Boom)

The recent half-point increase in conventional refinancing rates has rattled the cage of any LO who put all their focus on that market. Building your business on the ground of the refi market leaves you in a precarious and possibly desperate situation. 

You could literally lose your income in a matter of days and find yourself struggling. If refis are quicksand, there’s only one worthy alternative, purchase deals. 

Refis on their best and most lucrative day have nothing on the purchase market for a multitude of reasons. 

Doubling down on the purchase market isn’t an optional luxury. It should be a mission critical must and a front burner priority in our businesses, especially when everyone else is going all in on refis. 

What makes the purchase market better than the refi one? How do purchase deals allow us to strategically uptick our average commission? Why is a day’s work in the purchase market so much more fulfilling? In this episode, I talk about the unlimited opportunity in the purchase market. 

 

 

It pays in spades to be more deliberate, intelligent, and strategic about attracting purchase business. -Doren Aldana  

 

 

Takeaways 

• How the purchase market creates a chain of awesome 
  Purchase deals usually aren’t one-and-done transactions. They create reputation and relationships, and drive referrals and reviews. That one deal can be the foundation to a lifetime of business. 
• Why purchase deals stand on solid ground
  Refi clients are price conscious and more focused on getting the lowest rates. Purchase clients are motivated by something entirely different, something more powerful. What makes them so special? 
• The fulfillment we get from purchase deals that we don’t get from refis 
  The purchase market gives us the opportunity to be a conduit of contribution and a catalyst to a life-altering milestone. With refis, we’re nothing more than a commodity. 

 

The Top 5 Ways Mortgage Pros Sabotage Their Success

Many ambitious loan officers do everything they can to progress, grow, and expand but constantly find themselves stuck with short-lived successes, unfulfilled potential, and results they aren’t happy with. 

 

Even with the best intentions, they have a hard time getting out of their own way. Some things cannot be outrun by how hard we work. 

 

From sneaky stinking thinking to playing the mortgage game the wrong way, if certain internal and external obstacles aren’t dealt with, they will continue to obliterate our progress. 

 

 

What are some of the landmines that destroy our success? How can we change the things that are holding us back into things we’ve conquered? In this episode, I share the top 5 reasons why LOs sabotage themselves. 

 

 

Rarely will you attract more than what you believe you’re worthy or capable of. You can’t attract more than what your self-image dictates. -Doren Aldana   

 

 

Takeaways 

 

• How to break the cycle of self-sabotage
  The way we perceive ourselves and the world around us can either be the fuel that fires our achievement or the container that holds us back. 
  
  
• How to take control of our self-image
  If we succeed beyond our self-defined level of success, we will inevitably crash, burn, and self-sabotage unless we take action… but what kind of action? 
  
  
• How to stay focused on the big picture
  If time spent in our businesses is used up on minor tasks and things that don’t drive growth, we’re sabotaging our own success. There’s a big difference between building a practice and building a business.