Are you ready to make the life-changing switch to wholesale and take advantage of what ‘going independent’ offers you as a mortgage broker or loan officer? Our team at BeAMortgageBroker.com is here to help you every step of the way.

COMBINING PASSIONS IN THE WHOLESALE MORTGAGE BUSINESS

Many people who experience success in sales are true advisors to their clients, focusing on relationships instead of transactions. It’s a philosophy that served Ciera well during her time in the corporate world and has carried over to her career as an independent mortgage broker.

BANKING TO BROKERING

Ciera got an early start in the financial services industry working in the call center of a large bank to help pay her college tuition. She eventually went on to manage several bank branches throughout Southern California and then moved into lending as a corporate underwriter.

She also worked part-time as a real estate agent, and around the time she was feeling like she’d reached a ceiling in her banking career, a new opportunity presented itself – Ciera’s personal mortgage broker offered her a job at his company.

“I felt it was best for me to take my skill sets that I’d already learned from an underwriting standpoint, the lending industry and from real estate,” said Ciera. “It just made so much sense for me.”

SHOPPING RATES, PROVIDING SOLUTIONS

Ciera immediately saw the benefits of working at an independent mortgage brokerage. Her familiarity with the banking model of mortgage lending made Ciera realize that this was the best route to go.

“I can shop rates for my clients. I can also provide solutions to my clients that the banks can’t offer and I feel like that’s where I’m able to win,” said Ciera. “The sky’s the limit with me. I have a variety of options that I can tailor to the different clients that I have.”

Leaning on her experience as a real estate agent, Ciera has also focused on helping her real estate agent partners see the advantages of partnering with her.

“I always pride myself on being very transparent with my real estate partners and also letting them know that I can help drive their business to be more successful,” said Ciera. “I just let them know that I’m a one-stop-shop for everything and I’m going to create a lifetime client for the both of us.”

BUILDING GENERATIONAL WEALTH

Ciera bought her first home when she was 27 and has a passion for educating borrowers on the importance of building wealth through real estate. She even hosts seminars on the subject at local colleges.

“That’s how I’ve attracted more clients because now they don’t just see me as paper pushing; they see me as their lifetime loan officer and someone who really cares,” said Ciera. “We talk about their short-terms goals and what they’re looking for, but I also create a vision for them that the long-term goal is to build generational wealth for them and their family.”

The relationships that have come from those conversations have put Ciera in the enviable position of never having to pay for a lead. In addition, her move to mortgages has allowed Ciera to utilize all of her talents and gives her the ability to maximize them.

“It’s best to be a broker because you can attract a variety of relationships and you have a variety of products that you can offer,” said Ciera. “It’s worked very well and I would tell anyone in a heartbeat that going in this direction is the best way to go.”