Are you ready to make the life-changing switch to a career as an independent mortgage broker or loan officer? Our team at BeAMortgageBroker.com is here to help you every step of the way.

TAKING CONTROL OF HIS CAREER

To take control, you sometimes have to let go of what feels comfortable. For Dario, working as a retail loan officer gave him an entry into the mortgage business, but it turned out it wasn’t best for his long-term career growth. To accomplish all of his mortgage career goals, he realized he had to make the leap to the wholesale channel.

TURNING AWAY BUSINESS

Dario’s interest in a career in real estate started in 2017. At first, he thought he wanted to become a real estate agent.

“I found out I wasn’t into bathroom tiles and talking about square footage,” said Dario. “A buddy of mine had mentioned mortgage lending and said, ‘You should get into the mortgage business.’” 

Dario became licensed as a mortgage loan officer and took a job at a large retail bank. For someone who was new to the industry, he found value in this first opportunity to learn the mortgage business.

“When you’re working at a bigger company, you’re able to get your hands on a lot of transactions – figure out what works, what doesn’t, what you understand, what you don’t understand,” he said.

However, when the pandemic started to impact the mortgage industry, Dario saw first-hand some of the pain points associated with the retail model of mortgage origination.

“When you’re working on the retail side, the pros are that you get leads, and the cons are that you get no support and you have no control,” he explained. “When COVID hit, I had clients that were coming to my office saying, ‘Hey, I heard interest rates are low, I want to refinance.’ The employer that I was working for did not lower rates, so I couldn’t help them. I sat there and turned them away until it got to the point where I had to take control.”

GOING OUT ON HIS OWN

Dario knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he also knew that starting his own independent mortgage brokerage was the only way to find the level of control that he needed. He also knew that he wouldn’t be doing it alone.

“A lot of the investors (lenders) you get to work with as broker, they’re there to support you,” said Dario. “They aren’t going to grow as companies if you don’t grow. I’d say that was the most important part of starting – understanding that I had support.”

Dario had something else that helped: clients he couldn’t serve while he was in retail lending who still needed to refinance their home loans.

“That’s why I think if you’re on the retail side, it’s important that you maintain those relationships because they’re working with you. And if they enjoy working with you, it doesn’t matter where you go to work. They’re going to follow you.”

MAKING MORTGAGES COOL

As he grows his brokerage, Dario is harnessing the power of social media. He has nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram and is now focusing on creating educational content for TikTok.

“I want to make mortgages cool,” said Dario. “A lot of people struggle with social media because they’re afraid of judgment, and I was there. Sometimes I’m still there. When you realize you have to be vulnerable and people are attracted to that, your content will really start to open up.”

Dario’s opportunities as a mortgage professional have greatly expanded since he made the switch to an independent mortgage broker. By taking a chance on himself, he’s taken control of his future.