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.

A PASSION FOR PROVIDING A BETTER CONSUMER EXPERIENCE

Everyone has a different perspective on what they do for a living and the impact they can make on others. One of the most gratifying aspects of being an independent mortgage broker is that it’s about much more than a home loan.

“It’s the roof over a family’s head. It’s shelter. If we take it that seriously, I think we’ll provide the best experience for the consumer.” That mindset is what drives Tom, and it’s also one of the biggest reasons he became an independent mortgage broker.

RUNNING HIS PLAYS

“I honestly didn’t know about being an independent mortgage broker,” Tom said. “I thought loan officers all worked for a mortgage retail lender of some sort, a bank or a big-ticket lender.”

What Tom did know about being an independent mortgage broeker was the advantage of being able to shop around on behalf of clients. With a background in automotive finance, he was excited to see how he could apply the same approach to mortgages.

“Not every home’s the same. The same thing with a car,” Tom said. “Not every car’s the same, not every car loan’s the same. Lease, purchase, they’re all different.”

CONFIDENCE THROUGH COMMUNITY

What really made the difference for Tom was finding a community of other independent mortgage professionals who were eager to help. From very early on in his mortgage career, Tom has been a huge proponent of the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), who are committed to fostering an inclusive environment to support and protect independent mortgage brokers across the country to grow the wholesale mortgage channel.

“If you truly want to serve your consumer, you have to have a thirst for knowledge. You have to go into this industry as a sponge,” Tom said. Regarding the support he found within the AIME community, “We all run into situations. They all have the experience. So it’s been great leaning on them for help and questions,” he said.

As Tom was honing his craft, he also quickly realized that he made the right decision by starting his mortgage career in the wholesale mortgage industry.

“The adage of ‘to be a successful loan officer in the broker channel you have to go through retail first and then you can become a broker and live in the Promised Land.’ that just isn’t true!” said Tom. “I never worked in retail lending. I didn’t get my sweat equity there. It’s not easy but if you’re committed, if you truly want to serve the consumer, you can start as a broker and flourish.”

PAYING IT FORWARD

In less than 3 years in the industry, Tom has gone from buying leads to a 100% referral-based business. Tom says his approach to customer service has been the biggest difference-maker.

“Everyone says go get Realtors.® That’s great and all and we have some great Realtor referral partners, but the consumers themselves are talking to homeowners. Every day, they’re talking to somebody who can be or is a homeowner,” said Tom.

He has now advanced from apprentice to teacher, regularly lending a hand to other independent mortgage loan officers newer to the business. The way Tom sees it, he’s just trying to repay all the people who have helped him along the way.

“You have to find like-minded individuals who have a passion for this business and serving consumers.  Once you do that, you’ll find people who are doing this for the right reason — the same reason as you — and those are the best people to learn from.”