How Loan Officers Can Build the Best Referral Partner Network

Loan officers engage in lead generation in many different ways. Yet the most traditional approach has been to create and maintain an extensive referral partner network of real estate agents, attorneys, financial professionals, builders, and of course, past clients too. The secret is figuring out how to start and grow a vast network of referral partners motivated to help you do more business.

How hard is it for a new loan officer to start a lead referral network?

Mortgage lead generation for new loan officers can be a real challenge. It will depend on how knowledgeable a new recruit is along with a host of other factors relative to the individual, their market and their employer. Training and licensing are mandatory, and it helps if the newly minted loan officer has related experience in sales or relative industries.

For some, good looks, sharp attire and a sparkling personality can be leveraged in ways that will make introductions and conversations more frequent and even prosperous. Yet, there’s still always the challenge of being the new kid when your competition may have decades of experience.

It’s not to say that only those blessed by nature and a closet full of Gucci can break into the business, but it will take good resources for some and good old-fashioned resourcefulness for others. After all, it can be a complicated business, and real estate agents as referral partners aren’t just going to bet their commission on someone with little or no experience. You have to prove your mettle and offer an experience for the client that exceeds that of a prospective referral partner’s go-to banker.

The hardest part is a Catch-22, and that’s how to prove yourself without getting the first referral partner.

It’s a bit counter-intuitive, but one clever way to gain a referral partner is not to get the referral from a potential partner first but to introduce yourself to them through a deal you’ve landed in other ways.

Homebuyers will not always use the agent’s recommended person. Mortgage lead generation can occur in many ways. A deal can just as easily come to you from a family member, friend, or co-worker. Up-time in offices that advertise and offer you that time is another way to get deals. Attending open houses either by invitation or just showing up is still another. As a new loan officer, you have to hustle, and there are plenty of ways to get those first deals when you do.

Once you’ve secured those first transactions, it’s now comparatively easy to introduce yourself to the selling and listing referral partners and blow them away with your awesome service. It’s not all that hard, as there are plenty of mortgage bankers and mortgage brokers that are complacent, and while they get the job done, they aren’t always on their game with the mortgage lead generation and progress reporting tools available today. If you offer agents a compelling example by doing a stellar job, you’ve got a much better shot at another deal vs. if they’ve never seen your work.

What’s the absolute most important thing you can do to win referral partner business?

Communicate early and often.  Providing regular status updates before they’re requested of you will set you apart from many loan officers. Industry-leading mortgage CRM programs like Surefire from Top of Mind Networks even offer dynamic in-process video reporting for every step of a transaction. Agents love being in the loop and seeing their own picture in a client’s animated video update can make you stand out head and shoulders over a bland email update.

As well, being straight up if things don’t go as planned and not holding back on the facts is going to be appreciated far more than you might ever think. No one likes to hear bad news, but if it’s delivered quickly and, hopefully, with a proposed solution, you’re three steps down the path to being respected. That’s an important key to initiating a solid reputation and the next referral.

As soon as possible, agents want to know that their buyer has their approval and can close. Most agents are far less concerned with interest rates and loan programs; it’s much more simply a matter of execution on the contractual timeline (if not sooner).

How do established loan officers grow their referral business?

There’s simply no substitute for mortgage bankers and brokers’ fostering great client relationships and turning those into a giant book of lead-generating referral partners that can eclipse the business you might otherwise build solely from industry referral partners. In fact, using these referrals as outlined above to also approach the associated agents in any deal works just as well for established loan officers.

Given the extra benefit of experience in the business, it would be much easier to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. At the very least, bringing these agents into your database so they will see the communication you offer can still set you apart and win them over to your side.

Repeat referral relationships are what so many sales-oriented businesses are based on. It really can be as easy as focusing on doing a great job and communicating status every step of the way. After the deal is done, you must stay top of mind with both the referring party and the client. To see how easy that can be, click the link here for a Surefire demo today.