Inside the Lenders’ Studio: Gloria Anderton | FEMBi Mortgage

Welcome to another installment of Inside the Lenders’ Studio, where we get to know top-producing lenders from their start in the industry through their rise to the top.

Our latest guest is Gloria Anderton, a Florida-based loan originator at First Equity Mortgage Bankers Inc. (FEMBi). FEMBi is a community lender that prides itself on providing personalized service in multiple languages, serving customers across Florida and Puerto Rico.

Top of Mind Networks:

How did you get started in mortgage banking?

Gloria Anderton:

I’ve always been interested in mathematics and finance. My first job was in the actuarial field in retirement plans. I did that for about 15 years. It’s a very dry type of business. I always thought it’d be more fun to be in real estate, but I am a mathematician and like to analyze things. When I found out that there was a career in real estate that involved numbers, I thought it would be perfect for me. I went ahead and got my mortgage license, and that’s how it started. And it’s been great — a super perfect fit.

Top of Mind Networks:

What motivates you?

GA:

I’m very competitive. I love being at the top of the list of producers in my office. I want to be up there with the big dogs, so it makes me work really hard and set my alarm early in the morning. I also enjoy solving problems, and this field certainly gives you the opportunity to have lots of problems to solve. Every loan is a puzzle to be solved in a way — identifying the best loan for that person, how to qualify them, how to get it done in a certain amount of time, who’s going to be involved in the transaction and so on. There’s a lot to be done, and I love helping people get their dream house.

Top of Mind Networks:

Who is your digital mentor?

GA:

We certainly have moved into the digital age! For myself, I wanted to get more presence in social media. So I expanded my team and hired a loan coordinator named Vanessa. She has really helped me present myself to a bigger audience in the digital world of social media, so I’d have to say she is my digital mentor. I’m learning a lot from her, and it’s made a big difference in the number of deals I’m closing.

Top of Mind Networks:

What is your top marketing trick?

GA:

There are tons of marketing tricks out there, but mine is to focus on the basics: meeting face-to-face, one-on-one with people. I think we’re all commodities in this business, and it’s essential to differentiate yourself by meeting face-to-face and letting people get to know and trust you. That’s a big thing for me. I want to meet people before I do business with them, and I think the reverse is true as well.

Top of Mind Networks:

What is an on-the-job experience that made you especially proud?

GA:

Being able to come back from adversity, as anything can happen during a transaction. There are all kinds of challenges. We love a perfect deal where someone has perfect credit, lots of reserves, someone makes a lot of money and they’ve had the same job for years, but that’s not the real world.

Things happen; people go out and buy a car when we told them not to, they ding their credit or they lose their job. I love to be able to look at those situations and come back from adversity. I have a great team here. We work with lots of different investors. If I run into a problem and it doesn’t fit the parameters of one bank, I can move the loan to another bank. To me, being able to save the deal and close anyway is a huge advantage over my competitors.

Top of Mind Networks:

Where would you go on your dream vacation?

GA:

My dream vacation would be one of those luxury bungalows somewhere like Bora Bora, where you’re bed-to-ocean. I would like to be able to go to a place like that and disconnect, look at the water, have the sand in my toes and relax and rejuvenate. Until recently I’ve had to stay connected in my business at all times. I’ve started to develop a team approach and hired a loan coordinator, so I think now I could go on a trip like that.

Top of Mind Networks:

Show us your most treasured possession.

GA:

As nerdy as it sounds, my HP 12C calculator. This calculator is my secret weapon. I could be anywhere — I could be in Bora Bora — and if someone asks me what their mortgage payment might be, I can tell them. It does really powerful calculations, amortizations, present values, future values. I can store a bunch of numbers and bring them back up. So it’s my secret weapon and one of my favorite treasured items.

Top of Mind Networks:

Who’s the most famous or interesting person you’ve ever met?

GA:

The most famous person I have ever met is Paul Newman, the actor. I was at a restaurant and I walked by a table where I saw him sitting with Mario Andretti. All of a sudden someone from that table called my name. It was an old college friend of mine. I asked if I could meet him, and she brought me over to him. He was absolutely gorgeous. His eyes were amazing.

Coincidentally, I had just been reading up on him and learned he doesn’t like when people compliment his looks, because he felt he had nothing to do with that. I almost said something, but I remembered. And he shook my hand and looked into my eyes, and I said, “Mr. Newman, it’s such an honor to meet you. I am a huge fan of your salad dressing.” And he laughed and said no one had ever told him that. It was a very memorable experience, and I’ll never forget it.

Top of Mind Networks:

If you weren’t a mortgage banker, what other profession would you like to attempt?

GA:

Before I finished my major in math in college, I thought about becoming a psychologist, because a lot of my friends would vent to me and say I had good insight. I was interested in pursuing psychology, but I didn’t want to continue school to get a master’s and a Ph.D. But I think that might have been an interesting career for me.

Top of Mind Networks:

Rapidfire: You’ve just won an Oscar. Give us your top-3 acceptance speech shout-outs.

GA:

The first person I would recognize is my dad, Sam. He has always encouraged and believed in me. There were times when schooling and higher education were very tough, but he would never let me quit. He’s always been a mentor. My mom is also a mentor to me. She taught me how to get up in front of people, put my best foot forward with confidence and not be shy. I definitely look up to her.

And finally, I would want to mention my FEMBi business mentor, who is also my boss, Ed Wilburn. He recruited me to FEMBi. We were family friends, and he told me that he thought I’d be great in this business and to come work for him. I think it’s been almost 18 years now. He’s taught me everything about the business really thoroughly. He’s very smart. He’s given me the best advice I think I’ve ever had in this business, which is not to hide when there’s a problem but to come out and face it. If there’s a problem, figure out what you can do, let the people know who need to know and keep working at it. Your best is all you can do. All three of these people’s advice and presence in my life have served me well over the years.