Choose Your Lender Based on the Three D’s: Doughnuts, Drinks, and Dinner!

According to Realtor Magazine, 72% of the time, buyers use the lender that the agent refers. How do lenders meet realtors to get those referrals? Lenders can meet realtors through many methods. A common one is to ply them with what I like to call the three D’s. Bringing doughnuts to the weekly realtor meeting. Picking up the tab for drinks. And buying a realtor dinner. The endgame is to make a realtor like you and hope that they become a referral source. Is there a better way?

Why Does My Lender Ask So Many Questions? I Just Want A Rate Quote!

My marketing methods are based on a few things.

Displaying my industry knowledge. Creating new ways to serve both the client and the realtor. Attempting to be as transparent as possible. Finding new competitive mortgage products. And educating everybody involved in the mortgage transaction. I certainly have realtor friends that, luckily for me, insist on referring me. And I take pains to make sure those relationships are built solely on a professional foundation.

Wouldn’t we all be better served if referrals were based on more analytical business metrics?

Story From The Mortgage Shopping Wars

If you go to a lender that your realtor does not know what happens? The realtor will become concerned at the thought of you going outside of their sphere of control. They will tell you that they want you to go to their lender for financing because they will provide the best service and maybe even the best terms. The reality is they want you to go to their lender so that they feel they have a sense of control and can further ensure the certainty of their commission.

There is nothing pro-consumer about many realtor connections to their favorite lender.

Story From The Mortgage Shopping Wars #2

I would certainly consider anyone that an industry professional, such as a realtor, refers. However, instead of blindly following that lead, I would ask a lot of questions. I would make some comparisons and pick the loan officer that I thought would provide a lot of things. Such as, competitive terms, the most experience, the highest level of technology, safety for my sensitive personal information, transparency, and would close my loan on time.

Talk to me and leave a comment below

Are you comfortable with accepting a realtor’s referral for a mortgage lender with no outside research of your own?

Do you take your realtor’s referral but qualify the referral first? Or do you find your own mortgage lender on your own?

And are you OK with picking that lender based on a coffee and a chat?

If you like someone and have a good feeling about them, do you pick them?

Do  you demand to see certain metrics to try and decide how effective they are?

Do you care how much loan volume a lender does?

Does loan volume equate to quality service?

Are you looking at online reviews, like on Yelp and Google?

Tell me what you do.

Top 15 Questions to Ask a Lender or Broker Before You Apply for a Mortgage Loan