Always Forward

Most loan officers start their intake calls the same way: "Let's talk about your income, debts, and credit score."

Then they wonder why clients take forever to respond, shop around endlessly, and treat them like just another vendor instead of a trusted advisor.

Here's what's really happening: By the time clients reach you, they've spent months (or even years) having people/media tell them why it’s so hard to buy a house. Words “impossible” or “can’t” are thrown around as if they are absolute. Their doubt is screaming while their dreams are barely whispering.

But there's one simple shift that changes everything and it has nothing to do with rates, programs, or loan products.

In this edition of Always Forward, we're talking about why your real goal isn't just qualifying borrowers for mortgages, it's helping them TURN UP THE VOLUME on what they actually want.

Word of the Day: Affirm

Stop Talking DTI. Start Talking Dreams.

When's the last time someone really listened to your dreams? Not just nodded along, but actually made you feel like what you wanted was possible?

Most people walk around with their dreams on mute and their doubts turned up to full volume. Your job as a loan officer is to flip that script.

When they light up talking about their kids finally having their own rooms, or having space for family dinners, something shifts inside them. You're not just being nice, you're making their dream feel more real than their fear.

Here's why this matters: Remember how we talked about how they are having others tell them why they can't do something? Friends, family, and even other lenders who turned them down? By the time they start talking to you, their doubt is screaming and their dreams are whispering.

This is where 5 minutes of affirmation will make all the difference. When you affirm what they want and listen, it turns up the volume on their dreams. When you say "I can see why this matters to you" or "That sounds like exactly what your family needs,” you're giving them permission to believe again.

Doubt is just noise. It's not based on facts about their specific situation.

You can't fake this stuff. You actually have to give a damn about what they want. You have to see their dream as clearly as they do.

When you do, when you really affirm what matters to them, everything changes: They respond faster. They trust your guidance more. They're less likely to shop around because you made their dream feel possible again.

Press Play on Growth

Required Viewing

Do you want to learn how loan officers are using webinars to attract agents?

This Thursday at 12pm EST, join Michael McAllister, Chelsea Gardner, and yours truly as we show you how to run niche-focused webinars to position yourself as the expert and connect with more agents at the same time.

Register now and save your seat!

The Wrap

Always Forward, Never Back

While everyone else is diving straight into financial qualifications and loan products, you have the opportunity to become the loan officer who actually listens to what clients want and helps them believe it's possible.

But here's the key: this isn't a technique, it's a mindset shift. This week, try this before your next intake call:

Spend 5 minutes just listening to what they really want. Ask them to describe their dream home and how it will feel. Tell them why their goals matter and why they're achievable.

Stop making their financial situation the first conversation. Start making their dreams the first priority.

When you help people believe in what they're building instead of just focusing on what they qualify for, you stop being another commodity service and start being a trusted advisor.

That’s it for this week.

Remember that your job is to be a difference maker, not an order taker. Help your prospects turn their dreams back up to full volume.

Until next time, listen, connect, and always forward!

P.S.

Get the playbook that is helping loan officers do more loans today! The Green Zone Project is available now!