There’s always something to howl about.

Yes, there are Good and Honest Loan Officers in Florida!

Two weeks ago, I attended the Miami REBar Camp to witness for myself what I had been hearing and reading about. While I found the event educational and interesting, what I enjoyed foremost was getting to meet and know Chris Brown better.

Being on the Mortgage Revolution Education Committee, I had spoken to Chris, however had not had an opportunity to get to know him well. Being the information gathering Ninja loan officer I learned Chris is, he conducted marketing intelligence and reviewed the attendee list and who he would like to meet. Upon seeing I was attending, he called and told me he “would love to meet me and talk shop.” When he discovered I was planning on driving from Atlanta to Miami, he asked if he could catch a ride with me as I drove through Orlando. Being that we had several mutual friends and they assured me Chris was stand-up guy, I agreed to meet and pick him up at one of the Orlando I-75 exits.

For the trip, my Mother also decided to tag along for ride, as she had never been to Miami. Needless to say, Chris and my Mom hit it off immediately and for the first hour of the trip, they discussed and shared their favorite Bible passages. As for me, if my Mom likes someone, that is normally a good sign. For the last three hours of our journey, Chris and I engaged in a Socratic learning experience that truly impressed me. Quite frankly, Chris loves learning and implementing strategies that put his clients in the best overall financial position, even if that means he makes a lesser commission or recommends NOT getting a home loan (no commission). Having been in the mortgage business for twenty-three years, believe me; I can spot and smell a bull shitter a mile away…Chris’ sincerity and concern for his clients and referral partners is genuine.

In addition, Chris was aware of my background and the success I had experienced as a mortgage originator, sales manager and mega-bank executive. In a nutshell, he maximized his time with me asking questions on how to take his game to the next level. While I have provided this same information to countless individuals in the past, most originators do not follow the advice and continue being average. That again is what impressed and separated Chris from a majority of originators; he IMMEDIATELY implemented the strategies and techniques we had discussed. Guess what, they worked and I was beaming with pride watching Chris professionally and ethically cultivate and harvest referral partner relationships.

Don’t get me wrong, we also had fun while staying in the heart of South Beach Miami. However, I did learn one personal non-business thing about myself…I don’t like Mojito’s!

Long story short, it always makes my day, when I see there are mortgage professionals like Chris Brown representing the mortgage lending industry.

P.S. I am not specifically calling out Florida loan originators, rather, highlighting Chris as someone who impressed me.