Marilyn Campbell has been a residential loan consultant with Gibraltar Mortgage in Ponte Vedra Beach for six months.
BEFORE GILBRALTAR?
Campbell was a loan officer with Wachovia for six months and has been in lending for 12 years. “I like being on the mortgage brokerage side rather than the banking side. I’ve always been with a mortgage company. I did try the banking side, but really didn’t like it.”
HOW DID SHE GET HER START IN BANKING?
Campbell was a Realtor for 15 years in Orlando and in Illinois. “I loved being in real estate and was very successful. I only had one problem: I could never find a mortgage person that I could get hold of. Once they got the deal, I never talked to them again and couldn’t find them when I needed to. I said when I go back to Florida, I’m going into the mortgage business and I’m going to be what a mortgage person should be.” She moved to Port St. Lucie and was a mortgage broker for 11 years.
HOW DID BEING A REALTOR HELP YOU AS A MORTGAGE BROKER?
“You have a great deal of understanding of what not only the customer is going through, but what the Realtor is going through. Once the Realtor has done their job, they don’t want to also be on the finance end, so it helps me to understand that. I understand what the customer is going through, whether it’s their first house or the 50th house. It is a big deal. No matter when you buy a house or what it is for, it is a big deal. I have empathy and want to help them to make the transaction smooth. I stay in touch with them. I go to the closing table and we are in touch after the closing.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT LENDING?
“Helping someone make their dream come true.”
BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE EVER RECEIVED?
“Be a good listener, not only in real estate, but in lending.
WORKING FOR GIBRALTAR?
The bulk of Campbell’s business comes from the agents in her Ponte Vedra Beach office. “I do not leave my office and market any other real estate offices. I belong to organizations and I can pick up agents by word-of-mouth, but I do not go out and solicit business.” She meets a lot of Realtors through different organizations and at closings.
IN THIS BUYER’S MARKET WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO DRUM UP BUSINESS?
Campbell said she has been teaming up with some Realtors in her office on various marketing strategies.
“We do letters, advertising and contact past customers. I have customers from down south that can still use me. A few Realtors and I are doing letters asking if the customer wants to sell or refinance to keep us out there. I also work with the Realtors to help them get their listings sold. They listen to me and respect me because they know I’ve been where they are.”
HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS?
“There is a lot of difference today. When I first started, we didn’t even go on to the computer to do the application. With the desktop origination that we do, I can approve someone in 10 minutes.
“Before, I could say, ‘Well, they look like they will approve,’ but they didn’t allow you go out on a limb as much. What I didn’t like as a Realtor was that the only person I got to speak with was a processor. So I like to stay in touch with my Realtors and my customers and my processor does any paperwork that I give her.”
ADVICE FOR NEW LOAN OFFICERS?
“They need to have good training. They really should shadow a senior loan officer to see what they are doing to get them where they are today. They need to able to listen and answer questions with a great deal of knowledge. They need to be there for any Realtor wherever they are. If a Realtor calls them and says they have a prospect, they should call that prospect right away. Follow-up is number one.”
ADVICE FOR REALTORS WHEN DEALING WITH LOAN OFFICERS?
Campbell said if you have a certain loan officer you like, refer all of your customers to them. “If they say they already have a mortgage person, tell them it would be a good idea to get a second opinion and introduce them to your loan officer. Let your loan officer have a shot at giving them a better deal.”
— by Michele Newbern Gillis