Diana Dilallo has been a mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Fernandina Beach since March 2006.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Originates residential mortgages.
BEFORE WELLS FARGO?
She worked for UBS Financial in New York for six years as a sales analyst for its wealth management team. “I analyzed how people had their money invested and recommended ways that they should invest their money with UBS as far as future asset allocation and such.”
TOP PRODUCER AT SMC?
Even though the real estate market is struggling a bit, Dilallo is doing very well. She has been named in the top two for top producers at the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council breakfast meeting for the last four months.
HOW IS SHE DOING THAT?
“My situation is a tad bit different than a lot of other loan officers in that I focus a lot of my business on developing builder relationships. Once we have the builder relationships established, I am the preferred lender. But, I still have to compete with other lenders. I’m very hungry. I have very high work ethics and standards in the sense that I’m always following up, encouraging and educating my buyers about what is going on in the market.” Dilallo said she tells them about herself and tries to get them comfortable with working with her. “I just try to sell them on the fact that I am here to do the best thing I can do for them. I also work with a great company with tons of products and programs where can usually find a fit for them and get them a loan.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT LENDING?
“I like the fact that I am never bored. I am always meeting new people and have new challenges every single day.”
ADVICE FOR NEW LOAN OFFICERS?
“Be hungry. I think a new loan officer really needs to be hungry and stick with it. Don’t listen to the media as much and target a few really strong Realtors and strong builders to diversify their referral base. They should work on developing those types of relationships. At the same time, maintain good customer service for your existing clients so you can get those referrals and work on building your entire referral base because that is what is going to build your business. It took me a year and a half to start to reap the rewards of all the hard work, working on weekends and knocking on doors. I still do, but it takes a long time to build those relationships so you can’t get down, you have to just keep working on it.”
HOW DOES HER PAST EXPERIENCE HELP HER?
Dilallo said her past experience allows her to be a little more analytical about what she does and what she recommends to her customers. “I can look at their entire financial picture and come up with a solution that makes buying this next home possible. I educate them as to what bills to pay off so they can afford the home or what the tax benefits are to owning rather than renting.”
HER MENTOR?
Dilallo contributes a lot of her success to her branch manager, Colette Horne. “She took me under her wing and was very instrumental in teaching me the business.”
COLLEGE
She has a Bachelor’s degree in economics and math from Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y.
BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE EVER RECEIVED?
“My boss at UBS told me that I would continue to grow as long as I make each one of my customers feel like the most important person in the world at that very moment. If I made each customer’s experience positive and memorable then I would continue to be a success in sales.”
ADVICE FOR REALTORS WHEN DEALING WITH LOAN OFFICERS?
“I think they should find a few loan officers that they feel they are partners with. I preach this all the time. I think the lenders, Realtors, builders and site agents are all partners. We should all work together as a team to get the house sold, the loan that fits the customer’s needs and make everyone happy. When we work together as a team it really makes the buyer much more comfortable with what they are doing. We make the customer feel that they are taken care of on every aspect of buying the new home.”
- by Michele Newbern Gillis