Most loan officers don’t need more advice. They need perspective. Advice tells you what to do tomorrow: make more calls, post more, follow up more. Perspective helps you understand why something isn’t working, and that changes how you run your business for years.
If there’s one thing our industry gives loan officers in abundance, it’s advice. Make more calls. Post more on social media. Visit more realtors. Follow up more. Ramp it up. None of that is bad advice. But there’s something far more valuable a coach or leader can give.
What is the difference between advice and perspective?
Advice changes what someone does tomorrow. Perspective changes how they approach their business, not just today but for years to come.
Advice is a to-do list. It assumes you already know what the problem is and only need to work harder at it. Perspective steps back and asks whether you’re solving the right problem in the first place.
Think about going to the doctor with a headache. A stronger painkiller treats the symptom. A good doctor asks why you have the headache. Advice treats the symptom. Perspective finds the cause.
Why aren’t real estate agents referring me?
This is one of the most common problems loan officers bring me. They’re struggling to get more referrals from real estate agents.
The advice answer is easy. Here’s a new script. Call ten more agents than you did last week. Try a better follow-up strategy.
But what if the real problem is that those agents don’t see any reason to refer you in the first place?
That’s an entirely different conversation. We’re not talking about making more calls. We’re talking about:
How do you create value for an agent?
How do you build trust?
How do you become someone a realtor actually wants involved in their transactions?
More calls to agents who don’t yet see your value is just a faster way to hear “no.”
How do loan officers add value to real estate agents?
To add value, you have to be of value.
Before you increase your activity, get clear on what you bring to an agent’s business that they can’t easily get somewhere else. When you know the answer, your calls and visits have a reason behind them, and they land differently. When you don’t, more activity only multiplies the same result.
What should sales leaders give their loan officers instead of answers?
I love building tools: systems, strategies, models, and resources that help people execute. Execution matters.
But sometimes the most valuable thing we can do as leaders isn’t giving somebody another answer. It’s helping them see something before they could see it themselves.
The next time one of your loan officers brings you a problem, resist the urge to fix it right away. Ask one more question. Look for the problem behind the problem. That’s where perspective comes from.
Key takeaways
Advice changes what a loan officer does tomorrow. Perspective changes how they run their business long term.
If agents aren’t referring you, the fix may not be more activity. It may be giving them a reason to refer you.
To add value, you have to be of value.
Great leaders help people see the real problem instead of handing them another answer.
If you’re a loan officer who’s tired of being told to “do more” without anyone helping you figure out why it isn’t working, I’m always here to help. Reach out.