“But I closed the loan in two weeks!” I proudly exclaimed.
That was my response when I was called into my boss' office to discuss a borrower's complaint. How could they complain about a home refinance loan that took two weeks to get to the closing table? Don’t they understand what a big deal that is? Two weeks is a phenomenal, almost record-breaking, timeframe. The audacity to lodge a complaint, and for my boss to listen to such rubbish, I thought.
Then I heard these words that forever changed my perspective, as a loan officer. In a soft, matter-of fact tone, he said “Kristina, it’s all about the experience”.
It was then that I had to ask myself, what experience were they expecting? Did I clearly set expectations when I started working with them? Did I inform them of what comes next? Did I keep them informed throughout the process and each milestone? Did I let them know that along the way we might experience a few hoops to jump through?
Did we even have these conversations so that what they were expecting matched what I was going to deliver? The answer on that day was a big NO.
A lightbulb went off in my head the day I learned that lending is all about the experience. A lightbulb that continues to shine so bright that I am writing about it some 20 years later.
You see, it doesn’t only matter how quickly we close loans; it’s also about the borrowers experience as we navigate to a quick closing. What are you doing to ensure your borrower has a good experience? Do you know what your borrower is expecting in their mortgage journey?
About the Author:
Kristina Dewitt has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, including leading mortgage teams. Kristina truly embodies being in the business of serving people. More important to me, she says, are the relationships built over the years.
NMLS 173987
