The LO Down - September 27th - High Five Friday, Podcast of the Week, SOLO Tip, and some Dad Jokes

Shoutout to Michael L. Baker for the amazing new logo! Thank you again for putting your exceptional graphic art skills to work and sending this my way. I am incredibly grateful.

The month is almost over and we are almost officially in Q4. Time to start thinking about business plans for next year so that you are ready to work your plan on January 1st instead of waiting to make your plan until then. I have some resources to help you out with that. Reach out if you need a kick starter.

Anyway, on to the good stuff...

High Five Friday! BAM!

These are my 5 favorite posts from mortgage folks this week.

First up Dan Bundt shares a well-done video about the recent Fed rate cuts and does a great job of articulating options to the consumer and highlighting that it could be a great time to be strategic financially in various ways.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/danbundt_the-feds-recent-50-basis-points-rate-cut-activity-7244396543250718720-JCE-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Second, Jake Scarbo has been bringing the heat with content, and this time he brings a "curveball" by sharing an awesome save that he was able to do for a Veteran who was facing a really tough situation. These are the kinds of stories that build trust with clients and let them know you're a true pro. Great share.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7245054558471610368?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_updateV2%3A%28urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7245054558471610368%2CFEED_DETAIL%2CEMPTY%2CDEFAULT%2Cfalse%29

Third, Kyron Stokes, MBA shares a great story about a project that he embarked on to build a basketball court in Uganda to give the kids there a place to gather and play. I love seeing stuff like this and learning more about the passion projects that you work on outside of mortgage. Thank you for sharing this Kyron.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/kyronstokes_we-rise-by-lifting-others-thankful-for-ugcPost-7234928516541132800-OWKn?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Fourth, Shawn Kaplan highlights some of the best under the radar perks that you can receive from one of my favorite places, Costco. Videos like this break the pattern of mortgage, mortgage, mortgage and offer value in a different way. Alright, alright, plus I'm a big Costco hot dog fan too.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/teamkaplan_consciousconsumer-savemoney-ugcPost-7244680165077712896-p40X?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

And finally, James Kleimann makes his LinkedIn video debut with a very special guest to much fanfare. Looking forward to more videos from you James. I love the behind the scenes look. It's a great reminder that we're all real people with real lives.

https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/james-kleimann-b20ab212_announcement-im-doing-videos-now-and-it-ugcPost-7244454737289310208-YUDA?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Podcast of the Week:

Mortgage Business Mastery: Lacking Motivation? 3 Steps Every Mortgage Broker Needs to Stay on Track

Check yourself

Identity Anchor

How badly do you actually want it?

Link to Episode: Lacking Motivation? 3 Steps Ev - Mortgage Business Mastery | Sales, Marketing and Processes For Mortgage Brokers - Apple Podcasts

SOLO Tip of the Week:

I leveraged some resources (aka ChatGPT) and put together a social media guide that provides some great ideas on how to build your brand:

1. Develop a Personal Brand

• Deepen Your Storytelling: Get specific about your journey. Share a moment that influenced your decision to become a loan officer. Was it helping a friend or family member? Personal experiences are more relatable.
• Niche Your Audience: Refine your audience to highlight the groups you're most passionate about. For example, “I specialize in helping veterans and first-time homebuyers achieve homeownership” creates a clearer focus.
• Expand Your Value Proposition: In addition to local market knowledge, consider adding specialties like custom loan products (FHA, VA, Jumbo), speed of service, or exclusive access to unique programs

2. Optimize Social Media Profiles

• Add Recommendations and Reviews to LinkedIn: Request client testimonials and referrals directly on LinkedIn to build social proof. These add credibility and show real-life examples of how you’ve helped clients.
• Instagram & Facebook Content Themes:
• Community Involvement: Post about local events, housing trends in your area, and ways you’re involved with the community.
• Behind-the-Scenes: Show a “day in the life” to give a personal touch and humanize your work, including client meetings, tours, or closings.
• Client-Centered Content: Use stories or videos featuring clients' experiences, especially their emotional journeys to homeownership.

3. Build a Content Strategy

• Content Pillars: Develop 3-4 core themes for your content, such as:
• Video Strategy: If video creation is a challenge, start with short, smartphone-shot videos. Authenticity is key! Try posting on YouTube as well for longer educational videos.
• Optimize for Each Platform:

4. Use Emotional Storytelling

• Client-Centric Stories: When sharing client success stories, dig into the emotional aspect. Did they overcome significant obstacles to secure a home? Highlight those challenges to inspire others.
• Create a Narrative Arc: Think of your posts as mini-stories. Start with a problem (like affordability concerns), explain how you solved it, and end with the client achieving their dream.

5. Increase Engagement Through Networking and Collaboration

• Strategic Networking:
• Local Events and Webinars: Host or attend local real estate events or community webinars. These can be on topics like “Mortgage Tips for First-Time Buyers” or “VA Loan Myths.”
• Co-Marketing Campaigns: Partner with Realtors, financial advisors, or home inspectors to create joint content (webinars, Instagram Live events) that serves both your audiences.
• Engage with Local Influencers: Reach out to local influencers who may have real estate interest and collaborate on social media or blog content.
• Real Estate Agent Collaboration: Share stories of agents you’ve worked with. This builds mutual trust and credibility.
• Joint Q&A Sessions: Host social media Q&A sessions with a Realtor to field questions about homebuying and mortgage processes. These sessions can be done live to increase engagement and reach.

Additional Action Steps

1. Client Reviews as Content: Regularly request Google and Zillow reviews, then repurpose these into social posts and stories. It adds proof of your credibility and happy customers.
2. Analytics & Adjustments: Use social media analytics to monitor which posts get the most engagement. Adjust your strategy by doubling down on content types that resonate with your audience.
3. Paid Ads: Consider running small paid ads (Instagram, Facebook) targeting your ideal clients, like first-time buyers or veterans. Ads can help extend your reach, and you can highlight your value proposition directly in the copy.

Dad Jokes of the Week:

My wife told me to stop impersonating a flamingo.

I had to put my foot down.

I once got into a fight with a broken elevator.

I took it to another level.

Why did the coffee file a police report?

It got mugged.

I broke up with my gym.

We just weren’t working out.

I was going to tell a time-traveling joke, but...

You didn't like it.

You've been a great audience, don't forget to tip your server. I'll be here all week.