AIME on Tour – attendees offer their backing

He’s become something of an expert video content producer after about five years of trial and error watching tutorials on YouTube. “The first videos were absolutely horrible,” he conceded. “They were embarrassing.” But he was able to up his game – particularly during the doldrums of the pandemic – and now is able to provide content as part of his marketing. He recalled how he and a colleague found a closed country club in which to film and edit in exchange for dinner and wine purchases. “We started going there every Wednesday night and staying there until midnight editing.” Through YouTube tutorials, he learned how to add music to video, edit, use stock footage and other videoing vagaries.

He offered advice as the industry experiences the double whammy of inflation and higher rates: “Right now, it’s the time to be focusing on your systems, CRMs, triggers. Two years ago, I didn’t have time for that, so the focus is on that now. It’s all about your database, it’s all about making phone calls. I don’t think we pick up the phone enough. I think we’re lazy – we email, we text. The phone is where business is done. We knew this was coming, and this is our time. We knew in the direct lending arena that margins would get compressed.”

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And that whole “brokers are better” slogan? It’s the truth, he said, and it’s a message that should be promoted: “It’s not just a myth. The data is out there that supports when you use a broker on a loan, your net savings as an end consumer is right about $8.000. I don’t know what your financial situation is, but $8,000 is a pretty good pop. It’s like a KTM dirt bike.”

He also credited AIME with providing him with benefits. “It’s really the relationships with lenders and other brokers,” he said. “I’ve gotten referrals from all over the country,” he added, and noted how he is able to consult with peers via the group’s Facebook page as well. “I’ve met many wonderful people. I have many friends inside this group that I didn’t know five years ago. I’ve literally been on vacation with a few of them – it’s nuts! I’ve been a part of other trade associations, and they’re OK. I’m not going to bash any of them, they each serve a purpose. But there’s a different je ne sais quoi with this one. It’s special.”