Can the mortgage market unite amid volatility?

But it’s his perspective – one he never lost – that he points to as key: “More importantly, I understand the originator because I am an originator. I’m still an originator to this very day. I have 600 loan officers and still. I don’t produce full time – I provide very part time, I do a couple of deals a month – but my boots are to the ground when it comes to understanding the originator mentality, the originator philosophy.”

The Orange County firm is licensed to operate in 28 states, with plans to add even more loan officers, processors, administrative and marketing staff. The company also has retained a respectable 4.8-star rating based on some 15,000 reviews. “We have the most reviews on the independent channel,” Shalaby noted. “I’m hands on with the reviews. If we get a bad review, I’m all over it. Reviews to me are everything. It’s our reputation and the loan officers’ reputation. Reviews are who you are. It’s part of your identity and imperative for your growth.”

With the interest rate at 7.5% at last check, Shalaby was asked what he does to stay in front of current clients in a meaningful way while securing new prospects. It’s all about consistent communication, he said.

“There’s everything from social media, to automation, to text messaging campaigns, to birthday reminders to reaching out on specific holidays – reaching out on Christmas, reaching out on New Year, when fall starts, when July fourth hits. Touchpoints, after touchpoints, after touchpoints. Obviously, you can’t manually do that, so you have to automate a lot of these processes. Automation is key.”