The family that works mortgages together stays together

And this family doesn’t mess around. Oliver is ranked 14th among brokers nationally, and No. 1 in Arizona. The shop posted $420 million in loan volume across 1,422 units over the past 14 months.

“In 2019, we did 995 loans, and in 2020 we did 2,021 loans, so we more than doubled,” she said. “And in 2021, we did 2,045 loans. Every year we’re growing and not necessarily adding more sales people. We looked at the processes and built our team around supporting each other, and we were able to increase that much. It was kind of a different approach than most people in the industry where you want to hire as many loan officers as you can and hope that they produce. Instead, we said ‘we built the brand, we know how to produce, we know how to get the leads in here. How do we build a team around client services and creating that brand and that name?’

Lund also credits AIME (Association of Independent Mortgage Experts) with helping propel her career. “I have been a mortgage broker my entire career – so 22 years now – and I’ve always loved the broker community. But we’ve never had a large voice,” she explained. “During 2008, we were thrown under the bus, and our names were run through mud just because we were smaller. AIME is a community to bring all the brokers together.”

Even while calling herself “old school,” she likes the youthful energy that AIME has brought to the industry, along with the wealth of educational opportunities and collegiality.

“AIME has been a way to bring the broker community together, and give us a positive name,” Lund said. “A lot of the organizations I was in before are great, but tended to be older. I felt AIME brought in a lot of young blood, and everyone’s excited to work together. It’s a way to promote the broker in a positive light.”