The Four C’s to Successful Loan Officers and Closing More Business

One of the perks of having my job is that I get to meet with thousands of loan officers every year (although not right now during this pandemic). After meeting with so many successful loan officers, I have a really good grasp on what characteristics those LOs have that make them so good at their job.

Today, I’m here to tell you that success isn’t spelled with 2 C’s…it’s spelled with 4. That’s right – the four characteristics that I see in all top performing loan officers start with the letter C. Let’s dive into them below.

Be Confident

It takes confidence to sell a borrower on a loan. Saying something like “I guess it’s a good deal” doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in borrowers. If you’re assured in your ability to find the right loan for a borrower, they’ll feel your confidence.

The same goes for your referral partners, too. Your network partners want a confident loan officer they can point referrals to.

Looking for ways to feel more confident? Take 20 minutes to watch Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk on striking a pose to build up confidence before an important meeting or interaction. Striking a power pose can help release more testosterone, leading to a brief spike in confidence.

Be Competitive

In a business where borrowers have many mortgage options, being competitive is a key ingredient to being successful.

If you’re thinking “well I’m really not that competitive,” try having a friendly challenge with a colleague. Say “I bet I can close more loans than you this quarter” or “I bet I can get more leads than you this month.” The key here is to put some skin in the game, whatever that may be, to help you be motivated. That skin in the game will help incentivize you to make that extra call on a Friday afternoon or follow up with that lead.

Even having small competitions with an incentive to win (or not lose, however you want to see it) can help you feel more comfortable with being competitive.

Be Committed

Successful loan officers know that to close the most deals, you have to be committed to being available for your borrowers and network partners. That means you must have the flexibility to be available when they need your help.

Consider it – real estate agents are primarily showing homes on weekends and borrowers are primarily working on collecting everything you need for the loan in the evenings. That means a loan officer’s job cannot be just from 9 to 5, it has to be whenever your borrowers and referral partners need you.

Be Curious

Lastly, to stay relevant and on top of your game, you need to be curious and have a desire to continuously learn. Being curious about new loan programs, market trends, and more can help you better serve your borrowers, making you more trust-worthy and more likely to receive referrals.

There are plenty of ways to stay current on what’s going on in the market. Sign up for email newsletters, participate in round table discussions or lending groups to learn from others, or watch some webinars.

So those are the four C’s all successful loan officers have and that you need to take your game to the next level. You need confidence to convince others to work with you and competitiveness to stay excited about what you do. Being committed shows you’re passionate about what you do and being curious shows you’re willing to learn and adapt to stay relevant.

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