Virginia Broker/Owners  Eric Tan and Daniel Solis credit the success of their brokerage, VA Wholesale Mortgage, to low overhead, word-of-mouth marketing, and authenticity. Back when their boardroom was a kitchen counter, Daniel fell in love with Eric’s vision to help military veterans. “You can’t hide a genuine passion,” Daniel says. Eric and Daniel have now grown their two-person operation into a team of 20 Loan Officers and are now officially certified as a Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) by the US Veterans Affairs Department.

Eric and Daniel made it very clear, especially when first starting out, that you should buy only what you need to buy to get the job done right. “You don’t need all the bells and whistles to help people,” Eric shares. Instead of wasting a lot of money upfront on an expensive office, Eric and Daniel were able to afford lower compensation rates for their clients and offer full medical benefits and 401k options to their staff. They focus more on volume than money per loan because it’s not about the money. It’s all about helping as many people as possible.

Daniel provides an example of a past homeowner who was denied by almost a dozen lenders. A client had a small hiccup in the form of a delinquent property from 20+ years ago, and after having already lost one child, their other child was paralyzed and needed a home that was close to the local hospital and was outfitted with custom doorways. It was clear that a cookie-cutter bank loan just wasn’t going to cut it. VA Wholesale Mortgage rolled up their sleeves, opened up the VA handbook, and got to work. It took time and effort, and wasn’t the most financially beneficial loan they’ve ever done, but again, it’s not about the money. They helped out a neighbor in need because it was the right thing to do. This is why Brokers Are Better.

Notes: 

0:31: Tiger Woods Tees Off At The Masters

5:12: From Retail to Wholesale Mortgage

11:15: Operations Breakdown and Structure

18:00: How and Why To Keep A Low Overhead

26:00: VA Home Loan Advocacy And Myths

35:55: Eric and Dan’s Best Advice For Brokers

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