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If I were to sum up my observations on the state of business and its newfound relationship with technology in only two words, I would describe it as "Right Now." Every new technological discovery or creative modification brings consumers one moment closer to getting what we want immediately.

Is this a bad thing? Depends on who you ask, but in my opinion placing judgement on the direction the world is moving doesn't improve our position in the market. It's like walking down to the ocean and trying to change the flow of a wave that we don't like…it will accomplish nothing…actually it will do worse than nothing because we'll get soaking wet and covered in sand which would put us in a worse position than when we started. When I really think about it, it is a perfect metaphor for the consequences of judging the direction of trends instead of understanding and thriving in the environment they produce.

 No matter if it is good or bad, it still is. Those companies slow to react to the needs of the customers they serve find themselves soon to represent another statistic. The impact on our industry is no different than any other, in fact in many ways, even more prevalent here. The purchase of a home is a MAJOR personal and financial decision, and as a result, our client and prospective homeowner's level of anxiety and need for answers quickly is even more prevalent than say, getting  a new fishing rod in the mail. How many times have you had a buyer send in their documents and request a status update within 24 hours. What else do you need, when will we have an answer, when will the appraisal be ordered…in other words, the client wants to know whether they will be able to qualify for a house right now.

The demand for immediate responses served up with top tier customer service is very real. Many feel that the ability to do this with the use of human beings would be impossible – and as a result, some people have settled for one without the other – swift service with a mediocre customer service by removing the human element of the process.

 I've always loved a good challenge, and so I decided to test the truth of this model being deemed impossible. Here's what I set out to accomplish with a team of human beings complimented by the benefits of technology:

• A fully operational mortgage office capable of providing every function of the loan process between the hours of 8:00am – 9:00pm, 7 days a week, 364 days a year…we would only close our doors on Christmas Day;
• Within those hours have the ability to generate 7 day loan commitments and 24 day closings;
• Generate the most thorough preapproval process in the industry within 24 hours of all documents being received from the buyer. You agents are there to support your clients home shopping needs over the weekends, so should we;
• Have a constant channel of communication available between the agent, the buyer and our team in order to stay fully informed as to the status of applications at all times at any point in the process;
• Provide every level of service with the highest level of quality and care, for our team to always keep in mind the excitement our buyers have for this next stage of their life and to share in their excitement through our work to make their dreams come alive – excellence in customer service through customer appreciation.

A goal of this magnitude was considered to be impossible, it's not done now for a reason and the time table for some of our guarantees seems only possible through emphasizing technology – yet here we are today, ranked 22nd in the nation in agent purchase transactions – impossible is merely an opinion. We'd love to show you what we're capable of, give us a call for your next pre-approval or speak with any one of our many references that we continue to call partners.

 

Thank you all for listening. We're always here to support you, so connect get with us on Facebook or LinkedIn @mattweaverspeaks.

 

We are very excited to announce a major FREE event we are hosting on August 24th at the Cinemark in Boca Raton, FL from 9:30am – 12:00pm. Appraisals have become a real hot button topic in our industry especially recently, so we've invited a senior appraisal expert from Nationwide to do a live Q&A. Andy Lazev has personally overseen over 1 million issued appraisals and is excited to come out and discuss a variety of topics including the appraisal ordering process, comparable sales vs adjustments, effective rebuttal process, garage/porch conversions, and of course a live Q&A to make sure everyone has an opportunity to get their questions answered!

This event is free of charge, so seating is limited and we encourage you to send your RSVP to confirm your seat and anyone else you might wish to bring with you to [email protected] or call direct to 561-864-2458. Again, this is a FREE event that can greatly enhance the business of buyer agents, list side agents, transaction coordinators, broker owners or anyone involved in the buying or selling of residential real estate. Be sure to reserve your seat today for August 24th from 9:30am – 12:00pm at the Cinemark in Boca Raton, it's going to be one of the more valuable real estate events of the year without question and we're looking forward to having you with us!

 "I appreciate you joining me today, hopefully you can find a way to apply your shot into today, until tomorrow, have a better day today than yesterday."

 

The views of this blog, "Your Morning Shot" podcast, and on this site in general are solely those of the authors, Matt Weaver (NMLS-175651) and Zack Lewis, and do not express the views or opinions of Finance of America Mortgage.