In this episode, I sit down with Robby MacAskill, Director of Business Development at Zonda, to talk about one of the biggest blind spots in mortgage sales: why lenders are often chasing the wrong builder accounts and missing easier opportunities hiding in plain sight. Robby shares what he’s learned from working with lenders on builder strategy every day, including why mid-sized production builders are often a far better target than most loan officers realize and how data can reveal where the real openings are. 

We also get tactical on prospecting and sales execution. We talk about how to break into builder relationships that already seem locked up, why in-person outreach still creates a huge edge, and which loan products can open the door fastest. Robby also pulls lessons from his transition into tech sales, including the importance of repeated outreach, multi-threading, time blocking, and running sales conversations that are so valuable the buyer feels like they should have paid for them. 

TOPICS WE COVER

•  Why most lenders misunderstand the builder opportunity, and where the real opening is with mid-sized production builders rather than only chasing national accounts 
•  How to identify builders that do not have strong lender relationships, including the signals Zonda uses to find low-capture-rate accounts 
•  Why the best path into builder business is usually through the sales reps on the ground, not just the CEO or division president 
•  The power of in-person prospecting, including driving to sales offices, meeting multiple reps, and building momentum across an entire builder organization 
•  Loan products that help lenders win builder referrals, including FHA and VA manual underwrites, buy-before-you-sell programs, and forward commitments 
•  What mortgage salespeople can learn from SaaS prospecting, especially the importance of four to five outreach attempts before expecting a response 
•  Why multi-threading matters so much, including how to spread awareness inside an account and turn one meeting into multiple stakeholders and champions 
•  How to use industry events to create pipeline, including pre-event outreach, attendee research, and scheduling follow-up meetings before the conversation ends 
•  Robby’s biggest lessons from tech sales, including teaching instead of pitching, protecting time for revenue-generating activities, and building a true partnership with your SDR 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Robby MacAskill is the Director of Business Development at Zonda. He began his career in mortgage lending at Lower.com, where he became a top producer, earned President’s Club recognition, and stepped into leadership as an AVP managing a team of MLOs. He later moved into tech sales at Terradepth, where he helped build outbound strategy and the full SaaS sales cycle for Absolute Ocean before becoming a team lead. Today at Zonda, Robby combines his mortgage and technology background to help lenders use builder data and strategy to win more business with home builders.

LINKS

Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carter-armendarez/
Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.techsaleswithcarter.com/newsletter/
Learn more about Zonda: https://zondahome.com/