CMP magazine interview Vancouver Mortgage Broker Jessi Johnson

A Brave New World: How technology is changing the industry

Many mortgage brokers seemingly try to keep on top of a million things at once. Whether it’s answering their BlackBerry, visiting clients, checking emails, processing applications or setting up new marketing campaigns, brokers always have to be ready to attend to whatever may come their way in order to keep up with all the demands of the industry. However, as brokerages continue to take on more business and competition in the industry grows even fiercer, many are beginning to find the profession that much more challenging, especially those neglecting technology.

Those who use technology at their brokerages, however, generally have been able to cope with the current demands, and actually exceed them. While paper piles up in the offices of brokers who are unable or unwilling to take advantage of current innovations, mortgage agents who are well-versed in today’s technology have been able to free up more time, make their businesses run more efficiently and, most importantly, they’ve been able to attract and retain a large clientele base. As more brokers catch on to this trend, the industry as a whole continues to move closer to becoming almost completely electronic, leaving the old days of paper applications and fax machines to fade into oblivion.

Ten years ago, mortgage brokers could still get away with overlooking technological advancements and doing business the old way, says Jim Black, mortgage expert and owner of Dominion Lending Centres Mortgage Excellence in Lethbridge, Alta. But in an industry in which nearly all mortgage applications are submitted online by using web-based mortgage-origination software platforms, Black says individual brokers are finding that they need to catch up to today’s innovations. “If you’re missing the computer or technology train, you’re missing out,” he says. “But if you get up to speed on some of the basic technologies … it’s proven it’s only going to help you.”

Having a company with an effective website and database, or a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, integrated with either Filogix Expert or Marlborough Stirling Canada’s MorWEB, is just the standard for any new brokerage to get started nowadays, he says. All of these tools free up time in a variety of different ways. For example, when consumers fill out applications directly on Black’s website, which is integrated with Expert, he’ll automatically receive an e-mail on his BlackBerry alerting him that an application has been started. He then reviews the forms and if all the information needed is included, he e-mails his client a PDF file to get their signature for the application, which they can then print out, sign, scan and e-mail back to him. Finally, he can go to his Expert account, where the application created on his website was automatically sent, approve it and send it directly to a lender. Before Expert was around and he had a website, he said he would have had to do that whole process by fax, which more than doubles the time.

Jessi Johnson, chief executive officer and president of Jessi Johnson Mortgage Team based in Langley B.C., says when he started his company a year ago, he was intent on using technology in a way that would maximize his business. Today, 95 per cent of all of his clients’ mortgage applications are filled out online and nearly all of his files are stored electronically. “I can probably do two to three times the volume than someone using paper applications and standard fax machines,” he explains. “This isn’t bragging, but simple numbers. It takes our office zero seconds to collect an application and only a few minutes to have it ready for submission. You can’t beat that,” Johnson adds.

Mortgage-origination software
Mortgage-origination software is another area where Johnson has seen a big development. After using Filogix Expert for more than three years, Johnson says he switched to MorWEB, because it is a client-based system, whereas Expert is a deal-based system. Brokers using Expert must resubmit their clients’ information if they need a new mortgage, since the application does not keep client records. To manage that data, brokers should find a CRM that can be integrated with Expert, such as inContact’s CRM NEXA.

Johnson says this area of technology in the industry is one that needs more competition in order to spur further innovations and developments to make doing business even more convenient for brokers. “The Filogix versus MorWEB situation reminds me of Microsoft versus Mac. If Morweb keeps its head up, it will be very interesting to see how much market share they will have in five years.”

But there is another player emerging in the market for mortgage-origination software: Axcess Canada. Malcolm Collett, director of marketing at The Mortgage Group Canada Inc. in B.C., says Axcess Canada could really end up giving the other companies in this sector “a run for their money.”

The two-year-old company, partnered with Axcess Consulting Pty Ltd. in Australia, and Axcess Americas in the U.S., offers a web-based CRM called the Axcess Relationship Manager (ARM) that takes care of mortgages from origination through to completion, says Tim Shkolnik, vice-president of solutions and development at Axcess Canada Inc. Ontario. “We don’t hand off the mortgage after it’s been originated. We’re managing arrears, collection, monthly interest accrual, payment management, collection and servicing – everything right through to discharge,” Shkolnik adds.

What makes Axcess Canada stand out from the competition, he says, is the amount of control brokers have to customize their ARM account. “We do business in the way the company wants to, rather than telling them here’s how you’re going to work ,and here’s the screen you’re going to use, and here’s the process you’re going to follow. We go the opposite way by asking the company how they want to do things.”

Do you need a CRM
While using one of these service providers to connect to lenders is pretty much a necessity in today’s industry, brokers that use Expert and MorWEB still have the option of choosing to use a CRM. Some brokers, however, just prefer to make their own database. Black, for instance, made his by using Microsoft Access. To those who may think that creating database would be extremely taxing, Black says that’s not the case. “It’s simple enough for people to go to Chapters and buy Access for Dummies and they could do a really basic database on their own … I’ll never say it’s simple, but anyone could do it, given a little time and effort.” To do his mail-outs, he then imports his client lists from his database into Sendoutcards.com to forward thank-you cards, birthday cards and other notifications to clients.

For those who don’t necessarily want to create their own database, there are a number of different companies that offer CRMs. Software Developer Shane Lemon, owner of Shane Lemon Software Consulting Inc., for instance provides a CRM called Coconut that allows brokers to track their brokerage’s and their own commissions, as well as client information, whether it’s by deal and contact details. The system can be integrated with Filogix Expert and when users send a newsletter through Coconut, the system can distinguish between referral sources and clients, sending different messages to different groups.

Lemon says he got into the business because he wanted to give brokers a better way to manage their clients’ information and track their commissions, rather than relying on a simple spreadsheet. “I realize it’s hard to change something that you think is working, but Coconut is a much more effective tool then stand-alone spreadsheets and whiteboards. Coconut replaces your whiteboard with an online dashboard, complete with all your current clients and automated reminders based on your current and past deal life cycle and spreadsheets are replaced by easy-to-use forms and comprehensive reporting.”

While CRMs are great for brokerages that are just starting out, they’re not necessarily the best bet for companies that have the capital to create their own, says Albert Collu, CEO and president of Argentum Mortgage and Finance Group, and vice-president of the Independent Mortgage Brokers Association of Ontario. “In my opinion, I think we have far too much technology out there,” he says. “I think all these pieces of technology and software platforms do a good job in themselves, but they’re all over the map. The irony is they were supposed to create efficiencies and help you with your business, but many of them have become so bloody cumbersome that no one actually uses them anymore.”

When he started his company a year ago he knew right from the start that he would need a CRM that could be used as a central point to store and manage data. So he produced his own software application called The Stream. “I knew if we opened the doors and created an organization that was just like every other brokerage we would have been dead in the water before we even started,” adds Collu, who’s been a mortgage broker for more than 10 years.

Argentum uses The Stream to create mortgage applications, interact with clients and manage documents for compliance and record-keeping. The CRM is fully integrated with his website, document management systems and is connected to an online mortgage-origination software platform for application submission. “You’re just taking the data and dropping it in a central portal and pushing it out to all the relevant areas. It puts everything on autopilot so to speak.”

The Stream has given his agents a greater ability to understand the company database, develop relationships with clients and find new business. But most importantly, it’s allowed Argentum to gain more business. “Most agents spend almost half their time on administrative functions rather than developing their business, whereas our system has diminished that to maybe five or 10 per cent.”

Jessi Johnson is another broker who hasn’t found a CRM he’s totally comfortable with. Until he finds something that can work for his business, he’ll continue using Microsoft Excel to manage his client data. “Don’t get me wrong, I am sure they work for a basic broker, but unfortunately I have a very complicated setup.”

Online marketing
Johnson’s focus, however, is less on what application he uses for client-data management and more on how he markets his company. Johnson, who teaches marketing at seminars hosted by the Mortgage Brokers Association of British Columbia, built his business by using technology. His colleague Mike Averbach, president of TMG Averbach Mortgages Ltd., says he can remember when other people in the industry would say that “mortgage brokers shouldn’t try re-inventing the wheel without learning the fundamentals first, but Jessi came in and re-invented the wheel.”

Johnson admits when he first started out he was only focused on clients who understood current technology. After a short while of working with that in mind, he realized he could build a successful business targeting only those consumers. “I don’t really want a client who doesn’t use e-mail or the Internet. Those files take 10 times as long to complete and those clients are literally a dying breed. We prefer to focus on the younger clientele and teach them cool new tricks to be more financially savvy.”

He says he’s used social media websites not to sell his products but to educate people with quality information. By doing that he was able to increase his business’s exposure and give consumers an incentive to call him when they need a mortgage. By using Twitter.com, he says he’s been able to give his business a “personal touch,” which seems to be harder to establish these days, since brokers have less face-to-face interaction with their clients.” Johnson currently has more than 10,000 followers on his twitter account, giving him a reach into a market that others cannot access.

However, before brokers even worry themselves with social media, they need to develop and maintain a decent website, Collu says. “There is going to be more and more demand for brokers to have robust websites that have ample information that capture audiences or visitors and entice further interaction,”

And even though there’s a growing demand for well-developed websites, he’s seen a lot of reluctance among brokers to fill what he calls “a very big void” in the industry. “It doesn’t matter what you want as a broker or agent, the only thing that matters is what the consumer demands. Over 80 per cent of consumers right now will visit the Internet for mortgage and home advice before even contacting a human being. If that’s not a kick in the rear-end to change habits, I don’t what is!”

Even though having a superior website with great information and tools is crucial for success, it’s all for nothing if no one sees it, says Averbach. So the next step brokers should take, if they have the budget for it, is to hire a search-engine-optimization specialist to make their websites rank higher on search engines. Averbach says this is particularly important because most people looking for a mortgage, between the ages of 25 and 45, start by using search engines, and they usually end up selecting with what’s closest to the top.

CLICK HERE for the interview posted on CMP magazine

Riaz from Breakfast Television interviews Jessi on the raising interest rates. For more information, listen in….

you.com

By Jessi Johnson

Click here to view the magazine version: http://www.jessijohnson.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/you.com_.pdf

About three and a half years ago, I obtained my mortgage broker license. It was a good day, but now what do I do? I can ramble on for hours about marketing but none of it means anything unless you have one key tool, a website. This wonderful instrument should be a staple in the daily operations of every broker, especially when looking towards the years ahead. Without a sharp sword, how can a warrior fight? A sharp website can be viewed as a glorified business card. Would you go to networking event without business cards? Of course not, so why would you run your business without a site? There is a very good chance you may already have a website and if this is the case, I hope my article can provide suggestions on how to increase your traffic. I will say it now and I will say it again, get a website and be discovered.

There a two main types of mortgage broker websites. The first is a supportive tool where potential clients can look you up online, check out your pretty pictures and hopefully call you or apply online. The second is a marketing tool used to generate business. I myself have both, but certainly don’t suggest that for everyone. Maintaining a good website is a lot of work, ever more work when you have two. First decide which type of website you are going to create, then progress from there. This is very important because your first step or phase of website creation is to pick a domain. Your domain will appear in the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) which is the small box on your browser where you type in a website address. This is the most important item because it is the ultimate key word for search engines. Take your time when deciding the domain. If you are going to create a supportive website then the domain is simple, www.yourname.com. Dot com’s are not so crucial these days. Dot ca will work great but there are others to consider: dot me (.me) or dot tv (.tv), etc. If you are creating a marketing site with a specific niche, then I would take more time with your domain decision.

Once you decide on your domain, you need to create a budget for your website creation. There are cookie cutter websites out there for about $500, or you could drop as much as $20,000. It all depends on how crazy you want to go. Do your research and get quotes in writing with detailed breakdowns of what is being offered. You should expect to pay 2-5k for something good, and I suggest using Ballistic Arts (www.ballisticarts.com) for this price range. Anyone reading this article who knows me personally, I am very particular when it comes to business (or in general according to my fiancée), and therefore I do my research and you can trust my suggestions.

So now that you have an idea of what you are going to do and who is putting it together, we must decide on a backend. This is the program used to update and maintain your website. Yes you can pay someone each month to update your site for you, or you can use a nice backend tool like WordPress. This allows you to easily update your website without throwing money away by the hour. Both my sites are designed on WordPress (www.jessijohnson.ca and www.firsthomeinfo.ca).  Different people are comfortable with different levels of technology, so do your research and select what works for you. Your next step is to decide on key words, these wonderful words are to be used thoroughly throughout your site and will be what people type in a search engine to find you. I suggest choosing ten and sticking with them.

Now comes the fun stuff, creating content. Good content helps generate traffic. It is suggested to have to least 250 words of copy per page. Write everything on a word document to be easily copied and pasted onto the site. Once you have a good enough idea of your content, you need to create a layout. Try to make this simple and easy to navigate. Your web designer should have many ideas for you, I suggest researching other quality sites in your industry for ideas. There are some important items in these current times to remember when creating your layout with a website for a mortgage broker in mind:

• Make sure to have your “follow me” social media links to expand your network
• Have a subscribe now and unsubscribe for your newsletter
• Post testimonials from your clients about how great you are
• Don’t forget your online mortgage calculator (hint: send this link to all your realtors)
• Have an area for reciprocal industry links to high quality sites, this will help generate traffic
• Offering free reports is a great way to increase your database
• If you post rates, keep them current! It looks terrible having outdated stats
• Last but certainly not least, make sure to have an online application on your site

Instead of programming or designing an online application, I suggest talking to Morweb. In my option they are the superior choice for a program to work on mortgage deals and their online applications are excellent. Remember to collect ID and thoroughly review documents if you don’t meet the client when using an online application.

The most consistent expense you will have with running a website is your hosting cost. This can range from about ten dollars a month to hundreds depending on the service. Hosting is the location for your website and data to be stored. If you are just starting out, www.godaddy.com will have some good cost efficient hosting packages for you. Their customer service is reasonable but you will eventually need to upgrade if your site grows with traffic. Now I use a company called Robson Inc, they are rock-solid and worth every penny.

So you have a website, now what the heck do you do? First off, make sure you have a blog or at least an area where you can continuously add content. Search engines love new content and so do your viewers. Remember to use your keywords and keep focused on your niche. The word of the day is SEO, this stands for search engine optimization. The concept is to maximize your sites potential to be found on search engines. By using certain strategies in your website design, this will gain you higher rankings with the search engines. A high Google ranking means more visitors which generates more business. Google isn’t the only search engine but it is certainly the largest. Don’t expect overnight success from your website. If done properly you will see results in good time. I am by no means the master of SEO and this is always a learning process. Internet will be your best friend if you learn how to use SEO.

Marketing your site is another step but prior to this you need to have your site connected to Google Analytics. This magnificent tool monitors your site traffic and marketing campaigns. By now you should already have a blog on your website and some content, now let’s work on showing this to the world. There are many ways to generate traffic. You can read and comment on relevant industry blogs with links to your site. Advertising on Google Adwords or Facebook can be successful but certainly not cheap. Personally, I suggest using this only after the above stages are complete. Here you have the option of paying on a per click basis or per view. If you would like to learn more about advertising your site, I suggest checking out www.reachd.com and attending a few seminars.

I remember one day this past summer, the sun was shining, the temperature was about 35 degrees and I was working from home where the pleasures of air conditioning don’t exist. The fan was on full blast but I needed more circulation. My front door doesn’t stay open on its own so I had to prop it up, after looking around I discovered the perfect tool, a Yellow Pages book. Do you get my point here? Gone are the days of flipping through countless pages to look something up, if people want anything they look for it on Google. The Yellow Pages are archaic; search engines will make you money! Get a website and be found.

Steps:

Phase one:

1. Figure out your niche
2. Buy a domain (check out dotster.com or godaddy.com)
3. Create a budget and find a web designer
4. Decide on a back end (wordpress, etc)

Phase two:

1. Decide on ten “key words”
2. Start writing content
3. Create a website layout
4. Purchase Hosting (I suggest Robson inc)

Phase three:

1. Create your blog or area for continuous content additions
2. Design your site to be SEO friendly
3. Decide how you are going to market your site
4. Tell EVERYONE about your awesome site

Mortgage Renewal/ Transfer: So your mortgage is coming for renewal, now what do you do? Please don’t tell me you take the first offer your bank gives you! Unless you are dealing with a broker channel lender and sometimes even then, you will be paying a higher rate on the renewal then if you just called us. For the mortgage renewal or transfer process, the steps are relatively simple and could save you thousands by calling us. We can even cover your legal and appraisal costs which save you another $1,000. 

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