New Stevens Blog-Strategic Shift: Sales Skills Wanted

Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO David Stevens, CMB, published a new entry on his Capital View blog: Strategic Shift: Sales Skills Wanted.

The blog (https://davidhstevensblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/strategic-shift-sales-skills-wanted/) talks about continued changes in the real estate finance industry and the need for the industry to refine its sales skills amid the shift to a purchase market.

“The difference in survival for mortgage lending firms as we transition from a refinance to a purchase market depends on how quickly and adeptly the lender supports the shift,” Stevens said. “If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to invest in training your sales team and to understand the data behind the production numbers. Doing so now could help identify cost reductions in sales operations that could make the difference to the bottom line by year end.”

Stevens outlines several strategies lenders can take now to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

“Simply being a licensed [mortgage loan originator] is not enough. That is just the entry requirement,” Stevens said. “Simply being a top producer is not enough unless it was purchase business. The shift from a refinance market to a purchase market is significant and requires a complete paradigm shift internally. And as I have said for years; sales is a learned skill. It can be taught and managed.”