By: Karen Deis, Publisher

I just returned from attending the National Assocation of Mortgage Brokers' Annual Convention in Baltimore! As busy as everyone is these days - this was their biggest show ever, with about 5,000 attendees and over 400 exhibit booths.

So, why would so many people attend - if they have more business than they can say grace over?

In speaking with loan officers, company owners and wholesale reps, one clear messgae was conveyed - they are concerned about the future of their business when the refinances dry up and blow away like a tumble weed!

Some of the speakers talked about building your database; some spoke about customer referrals; and quite a few talked about how to get back into the "purchase market" mindset - which means, working with Realtors^TM.

Some of you might be saying to yourself - I'd rather eat worms than work with real estate agents again. Some of you have never worked with Realtors^TM (just refinancing your guts out), but some of you have been working with them all along. No, you don't have to bite the bullet and pass out rate sheets and cute trinkets again - it's a matter of POSITIONING yourself with real estate agents - where you become their trusted source for mortgages.

Just like any other career, many real estate agents "specialize"! From listing agents, to buyer-only representation; from first-time homebuyers to ethnic groups; from relocation specialists to real estate agents specializing in the "baby-boomer" market - you might start by finding a "niche-market" real estate agent to work with.

Many of the NAMB speakers - including Greg Frost - said that the positioning process should begin by becoming their "teacher, consultant, advisor", and showing them how to get more business. This can be done with Realtor-type newsletters or through a series of training sessions. Greg has a system where, when he gets a good customer survey back from a client or a real estate agent, he sends a copy of the survey to the agent's sales manager bragging about the good job that they (both Greg and the agent) did. After sharing 2 or 3 surveys with the manager, he asks if he could hold a sales meeting. Not just ANY sales meeting, but a training session on how he can help them get more listings. To purchase Greg Frost's survey questionnaire, CLICK HERE.

Now, here is your chance to position yourself within the real estate community with an online seminar being held on Thursday, July 17, 2003, featuring Linda McKissack, Keller & Williams Real Estate Company, Texas. Linda is one of the top listing agents in the country, and she carries 50 to 60 listings per month.

www.LoanOfficerSeminars.com is providing an online seminar featuring Linda, and what she has done to become a top listing agent. This is your opportunity to train your real estate agents, feed them pizza and cokes (any kind of food will do), log on the web and listen to the 90-minute conference call with Linda about how she is able to list 50-60 homes per month and the simple system she uses. As a free bonus, Linda will email her 90-page listing booklet, which you can duplicate and give to all those realtors who came to your office. (Consider this as your follow up call to meet with them again, ask for their business and give them the booklet.)

While you could always hold the online seminar in the real estate office, I wouldn't recommend it. You want them to become familiar with your office, staff and location and what better way than to have them come to your office. (Plus, you are able to invite agents from other offices too.) Here's a party check list for you to start on:

1. Send a personal invitation - via mail or email if you can.
2. Distribute "admittance tickets" along with a map to your office.
3. Call Sales Managers and invite them individually.
4. Serve food!
5. Start about 45 minutes to 1-hour earlier than the seminar, to give yourself a chance to mingle and eat.
6. Collect their email addresses, as the 90-page boklet that Linda is giving free, will be emailed to you. (However, you could also print and distribute the booklet when you setup a follow-up with the agents that attended.)
7. Send thank you notes!
8. Email (or deliver) "Listing Your Way to Success" Booklet.

For more information on the seminar contents and times throughout the country, log on to www.LoanOfficerSeminars.com to register. The one registration fee of $169 is specific to location, so you can only be logged on using one computer. It's another reason why you have to control the seminar - and location of the event.

If the thought of calling on real estate companies makes you sick - this is the perfect way to "have them call on you" with an online seminar designed to help THEM increase their business - held by one of their peers!

Consider transitioning into working with Realtors^TM because they still play an intregal part in 87% of all purchase transactions. It may just be the future of your business!

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