Running a mortgage business isn’t easy. Between bringing in new business, keeping up with loan products, and getting your clients to the closing table, it can feel like you’re always playing catch-up.
The secret to scaling and giving yourself time to build your business is simple: hire the right people. The first time. If you don’t, you’re going to keep running in circles.
To build your mortgage dream team, you need to have a solid hiring process. The right team members won’t just fill a seat—they’ll help you grow, improve efficiency, and create the kind of company culture that fosters long-term success.
Your First Hire Should Be a Processor, Not an Assistant
So, where do you start? The first person you need on your team is a processor. Why? Because they make everything run smoothly and improve your loan process in two key areas:
Efficiency: If you’re sharing a processor with other loan officers, you’re leaving yourself exposed to their mistakes, inefficiencies, and bad habits. You’re also at the mercy of their workload. A processor working only for you means you have control—your files get done on time, your service stays top-notch, and your clients are happy.
Control: With a dedicated processor, you can create a system that works for your business. When you can control your process, you can build a predictable pipeline and deliver consistent results to your clients.
Don’t make the mistake of hiring an assistant first. That’s not going to move the needle. Hire a processor and start building a business that can scale.
Scaling the Team: Hire in Stages, Not All at Once
Once you’ve got your processor in place, it’s time to start building out the team. But don’t hire just to hire—there’s a process here.
Here’s how to do it:
Production Partner 1: Take Over the Front-End Work
This person takes over all the administrative stuff—emails, calendars, phone calls, CRM management. This allows you to focus on the high-leverage activities: consultations and client meetings.
Loan Coordinator: The Glue Between Sales and Operations
The Loan Coordinator will handle the pre-approval process and all things related to closing. They keep the ball rolling in the background while you focus on getting more clients.
Production Partner 2: Handle the Follow-Ups and Communication
Another Production Partner can help handle follow-ups, communication with agents, and problem-solving. This keeps you from getting sucked back into the day-to-day stuff and lets you focus on your growth strategy.
Mortgage Advisor: Crank Through Consultations
Another Mortgage Advisor can handle consultations and contract meetings while leading and training your other team members. Now, you can handle higher volumes while your team manages the details.
Marketing and Business Development: Scale, Scale, Scale!
When you’re ready to kick things up a notch, you need to bring in marketing and business development pros. These roles will build your brand, generate leads, and cultivate referral partnerships. You can’t keep doing this on your own, and the right hires will allow you to scale exponentially. This is what we mean when we talk about scaling.
Pro Tip: Hire for Fit, Not Just a Résumé
Experience isn’t everything. Especially when it comes to customer-facing roles. What matters more is personality.
You can always train someone who has the right temperament for the job. It’s a lot harder to change someone’s personality. If you hire for the right personality, you’re going to get a much better fit in the long run.
The DISC assessment is a game-changer for this. This helps you figure out if someone’s personality aligns with the role. If you’re hiring for a sales or business development position, you want someone who is outgoing and relationship-driven. If you’re hiring a processor, you need someone who’s detail-oriented and calm under pressure. DISC helps you figure this out before you make the hire.
Why Hiring the Right People Is More Critical Than Ever
The world of mortgage origination seems to be changing every day. There’s always going to be another curve ball thrown into your loan process.
If you want to grow your mortgage business and survive in this game, you need the right team. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Hire the right people, the first time, and build a team that will help you scale and dominate.
In the words of Robert Kiyosaki, “The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work.” If you want to work fewer hours, take more vacations, and grow your business without burning out, you need to put the right people in the right seats.
