The vast majority of leads and customers (both self-sourced or sought out through partners or other resources) are extremely busy and stressed out during the home buying and mortgage process. It’s important to make sure you are regularly staying in front of your customers through recurring outreach and emphasizing your desire and ability to help them navigate this process.

In this market, many prospective homebuyers are going to transact over a 3-6 month period so it’s important to establish an initial relationship with them, but it’s equally important to regularly check in along their home buying journey.

Target audience

Over time loan officers figure out what they want to specialize in. This can be the ability to offer anything and everything all the way to becoming an expert in a few specialty loan programs (like our one-time construction loans). Depending upon the audience you are communicating with you should share educational advice and helpful programs that fit their potential needs.

Prospecting methods

• Utilize CRM software to filter leads matching certain criteria – RUDI can be used for this. There are also free and paid CRM tools widely available and it’s important to find one you like and matches your sales style. 
• Paid Leads – In Depth Topic Coming Soon
• Partnerships – In Depth Topic Coming Soon
• Leverage social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) for prospecting.
• Purchase targeted lists from reliable data providers.
• Network at industry events and webinars to gather potential leads.

Crafting outreach messages

Develop effective outreach messages for email, phone calls, and SMS:

• Email: Create a personalized email template with an attention-grabbing subject line, a brief introduction, and a compelling value proposition. Mention your mortgage products and technology platform’s benefits.
• Phone Calls: Develop a script with a strong opening statement that addresses the prospect’s needs. Highlight the advantages of your solutions.
• SMS: Craft concise and engaging SMS messages that pique interest and encourage a response

Multi-channel approach & outreach schedule

Define the schedule for reaching out to prospects:

• Email: Send initial emails during peak engagement times, such as Tuesday or Wednesday mornings.
• Phone Calls: Make follow-up calls within 24-48 hours of sending the email.
• SMS: Send SMS messages as follow-up reminders or to re-engage after a successful call.
• See sample two week campaign plan on the next page.

Tracking & measuring outreach

Define the schedule for reaching out to prospects:

• Use a Spreadsheet or CRM software to track email opens, clicks, and responses
• Log phone call outcomes and feedback so you can reference these in the future.
• Record SMS responses and follow-up actions.
• Create templates of the custom communications that work and receive responses and product activity.

Continuous learning & adaptation

The market is always changing, so it’s very important to stay updated on new prospecting and outreach techniques. We highly encourage continuous learning and adaptation based on prospect behavior and feedback and leverage the resource center and our broader MLO network to figure out what works and what doesn’t. 

Creating a structured outreach plan is key to being able to continually learn and improve on your ability to meet, advise and convert new and existing customers. Remember to keep this plan flexible and adaptable as outreach methods and prospect behaviors may change over time. Regularly review and update the plan to align with the latest industry trends and technology.