A Harmonious Relationship

A Harmonious Relationship

Why it’s important for mortgage loan officers and real estate agents to get along.

Most homebuyers seek out a mortgage loan as a way to finance what is one of the largest financial decisions most people make. Playing vital roles in this process are the mortgage loan officer and the real estate agent.

But what happens when your mortgage loan officer and real estate agent don’t get along? It means a big pain in the neck.

“It’s important that the homebuyer find a mortgage loan officer and a realtor who can work together, and who put the best interest of the homebuyer first,” says Alan LaFollette, Vice President, Home Lending at First National Bank. “We work closely with realtors to make sure we’re all on the same page. At the end of the day, we’re working for the homebuyer and we need to do what’s in their best interest.”

While it’s not necessarily the homebuyer’s job to double check that the loan officer and realtor would hang out together, it is important to recognize that a functional, positive working relationship is present between the two. Here’s why:

There’s no ‘I’ in team
Real estate agents rely on mortgage loan officers to service their clients. Loan officers also rely on real estate agents to service the same clients, plus keep an open line of communication between all parties. Whether you seek out a real estate agent or a loan officer first, in the end everyone has the same goal of helping the homebuyer get their ideal home.

Working smarter
“Knowing the basics prior to meeting with a loan officer will give you a head start and will give you more confidence as you begin the home-buying process,” says LaFollette. Though real estate agents can provide homebuyers with basic information about buying a house, lenders will help homebuyers with more complex details. Lenders and real estate agents alike want to make this process as easy for the buyer as possible. A lender/agent tandem that work well together can resolve potential discrepancies quickly and easily.

The homebuyer’s first
Homeowners might run into problems with their loan, and that happens. According to the National Association of Realtors, 45 percent of first-time buyers say that the mortgage application and approval process is occasionally more difficult than expected.¹ Lenders are here to make those problems transition with ease. “By working with the real estate agent and the homebuyer, we try to make this process as simple as possible, even if there were to be problems,” says LaFollette. “We work to make sure our client experience is about the trust they have in us, not about our financial gain.”

Going the extra mile
Homebuyers have numerous local and national lenders at their fingertips, so real estate agents and mortgage loan officers alike need to take advantage of every reason homebuyers should want to work with them. An efficient and strong relationship between the mortgage officer and the real estate agent builds a foundation of common sense and a culture of cooperation and service, giving both companies an immediate advantage. Accountability is built, communication is established, and this positive relationship between real estate agents, lenders and homebuyers will get people moving faster than ever before.

Got Questions? Stop by your local First National Bank branch today and visit with a mortgage loan expert.

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1 Mortgage loan officers and real estate agents: how they work together – https://www.adwerx.com/blog/loan-officers-real-estate-agents/

² 4 Ways a Loan Officer Can Work Better with Real Estate Agents – https://mgic-connects.com/4-ways-a-loan-officer-can-work-better-with-real-estate-agents/