3 KEY LEADERSHIP TIPS FOR THIS MARKET FROM STEVE JACOBSON

“Leadership is ever-changing. It’s never the same,” says Steve Jacobson, CEO of Fairway Independent Mortgage, a 39-year veteran of the industry and one of the top five lenders in America.

Here are 3 tips for improving your leadership skills with your team. 

#1 Always learning, Always training. We must keep trying to improve because the industry is never the same from day to day. The leaders and originators who are the most successful are the ones who know how to learn, unlearn, and relearn. They’re always hungry, humble, and learning new ways to do things. 

#2 Train your team to look at rates over the long term. When I started as an originator, rates were at 14.5%. I learned in those early years that many people don’t want to work when rates are high. You’ve got to be willing to do the work and go out and educate originators about how to speak with customers about today’s rate vs. handling their mortgage long-term. You’ve got to show today's buyers the future refi on a Total Cost Analysis so they can see today's high rate and compare it to the future lower interest rate.

#3 Establish disciplines and consistencies. For instance, set a number-of-units goal. This is important. It tells how you think. Twenty years ago, I ask Tim Braheem, ‘How often do you use a Mortgage Coach Total Cost Analysis?’ And he would say, ‘With every deal.’ To optimize success, you have to have certain consistencies and stick to them. #AlwaysBeCoaching

Here's the full 20-minute interview with Steve Jacobson