How One Loan Officer Closed 115 Loans in 2022

I love sharing stories that inspire us to be all that we can be. My dear friend, Katie White, has one of those inspiring stories. 

Katie got into the mortgage business after working for a builder for five years as a builder rep in Austin, Texas. The preferred lender for the builder would cherry-pick deals, Katie told me, and a lot of her clients ended up devastated because they didn’t have a roadmap to their dream home. 

She wanted to help them, so in 2012, she went over to the other side and started working as a mortgage banker. She got licensed to help educate people and build that roadmap for them. Now she’s a branch manager and doing really well.

She closed 115 units for $48 million in 2022, down a little bit from 2021, but still really great. She made the Diamond Club—for producers who close a minimum of $45 million—and was very excited about that. She does most of her loans in Texas but works outside of the Austin area frequently. She’ll find realtors in other areas, call them, take some day trips and line up appointments with people who seem amazing. She also gets referrals and has closed loans with realtors she’s never met face to face. And she’s having a lot of success.

How does she do it? Let’s find out.

The Absolute Importance of a Positive Mindset

Katie says she shows up as the best version of herself—even if it’s just a phone call—builds value for people, and makes a personal connection. “Building value in their mindset goes so much further than anything else,” she told me.

“Tell me more,” I said.

“Just helping them keep their mindset sharp,” she said, “where it needs to be. A lot of people are fearful. If we focus on being fearful, that’s where our energy is going to flow. If we focus on more positive things, we’re going to flow in a more positive way and energize other people as well.”

How does she help people change their mindset?

She’ll ask them how things are going for them. If they’re feeling down and pessimistic, she asks them what activities they’re doing and who they’re meeting with. She also encourages them that, if they don’t feel like it’s the best time to buy, then they’re not going to be able to convince their clients that it’s the best time to buy. They have to get in the mind space where they truly feel it themselves. You can’t tell someone else to believe in something that you don’t believe in.

The Magic Mindset Behind Our MMA Call Stars

Katie has been active in our Call Stars lately, and it’s really working out well for her. I asked her to describe her experience so far. She said that everyone gets on a Zoom call and briefly talks about anything that needs to be discussed. Then they all make their calls with their cameras on, holding each other accountable in this cool way. Then at the end, they talk about their wins—and any struggles they might be having.

She says it’s really good to be in a group that knows how to overcome struggles. They all help each other get over their fears, and when they’re all together, there’s all this synergy and positive energy flowing, which makes it a whole lot easier to call people. 

We’ve been thrilled with the success of the Call Stars. I used to work in a call room before I got in the mortgage business. It’s often portrayed in the media as a negative thing, but I think it’s really powerful. Katie agrees and says it’s fun to feed off of people’s energy. You can see them smiling, you can tell they’re having a good call, and it makes you want to keep going too. 

I asked Katie if she still has call reluctance, even after all of this success. She said, yes, she does. She’s gotten a lot better at it though. And she remembers some things I’ve told her, like she’s doing someone a disservice if she doesn’t call them. What if they go somewhere else and have a terrible experience? Then that’s her fault because she didn’t pick up the phone and call. She has had to make that shift in her head, and she’s getting better at it every day.

Small but Mighty Things Katie Has Done to Grow Her Business

Back in 2015, before she joined the Freedom Club, Katie was closing 2-3 units a month. Her first year she closed $8 million. And that was huge for her. Going from $8 million to $48 million has obviously made a huge impact on her life. She got a pool (a long-time dream of hers) and she even bought a lake house.

I asked her how someone stays organized when they go from $8 million a year to $48 million a year. 

She told me that she and her team time block everything. And they shut email off for a period of time when they’re doing certain activities. She has found that, when people get distracted and come off task, it can take them 15-30 minutes to get back to where they were. It’s not a good use of time at all.

If someone calls her phone number, someone on her team will answer, or the voice answering service will pick it up. If someone specifically asks to talk to her—even after a team member has given them initial details—they’ll look at Katie’s calendar and schedule a time for her to talk to them. She sets good boundaries. And she found that when she set boundaries, she started getting even more business.

Her team takes the applications, sets up a consultation, and pulls credit. If they’re asked “the rate question,” Katie has trained them to say, “You can have any rate you want. It just depends on what’s most important to you—cash to close or monthly payment—and we can look at that together at your appointment.”

I asked Katie if she ever buys leads, and she said no. She gets her leads from good old fashioned coffee appointments and phone calls. Her three kids (13, 11, and 5) take her business cards to school and ask their teachers if they know anyone looking to buy, sell, or refinance. She also teaches realtor classes and does podcasts. Her favorite topic to teach is credit. She feels like a lot of real estate partners don’t understand it very well.

Staying Motivated When Times Are Tough

Last year, in addition to a bunch of other trips, Katie went to Fiji, and her team took care of everything while she was gone. I love that for her. I’ve been watching her journey, and it’s been amazing, and she’s earned every bit of it. Nothing has been given to her. She has clawed her way up from the bottom. She has bumps and bruises to prove it.

Along those lines, I wanted to know how she has stayed motivated in the struggle, the downtimes. 

She said that being a single mom of three and running a business hasn’t been easy. People are always asking her how she does it. She says it’s because she truly cares about helping people and making a difference impacting the lives of others. “I truly care about each and every person I help, coach, and come into contact with,” she told me. “Everyone deserves the best life.”

She said that, if you have an important “why,” that’s what is going to drive you. We wake up every day, grateful for our blessings, and try to make a difference for others. 

I’m so proud of Katie. She’s had ups and downs and challenges, and she’s figured things out. She’s not just surviving; she’s thriving.

Find People Who Can Help You Achieve Your Dreams

The biggest advice Katie would give someone who wants to be successful? Get coaching. She has three coaches herself—and coaching has helped her go so much further so much faster than she ever could have gone on her own. 

When she first joined the Freedom Club, she didn’t tell anyone for two years, because they would have thought she was crazy. She put it all on her credit card and had $50k in debt. But she believed she was worthy of that huge investment in herself.

Katie wrote me a check last year which was pretty special. We have a running joke around here that, once you crack a million dollars in personal income, you send me a check for whatever is to the right of the decimal point. She wrote me a check for 37 cents and I still have it pinned up on the wall. When she handed it to me, I don’t know who had more tears, me or her. It was a remarkable experience. 

Katie says that, if she didn’t have coaching, she might still be back where she was. That’s what holds her accountable and pushes her to see what else is available to her. When we’re surrounded by people who are doing better than us, it helps pull us up to their level. 

So what’s next for Katie? She wants to do $100 million in a year. Even though her kids are still young, they’re already talking about when they’re going to start working with her. So she’s excited to keep going and pave the way for all of their futures.

We would love to give you a demonstration of what it looks like to be in the Freedom Club and map out the exact same plan we mapped out for Katie. Click HERE to schedule your FREE call TODAY.