NATIONWIDE MORTGAGE 11-21-22

NATIONWIDE MORTGAGE EDITION

7 SIMPLE TIPS

That are Proven to Help You Stay Ahead of the Competition

Uncommon Contact:

CONNECTING WITH CLIENTELE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

6 METHODS FOR BUILDING BETTER EMAIL LISTS 3 BEYOND-THEOFFICE ACTIVITIES TO INSPIRE A CREATIVE BUSINESS BOOM FEATURED AGENTS

COVER STORY

BARBIE TURNBAUGH

AARON GERMAN ANDY PENDLETON KIM DEMARCO

mailto:mag@topagentmagazine.com http://www.topagentmagazine.com

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How to Make Your Commute Productive The highest caliber business owners and entrepreneurs utilize every minute of their day.

Though this may be a lofty goal, there are certainly ways to make our daily routines more efficient and productive. Consider the morning and evening commute—time blocks that are accounted for every day. For some of us, daily commutes may mean a lengthy drive through gridlock traffic, or perhaps just a quick fifteen-minute crosstown excursion. However short or long your commute may be, there are ways to maximize this component of your daily routine and reap the rewards.

With that in mind, take a look at some ideas below to inject some energy and productivity into your daily commute.

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Listen to the latest industry-centric podcasts or audiobooks Whether you drive, bike, walk, or take public transportation, a commute is the perfect time to tune into an industry-oriented podcast or audiobook as a way of building your skills or getting into the zone for the day. Instead of letting your commute time be passive, you can process insights from leading industry professionals, or develop your skillset on a topic you haven’t yet made time for. Perhaps you’d like to develop your social media presence, or maybe you’d like to tap into the millennial homebuyer market—whatever the case may be, there is audio material out there suited to your interests. What’s more, podcasts are free and easy to incorporate on your smartphone or

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tablet, and there are ample audiobook subscription services out there that make regular listenership cost effective.

Create a mental to-do list to get a head-start on your day, or to prepare for tomorrow Getting your thoughts in order with a straightforward to-do list can help you dive in once you make it to your desk, or serve as a conclusive mental routine to end your work day.

If you drive to and from work and don’t have your hands free, don’t fret. Speaking your to-do list aloud can help you detangle your thoughts and tasks by vocalizing them. You can also try breaking down your to-do list by verbalizing the day’s goals, the week’s goals, and the month’s goals as a way of structuring priorities. If your commute is hands-free, you can incorporate a variety of apps that serve as custom-made todo lists that’ll organizationally map your duties for the day. In either case, use your commute window to identify and name the tasks ahead of you, and you’ll be able to hit the ground running when the time comes to perform.

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Tend to your personal commitments and planning A productive commute can boost your professional performance, but it can also serve your personal growth and out-of-the-office responsibilities, as well. Perhaps you can think out and plan your meals for the week so that you don’t come home burnt out and with nothing in mind for dinner. Maybe you check in with a relative or partner and catch up for a spare twenty minutes.

Not only does this eliminate a few items off of your personal to-do list, it can actually give you a more focused mind at the office. If your personal life is in good order, you’ll be able to devote your full attention to work tasks.

As the old saying goes, there are only so many hours in a day. If you added up all the minutes spent commuting around town, how many hours would amount? Though the trek to and from the office is an engrained part of professional life, it doesn’t have to be a drag. Account for those spare commute windows in productive ways, and in only a month you’ll have devoted a significant portion of your time to bettering yourself as a person and a professional.

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6 Methods for Building Better Email Lists

By Kendra Lee

Email lists can be a blessing or a curse. When they’re composed of real email addresses of people in your target micro-segment, and those people recognize you or your company by name, an email list is an invaluable lead generation resource. When the list is filled with contacts who don’t know of you or your company, i.e. a cold list, lead generation can be though – really tough. Likewise, if your list is populated with fake, inactive, or irrelevant accounts you’re at risk of being banned by your email software provider.

Not surprisingly, I hear from clients all the time asking how to build an email list that will get results for their campaigns.

Should they purchase? Should they attempt to build their own?

Remember that with email list building your goal is to build a list of people within your micro-segment, so quality is more important than quantity. The more similar the contacts, the easier it is to tailor your nurturing and lead generation content to their specific needs.

Here are six methods that will help you build a quality email list.

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Nurturing and lead generation activities: When you engage in social media, nurturing activities, SEO, and Adwords, those mediums provide forums for you to drive people to your website, start a conversation via a social channel, attend an event you’re hosting, and add people to your list. People who respond really do want to be part of your list.

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Membership organizations: Whether it’s through industry associations, mastermind groups, or networking events, these types of organizations provide an excellent means for collecting contact information. Generally, people will update or provide their own information because they want other members to have easy access to them so you know the data is current.

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Shared lists: By finding a peer who targets a similar microsegment with a non-competitive offering, you may be able to forge a partnership in which you promote to each other’s lists. This happens frequently within the high tech space, with consultants, and with professional services organization where they understand the value of collaboration.

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Research the web and build your own: Increasingly, we’re seeing companies comb LinkedIn, Zoominfo. com, InsideView.com, DiscoverOrg.com and other websites for contact information, and then follow-up with companies to confirm the validity of that information. This approach is time consuming, but it can be very effective. A client who we coached through this process recently got a 41% open rate on their email nurturing campaign. I really like DiscoverOrg for the detailed information they have if you’re selling in the IT or telecom industry.

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Purchase lists: There are numerous companies that sell email lists, but you need to be careful which vendor you buy from

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and how much you spend. Prices typically range from hundreds to several thousand dollars depending on list specificity and size.

One warning: Expect higher bounce rates with these lists and negotiate for that issue when you purchase. To avoid high bounce rates, look for a list company that validates the information. In this way I’ve been very pleased with ExchangeLeads for new lists and validation of current lists. If you don’t have any list, this may be the way to get started.

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Trade information for information: Sites like ExchangeLeads and Data.com community give you credit for providing contact information for companies you’ve worked with in the past. As you earn credit, you can use it to acquire lists for free. These services generally have a fee option as well, and the data integrity is dependent upon users keeping it current.

Again, look for companies that validate data to reduce bounce rates and wasted time. I really like ExchangeLeads for trading information as well as purchasing it.

Ultimately, my advice would be to focus as much on the organic list building methods (#s 1-4) as possible, and supplement with the purchased methods (#s 5 and 6) when necessary. If you start with a purchased list, plan to nurture it and build your recognition.

Don’t toss it away if you don’t get immediate results.

At the end of the day, you want to strive for list quality over list quantity. Pushing your messaging out to unwitting, uninterested, or unsuspecting prospects won’t do anything to help you close more deals.

Contact details for Kendra Lee: Phone: 303-741-6636 (Old fashioned, but very effective.) Email: Info@klagroup.com (Yes, I get every one of these personally.) Twitter: @KendraLeeKLA (And I do follow all direct messages on Twitter!) KLA Group is a sales consulting and training firm focused on helping clients get more customers in the Small and Midmarket Business (SMB) segment through lead generation, prospecting, hiring and onboarding strategies.

Copyright©, Kendra Lee. All rights reserved.

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BARBIE TURNBAUGH

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BARBIE TURNBAUGH

Barbie is a Senior Mortgage Loan Officer with Evergreen Home Loans™. She works with all facets of origination from conventional, FHA, VA, Rehab loans to new construction loans.

Over twenty years ago, Barbie was buying her first home. The brokers at the mortgage company she was working with liked her laugh and her personality and thought she would be 10

a good fit in a new opening they had at a satellite office. She stayed as a loan assistant for three years before moving up to loan originator in 2004 for another mortgage broker. Fast Top Agent Magazine

forward a few decades and Barbie is a Senior Mortgage Loan Officer with Evergreen Home Loans™. Barbie works with all facets of origination from conventional, FHA, VA, Rehab loans to new construction loans. Evergreen just opened up a new branch office in McKinleyville, CA, where it’s currently Barbie and her assistant laying down the groundwork for more loan officers to come in and Top Agent Magazine

expand in the near future. Evergreen started in Washington and after 35 years is now established throughout a good chunk of the western states.

Working in small communities, word of mouth is everything. Barbie started her career in an area where she didn’t grow up and worked hard to get into the tight knit community groups, utilizing lots of marketing 11

techniques to make herself known.

After establishing herself as a trusted face in the community, most of her business now comes from referrals and repeat clients. The clients come back due to the customer service experience Barbie provides.

When she first got into the business, her husband said if there was someone providing a really good customer service experience that seemed to be lacking, they would thrive. She took that advice to heart and made

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that the basis of her business.

She was trained that loan officers deal with the buyer’s agent and not the seller’s agent. But it’s been her policy to keep both sides up to date and informed about every step during the process. This extra step leads to an increase in Realtor® referrals. She also keeps in touch with that growing database through CRM follow ups for birthdays and special events.

Business partners and clients each get quarterly updates and she’ll do office visits to Realtors® for special Top Agent Magazine

educational presentations, not just to keep them up on the latest developments in the business, but to keep herself at the top of their mind.

She wrapped over 60 million in transactions in the past year, but her favorite ones are the first time buyers. A lot of those buyers come to her completely green, and she likes educating them about the entire process, telling them exactly what’s happening at any given time and what it means. She imparts a sense of ownership of the process to the 13

client, not just the mechanical steps from A to B to C.

new office. When not hitting up the latest country music concerts, she’ll be focusing on the people Barbie recently joined the McKin- and businesses in McKinleyville leyville Chamber of Commerce, and getting the office ready for adding to her positions on commit- another officer to come in a help tees for the Humboldt Associate of serve the community.

Realtors, getting herself even deeper into the neighborhood around the For more about Barbie Turnbaugh, NMLS# 479589, please call 707-633-9811 or email bturnbaugh@evergreenhomeloans.com.

1690 Sutter Rd, Suite 1, McKinleyville, California 95519 ©2022 Evergreen Home Loans and Evergreen are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Evergreen Moneysource Mortgage Company® NMLS ID 3182. Trade/ service marks are the property of Evergreen Home Loans. All rights reserved. Licensed under: AZ Mortgage Banker 0910074; CA Licensed by Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the CA Residential Mortgage Lending Act 4130291; CO Mortgage Company Registration; ID Mortgage Broker/Lender MBL-3134; MT Mortgage Lender License 3182, NV Mortgage Company License 4837; Licensed under the OR Consumer Finance Act ML-3213; TX Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending Company License; WA Consumer Loan Company CL-3182; WY Mortgage Lender/Broker 3467.

http://www.justingrable.com

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5 Lessons from Silicon Valley to Modernize and Monetize Your Business Silicon Valley may be the region for disruptors, tech entrepreneurs, and futurists, but even the most forward-thinking, abstract companies are still businesses that have to keep tabs on their bottom line. There’s much to learn from America’s fastest-growing sector, and even if Silicon Top Agent Magazine

Valley seems like a world unto its own, there are key lessons prime for adaption in your own endeavors. Below, consider a few ways to translate the trends and teachings of Silicon Valley for your own business, and reap the rewards in the process.

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1. Diversify your value Real estate is a business built on relationships, but your relationships will go stale if the only thing you communicate is you interest in making a sale. In order to sustain relationships for the long term, you’ve got to remain valuable to your clients beyond the transaction. Serve as a local resource, not just a salesperson or real estate expert. Ensure your marketing materials, social media presence, and communications offer useful, relevant, and original content your clients will benefit from. What’s more, vary your communications so that every time you reach out it’s not just about new business or a referral.

2. Company culture matters Silicon Valley tech giants always emphasize the importance of company culture—not just as a way of drawing and retaining talent, but also as a way to appeal to clientele. What are your company’s values? What do you stand for? How you’re positioned in the marketplace is becoming just as important as what you do and how well you do it. Your company culture is part of your branding, and your brand should feel clear and composed to clients eyeing your services.

3.Think big picture More and more, clients want to have an experience, not just a transaction. When it comes to buying a home, this means they care more about a property’s bedroom and bathroom count. As an agent, consider showcasing properties in terms of lifestyle. What neighborhood amenities are nearby? What opportunities are there for community involvement? How does public 16

transportation stack up in the area? Before making the purchase of a lifetime, clients want to envision a complete lifestyle.

4. Leverage multiple platforms By now, you probably recognize that social media is not afterthought. Your social media presence should fit your brand and voice, interact across platforms, and actively engage with your audience. In other words, if you want to reap the benefits of social media, it’s not enough to post a few times a month and walk away. Active engagement means responding to comments, interacting with your followers’ profiles, and posting original content beyond a sales pitch.

Likewise, you’ll want to be active across multiple social media platforms and ensure that your profiles are interconnected. That way, you’ll be working from a unified voice and brand.

5. Reputations rule the roost Never underestimate the power of word-ofmouth marketing and testimonials. If you haven’t asked for feedback from past clients, and you aren’t sharing positive testimonials and reviews—you’re missing out on one of the most powerful tools at an agent’s disposal. You can pitch the virtues of your working style all day long, but those courting your business want to hear about positive experiences from the client’s perspective.

If you want to take your business to the next level and maximize the twenty-first century values of a company on the rise, look to the lessons of Silicon Valley to get your start. There are always opportunities to innovate, and doing so will help you break from your routine and stand apart from the pack.

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AARON GERMAN After growing up in a real estate family with a grandfather who was a lender, Aaron German was well equipped to join the industry six years ago. “You could say I went into the family business. It’s really been the perfect fit for me,” he says.

While he got his start as a licensed production assistant, Aaron rose in the ranks to become a mortgage loan originator. He’s now been originating loans for 3.5 years, specializing in loans for first-time homebuyers.

Based in Westminster, Colorado, Aaron works out of a real estate office for Home Mortgage Alliance who provide him with all the tools to succeed. While he works solo on the sales side, he has his own processor and underwriter behind him. Much of his success he attributes to their robust support system, but of course, his hard work and passion for the business are paramount.

He’s been recognized as a 5-Star Award Winner as well as a President’s Club Producer for the past three years. Last year, he completed $50 million in loans.

At the heart of Aaron’s business is his ability to connect with his clients on a deeper level. “Getting to know people in person is a far better marketing strategy than spending money on lead generation,” he says. “I’m here to educate and guide them through the process of getting their loan.” Even if Aaron knows that a client won’t qualify right away, he gives them the same amount of time in a consultation that he would anyone else, coaching them on how to get to where they need to be. “It can be as simple as putting them on a credit repair plan. Not even a year later, they are homeowners.”

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When he’s not working one-on-one with homebuyers and developers, Aaron attends work lunches and industry events to meet new prospects. He’s able to keep track of his many client engagements with a CRM that stores all his information in one place. “I’m a firm believer in having an organized system,” he explains. After the years he has spent building his sphere of influence, his business is now made up of around 95% repeat and referral clients.

Ambitious and hard working, Aaron pushes himself to aim higher with everything he does. He shares this same philosophy with his clients. “Whatever you set your mind to, you can accomplish,” he says. As he looks to the future, Aaron is planning to build a mid-sized team to help him grow his business. “With more support, we can service more people and help them build wealth throughout their lives. There is nothing better than seeing clients achieve something that they didn’t think they could afford. I don’t give up on anyone.”

Contact Aaron German at 720-413-3834, email AGerman@homemortgagealliance.com or visit homemortgagealliance.com/agerman www.

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3 Beyond-the-Office Activities to Inspire a Creative Business Boom Maintaining motivation year-round is a challenge, especially for those who are several years into a demanding real estate career. It’s easy to burn out, get stuck in a rut, or cycle blindly through a well-worn routine. But those that leave an impact on their industry understand that creativity holds the key to innovation and longevity. To stay ahead of 18

the curve and build your brand, you’ve got to take the time to breathe new life into your practice and see things from a new angle. But where to begin?

To invite change, you’ve got to look outside the box—or in this case, beyond the office. If you’re in need of a professional creative make-

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To stay ahead of the curve and build your brand, you’ve got to take the time to breathe new life into your practice and see things from a new angle. over, or at least want to experience a burst of inventive energy, consider some of the activities below. You may just shake up your routine, bend your brain in new ways, and inject some inspiration into your professional path.

Expand your mind through meditation.

You’ve likely heard all about the supposed powers of meditation, and perhaps you’ve long considered it an over-hyped New Age invention. But did you know that some of the foremost entrepreneurs of our era practice this cost-free, mentally restorative routine? From Oprah Winfrey to Steve Jobs, practitioners of meditation cite its stress-relieving principles, in addition to improvements in concentration, energy, self-awareness, and overall health.

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Even mainstream medicine is beginning to understand the preventative and restorative health benefits that meditation affords. As professional fields go, the mortgage and real estate industries require their fair share of emotional labor—you’re tasked with guiding clients through the investment of a lifetime.

Meditation promotes peace and perspective, while reducing stress, adding a new level of self-awareness, and helping you mentally declutter. When it comes down to it, it only makes sense that taking time to go quiet and center your mind helps professionals find wherewithal amidst a hectic industry. Next time you’re feeling drained, out of ideas, or at your wit’s end—consider just fifteen minutes of meditation to get you started. Like most things, it takes some practice. But, if you commit the time, you’ll be thanking yourself later.

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Learn something new.

If you’re facing burnout, then adding a new responsibility to your plate may seem like the least appetizing self-help solution there is.

However, learning a new skill can reinvigorate your understanding of familiar tasks and dilemmas. Plus, learning a new skill doesn’t have to mean formal classes or time-draining homework. Select something that can even kill two birds with one stone. Want to let off some steam, too? Try a kickboxing class that meets just once-a-week. You’ll have something new to look forward to, meet new people, challenge yourself, and earn some feel-good endorphins, 20

too. Want to cut loose and have some fun? Join a board game meet-up group, take a cooking class, or try rock-climbing for the first time. A stimulating new activity will light up long-dormant parts of your brain, and your clients and colleagues will surely notice the influx of energy to your outlook. Still don’t think you have enough time to add something new to the mix? Blend your morning commute with an audio language learning service. The point is to shake-up your habits and introduce a new challenge that’s unrelated to work. Doing so can make you look at things in a new light and boost your mood along the way.

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See new sights.

If you can, there’s no better way to break from routine than to physically separate yourself from your surroundings. There’s nothing more inspiring than traveling to new destinations, experiencing new cultures, and getting a sense of the world’s true vastness. If a trip abroad isn’t in the cards, don’t fret. There are bound to be plenty of places relatively close by that you’ve never seen. And these trips don’t have to break the bank, either. Devote just one or two days to visiting a place you’ve never gone before, like a state park, protected forest, or a small seaside village. Perhaps you’re only a few hours from a National Park you’ve been meaning to visit but have never made time for. Or, there’s a lively city one state over that you’ve always wanted to try. Whatever the destination, near or far, you’ll refresh

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your perspective entirely when removed from all your usual routines. New restaurants, traffic patterns, storefronts, weather—whatever the change may be, you’ll be experiencing everything brand new all around you. Taking the time for trips like these isn’t easy. In fact, making yourself devote those free days may be a difficult task itself. But it’s the most direct way to get a breath of truly fresh air, and when you return home you’ll be able to assess familiar surroundings in a totally new light.

However you decide to add creativity to your professional life, don’t wait. Once you take the plunge, you’ll be regretting you hadn’t done it sooner. After all, the key to longevity is regular maintenance, so do your part and break the mold today.

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ANDY PENDLETON Wanting a fast-paced and client-centered career path, Andy Pendleton decided to become a loan officer after starting off in the operational side of the business.

“I was putting loans in the system and shared a cubicle with the processor of the mortgage department,” Andy explains.

“It was so high adrenaline, with lots of running around and conversations happening, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.” Ten years later, Andy is thriving at Legacy Mutual Mortgage, assisting clients with their financing needs. His team of four helps transactions run smoothly, with buyers kept updated throughout the journey.

Based in Dallas, Texas, and offering various creative home loan options, all of their business is referral-based. His customer-centric approach keeps not only his clients happy, but his referral partners as well. Real estate agents appreciate Andy’s responsiveness and diligence, as he’s willing to go above and beyond to ensure their goals are met. “We set realistic expectations, but we do everything we can to make it stress-free,” he explains. Andy maintains lasting relationships with his REALTOR® partners, calling them regularly and hosting events throughout the year which keep them updated on the changing market. Reaching between $35 to 40 million in production volume for his third consecutive year, it’s clear Andy is exceeding expectations.

After the transaction is over, clients love to spread the word about Andy’s work. One recently said, “Andy and his team were incredibly responsive. Due to their great work ethic, we were able to get pre-approved quickly which allowed us to get a bid in by the deadline which resulted in us getting our dream house. Would definitely use Andy and his team again and highly recommend them. They are truly top notch!” Another wrote, “Andy was awesome throughout the entire process of refinancing my home. He was incredibly 22

helpful, kind and great at getting in touch with me when I had questions. He made the entire experience pleasant and smooth. I would definitely recommend Andy and Legacy Mutual to others.”

When Andy isn’t working, he’s giving back to the community. He is a co-leader of the Men’s Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Richardson. “We partner with a lot of local organizations,” he explains. “We also host many familyoriented events, and we’re excited about the growth of our ministry and sending a great message out there.” During his free time, Andy loves relaxing with his family, including his wife and their two (soon to be three) children. He’s also a baseball fan and enjoys going to games, especially the Savannah Bananas.

Andy’s goal is to help as many families as possible achieve homeownership. “I would love to assist 200 families in a year,” he explains. As time goes on, his passion for what he does only intensifies. “It is so rewarding to help others achieve wealth through homeownership.”

For more about Andy Pendleton, please call 469-621-6301 or email andy.pendleton@legacymutual.com Copyright Top Top Agent Agent Magazine Magazine

7 Simple Tips that are Proven to Help You Stay Ahead of the Competition So you’ve created a successful business, congratulations! You probably did it by providing an unsurpassed level of customer service that not only meets customer expectations but exceeds them in a way that has made you stand out from the rest. As anyone can tell you, starting a successful business is not easy.

Now comes the even harder part. Not only sustaining that high level of performance, but continuing to grow and outpace the competition. There is no resting on your laurels in a competitive business market. Companies that stay successful for the longterm, make an active effort to keep on top. Here are just a few ways you can do the same.

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1. Know the competition It’s not enough to know what you excel at or what makes you unique, you need to know what your competitors are offering that makes them stand out. This serves two purposes: it will allow you to more clearly define your differences, or it may help you identify an area that you hadn’t considered before, opening up a potentially new way in which you can excel above the rest.

2. Know your customers You might know your clientele very well, but as economic conditions change, so does your

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customer’s needs. What might have been a priority a year ago, won’t be if we are in the midst of an economic downturn, for example.

As a business owner you should always be evaluating your strategies in every area constantly, knowing what your customer wants and needs from you is key. In fact you should be using your expertise to analyze potential market changes and anticipate those needs to stay ahead of the curve.

3. Have a strong understanding on what makes you unique Once you accomplish the first two, you should have a clear idea of what unique advantage you offer people. This needs to be clear to everyone, so you can then take that idea and run with it. Find your niche and then market yourself with a focus on that idea. If you have a clear thing you’re selling, it is well worth the investment to market yourself to the hilt with that in mind.

5. Think like your competitors One way your competitors looks to gain customers is by potentially taking yours. It goes without saying, you don’t want to let that happen. You’ve probably built great relationships, so really maintain those relationships by not only providing great service, but service that truly goes above and beyond. Find ways to give more to your customers. You might even want to start offering surveys, where your clients can tell you exactly what they’d like to see.This makes your clients not only feel heard, but blown away when you implement any changes they suggest.

6. Look for untapped markets Don’t settle for maintaining what you have, there could be untapped markets out there.

If you don’t get to them, your competitors will. So even if they come eventually, hopefully you’ll already be the dominate force in that market.

4. Keep up to date

7. Be a great boss

This goes for everything from technology to systems, marketing, and even your own personal image. If you have a brick and mortar location, you want to also keep things looking fresh and modern there, as well. First impressions are important for a reason. Everything about your business should tie into your marketing and branding. What are you selling and does everything line up to support that, from your business cards to your social media pages. Remember the key to branding and marketing is a consistent message.

One of the best things you can do to keep ahead of the rest, is by being a company where top talent and motivated newcomers want to be. Be the company that offers more than a competitive paycheck. Be a place that fosters talent, and offers scheduling and compensations packages that appeal more to people who think outside of the box. This will attract more innovative thinkers who value flexibility. Not only will you benefit from their talents, more importantly, your competition won’t.

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KIM DEMARCO With an unrivaled work ethic and reassuring personal touch, Kim DeMarco brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and has been dedicated to helping her customers achieve optimal mortgage results for 15 years. After serving in the United States Marines and later as an Arizona State Police Officer, Kim was ready for a new challenge. “I found that I wasn’t very good at retirement!” Kim recalls. “I wanted to go back to work, so I returned to the mortgage industry, where I had started in the 1980s. Soon I was recruited by Sunstreet Mortgage, and I’ve been here ever since.”

Currently the branch manager in the Green Valley/ Sahuarita region, Kim is licensed to originate mortgage loans in Arizona and California and is a top producer for Sunstreet Mortgage and American Pacific Mortgage, with whom they have recently merged.

Living in a retirement community, Kim works mainly in conventional and VA loans, but her repertoire also includes FHA, USDA and construction loans. Never one to rest on her laurels, Kim recognized a need for reverse mortgages and has become a leading reverse mortgage specialist across the state. “I love helping people and making things happen,” Kim says. “It’s so much fun to watch somebody who’s never bought a home before buy one. I enjoy thinking outside the box and making things work that nobody else has been able to make work.”

An impressive 95% of Kim’s business comes from repeat and referral clients, a testament to the trust and confidence she inspires. “I laid my foundation years ago by pounding the pavement, and now almost all of my business is from past clients, their friends, or REALTORS®,” Kim says.

It’s easy to see what keeps people coming back. “We try to make our clients feel like they’re family,” Kim

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explains. “We do our job, we do it well, and when we say we’re going to do something, we get it done.” She and her team are known for their availability and robust communication, always promptly returning phone calls, emails and providing all-around excellent customer service.

Kim loves giving back to her community.

For 6 years, she was on the Green Valley / Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce Board, serving as both Vice Chair and Board Chair. Kim also belongs to the Green Valley Marine Corps League and is very involved in her community through volunteering and fundraisers. When she’s not working or giving back, Kim enjoys drag racing. “My husband has been racing for many years, and I have been racing for about 20,” Kim says. “It’s a hoot, and we really enjoy it!”

In the future, Kim looks forward to continuing to serve her clients and her community through Sunstreet Mortgage. “I just want to take care of my clients,” Kim says. “I always tell people who ask for advice: don’t focus on the money, because that will bite you. Focus on helping people and loving what you do. If you do that, everything else will fall into place.”

Contact Kim DeMarco at 520-370-4477, email kdemarco@sunstreetmortgage.com, or visit her website at southazlending.com https://

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Uncommon Contact:

Connecting with Clientele Through Social Media Social media is one of the newest and most powerful tools in an agent or mortgage professional’s arsenal. With just a few keystrokes, you can stay top-of-mind with buyers, sellers, and borrowers near and far, past and present. The key is knowing how to use these mediums to your advantage, working smarter instead of harder to keep the thread of professional relationships intact. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maximize the pull and power of social media by shifting just a few of your ideas and practices for the better.

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Not everything has to be about business.

While your relationship with a client or fellow vendor began over the course of business, your relationship going forward doesn’t have to be limited. One of the great things about social media is that’s it’s social. Not every comment, post, or communication has to revolve around your business, its metrics, or turning a sale. In fact, you should do your best to branch out and curate a brand and online identity that’s about who you are and

Top Agent Magazine

Top Agent Magazine

the lifestyle you’re authentically interested in living. In that vein, consider interacting with clients in an organically-driven way, encouraging them during life’s milestones, reaching out with a local event, restaurant, or news item that’s relevant to their interests or neighborhood. The goal is to be a persistent presence in their lives without feeling like a talking head. Engage as you would like to be engaged with, as a human being with interests and needs and boundaries. Keep that personal thread in mind and your dynamic will shift from past business contact to present resource.

Expand your medium.

Many Realtors are comfortable on Facebook as an interactive meeting to connect with clients, but there are several other mediums where you can connect with clients both past and present, as well as future. Particularly when courting Millennial clientele, the fastest-growing segment of the buying market, a presence on Instagram and Snapchat are key to finding new faces, demonstrating hot properties, and creating an interactive brand as an agent. Not only does this help when you’re listing a property and seeking potential buyers, but it also serves as a perusable portfolio of your work and real estate prowess. You can also use these mediums to interact with clients on an outlet they might feel most comfortable in. Liking pictures, commenting, streaming Instagram Live home tours and Stories are all ways you can build engagement by simply spreading your social media presence around. Likewise, Top Agent Magazine

these photo and video driven mediums are popular for home design ideas, and before and after renovation pictures. When you expand from Facebook into these new platforms, you’ll already have plenty of visual content ready to be transferred and consumed by an expanded audience.

Don’t just react.

Create your own content.

It’s easy enough to post a link to a new listing, or retweet a helpful article on real estate news. Creating your own organic content is a different story, but worth its weight in gold when it comes to luring engagement, ranking higher in search fields, and overall crafting an interactive presence for yourself and your business online—which is where more than 90% of homebuyers and sellers begin their process. Creating your own content can seem risky, or else like no one is listening in a digital world already crowded with information. However, original content is sure to boost personal engagement with your social media pages, guaranteed.

Instead of recycling content, consider posting a video with a Q+A theme for first-time homebuyers, or perhaps posting a live tour of a new listing will perk up your clientele surfing at home.

No matter how you decide to expand your social media presence when it comes to interacting with clients, consistency is key.

Find the ways that work best for you and stick to them, and you’ll watch your audience and business grow in tandem.

Top Agent Magazine

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Top Agent Magazine