Director shares the importance of having a structured plan to navigate your goals
Mortgage brokering is a competitive space – and so standing out requires not just hard work, but a strategic approach to business.
With this in mind, Jared Stanley, senior director of originations at Neighbourhood Holdings has created the 90-day Mortgage Broker Blueprint. Designed with both new and seasoned brokers in mind, the blueprint has been born out of Stanley’s own achievements and setbacks, and imparts the lessons he’s learned in creating a resilient business strategy.
In his current position, Stanley is responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, and underwriting. He believes that every role he has had has taught him the importance of having a well-planned strategy to navigate the ups and downs of building a robust deal pipeline.
“My message is simple – I want brokers to thrive,” Stanley tells CMP. “My journey through various roles in the mortgage industry taught me the importance of having a structured plan, especially when starting fresh.”
Balancing act: strategy meets action
A cornerstone of Stanley’s blueprint is the balance between long-term strategic planning and immediate tactical actions. "It's about working 'ON' the business for the future while also working 'IN' the business on daily tasks," Stanley explains.
“The plan acts as a north star, guiding you while allowing for on-the-go adjustments as new information becomes available.”
The 90-Day Blueprint touches on various critical aspects of a mortgage broker’s business, from tools and technology – a long-term strategic task -to navigating personal relationships with clients – something you can do day to day. When it comes to technology, Stanley highlights that it should amplify your efforts to build a strong rapport, and allow you to spend more time understanding and meeting your client’s needs.
Once you have the right technology in place, Stanley says that brokers also shouldn’t underestimate the humble pen, notepad, and post-it note.
"When my plan is clear, I will write the objective or target onto a post-it and stick it on my monitor,” Stanley says.
“Then, every day, I will write out a list of what I want to achieve in my notepad. If what I want to achieve is part of a bigger project, I break it down into bite-size pieces that I can tackle each day. There’s that saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time.”
Success is an ongoing journey
Much like sailing a ship and constantly adjusting its sails, the 90-day Blueprint serves as a guide for brokers to navigate through various market conditions. Stanley says it’s vital to focus on what is within your control regardless of market challenges, and to adjust your plan on-the-go as needed.
He notes that a common ‘blueprint myth’ is that they need to be complex and unyielding. However, the best plans are usually fluid and open to ongoing adjustments.
“They hinge on understanding the reasons behind every decision—be it tweaking, overhauling, or scrapping approaches,” he says. “Aim high, knowing that achieving even a portion of ambitious goals distinguishes you in the field.”
Finally, Stanley highlights the increasingly vital role of AI for brokers, not just for data analysis, but also for creative brainstorming and strategy refinement. Brokers can input a “brain dump” of ideas into an AI, and the system can help to organize their thoughts, highlight key trends and provide constructive feedback.
Using AI can also streamline the process of creating a blueprint that’s uniquely tailored to your business. To make the most of this capability, Stanley says the best starting point is to ask broad questions about your business vision, target market, and what success looks like to you.
“From there, refining these ideas into more concrete objectives—such as increasing client base by a certain percentage, enhancing digital presence, or improving client retention rates—can help create a focused direction for AI to enhance their strategic planning and decision-making processes,” Stanley says.
To learn more about the 90-Day Blueprint and how it can help your brokerage, click here.
