How one loan officer shaped her professional trajectory
Parker Rockett Borofsky (pictured), technically didn’t begin her career in the mortgage industry – she actually started out in marketing. Timeshares, to be exact.
Now, as a mortgage loan officer at Movement Mortgage, she told MPA that working with industry giants such as Wyndham and Blue Green helped shape her professional trajectory – eventually seeing her move from Texas to Tennessee.
The purchase of her home in Tennessee, combined with her husband’s new engineering role, provided Rockett Borofsky the opportunity to explore her interest in real estate and mortgages.
Driven by curiosity
She describes her entry into the field as both serendipitous and driven by curiosity. “I was very interested in both the real estate and mortgage side. They both sounded pretty interesting,” she said.
Her official foray into real estate began with a conversation with a leading local realtor, but it was her interaction with the mortgage industry that truly piqued her interest. A chance interview revealed a surprising connection to her past in timeshare marketing.
“It’s very serendipitous, because when I interviewed, the managers asked me if I knew Chuck Tonkin…he’s the father of Dusty Tonkin, who was at Wyndham where I’d just come from,” she said.
Rockett Borofsky’s background in timeshare marketing, characterized by persuasive communication and a relentless pursuit of closing deals, seamlessly transitioned into her role in mortgage. “It’s a lot of talking to people and a lot of hustle on the marketing side...that kind of gave me the skills that I needed,” she explained.
And her approach to lead generation and client interaction was both assertive and innovative. Rockett Borofsky was always ready to respond to new leads, maintaining a high conversion rate through diligent follow-up and a hunger for success.
“I had my phone when I was sleeping, when I was in the pool - I was ready to grab the lead,” she told MPA.
“I like to be number one”
But it’s not all about the money. Interestingly, Rockett Borofsky points out that her motivation stems not from financial gains but from a deep-seated desire to excel.
“A lot of people say that sounds strange, but I just like to be the number one. That’s what drives me,” she asserted.
Her tenacity extends to problem-solving, often challenging conventional approaches and guidelines in the mortgage industry. “I really learned how to really dive into, read and challenge the guidelines,” she said, highlighting her innovative thinking.”
But, between all the deals and the handshakes, one thing has remained as the cornerstone of Rockett Borofsky’s philosophy.
“I was really big at guarding clients against unnecessary conditions from underwriters,” she told MPA. “Which is great because then they would come out saying that this was the easiest transaction ever. And I think when underwriters send it over they ask for a lot of things.”
And while many people felt the burden of COVID weigh them down, for Rockett Borofsky the pandemic had the opposite effect.
“When everything went nuts and everybody was just slammed during COVID, that was actually the one thing that drove me,” she explained. “There just wasn’t enough time in the day for us to provide the same level [of service]. I still think we did a satisfactory job, but it wasn’t over the top – which is what I prefer.”
The pandemic also brought shifts in team dynamics and the need for strategic thinking. Rockett Borofsky relished the opportunity to restructure and prepare her team for future challenges.
“I’m actually rolling with it being a slower time now so that I can, as a leader, revamp things,” she remarked.
Discussing the future of mortgage rates, Rockett Borofsky offered a pragmatic view. She believes the market is at a tipping point, anticipating a slow decline in rates.
“My gut tells me we’re at some kind of tipping point with rates,” she said. “I just don’t know how much more tolerance the real estate market, and the buyers, can take. I have a feeling that the decline in rates will be pretty slow going. I’m hopeful we see it really ease up and maybe start to at least trend downward.
“I personally don’t feel like we’re going to have any kind of brief opportunity - I’m not counting on anything before the next 18 months. I hope I’m wrong but I’m planning for at least 18 months for them to come down enough to justify any kind of reply activity.
“I’ll be happy if it just chills out – and they don’t go up.”
