Jumbo loan star touts old-school relationship building

New American Funding originator Robert Painter is a jumbo loan star, serving more than 500 high-end clients in Orange County’s luxury real estate market. The dedicated surfer says the secret to his roughly $150 million annual business comes down to “old school” relationship-building: making calls, keeping promises and addressing problems head-on. 

“I go shake hands with people,” Painter says. “I have a team of realtors along the California coast, and my borrowers and all the people I’ve worked with over the years. My phone just rings with deals, pretty much.”

Those deals average over $1 million each – one of highest loan averages of any originator in the country. In May, Painter was listed in MPA’s $150 million club, and he has been New American’s top-volume loan producer for nearly a decade.

The San Diego State University alumnus began his career in 1998, pounding the pavement for contacts at networking events, then maintaining the relationships with meetings, calls and email blasts.

He makes a point of keeping up with clients’ lives and “holding their hand” through the mortgage process.

Over the years, Painter has built a book of roughly 500 high-end customers across Southern California – many of them entrepreneurs or retirees who need an expert to structure complex, out-of-the-box deals. 

“They want somebody to take things out of their hands that they trust to do the deal for them,” Painter says. “My strength is understanding the rates and the guidelines and being available 24/7.”

He also doesn’t shy away from tackling problems, which are inevitable in the ever-changing mortgage world. Honesty will take you a long way, particularly during challenging situations, Painter says. Many young originators try to put off these difficult conversations because they want to keep people happy, Painter says, but avoidance just makes issues worse.

“Be direct,” Painter says. “The loan business is very difficult, and there are always going to be problems. If you meet people and get to know them and shake their hand and follow up with them and build their respect, when you get those problems, they are more likely to work with you than against you.”

Painter says mortgage professionals should always strive to learn from mistakes and evolve with the times. Over the decades, he’s has seen many originators drop out of the industry because they didn’t work to improve.

“The smart, tough, educated, committed people who have reinvented themselves have survived,” he says.

Painter also gives New American Funding much of the credit for his success. The company lets him focus on what he does best - getting deals and closing them. Top-notch managers, advertising experts and technology pros in his office take care of the rest.

While many originators jump from lender to lender, Painter was one of New American’s first hires, and says the family-owned company has earned his loyalty.

Over the past 15 years, he has seen New American grow to a 2,700-employee operation with 145 nationwide branches, a $23-billion portfolio and approximately $900 million in loans per month.

“I couldn’t do it without New American,” Painter says. “Without the company and the backing, I’d be useless.”


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