Haddad says broker space poised for further gains, reflects on successful Fuse conference
Fresh off a productive start to his tenure as the new Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) chairman and CEO, Jonathon Haddad (pictured top) is looking to the future – and focusing on further inroads by brokers into overall market share in the years ahead.
Speaking with Mortgage Professional America at AIME’s recent Fuse conference in New Orleans, Haddad struck an upbeat tone on prospects for the broker space, noting plenty of untapped potential in the refinance market as an opportunity for growth.
That starts with a new approach to the refi market, he said, that questions the notion of simply leaving it to the retail side. “Mortgage brokers lead the purchase market share. They lead it and they’ve led it for years – but for some reason we don’t lead the refi market share,” he said. “So we’re basically saying, ‘We’ll write this purchase and we’ll let retail write [the refi]. We have to look ourselves in the eye and start with those conversations.”
Also fundamental to expanding brokers’ reach and effectiveness, according to Haddad, is “getting out of the weeds”: having processing dialed in every step of the way, freeing up valuable time to speak with consumers and referral partners instead of getting bogged down in the minutiae of other tasks. That, too, requires a frank analysis by each broker of their current systems. “We need to be front-facing and allow processing to take care of it,” Haddad said, “whether it’s third-party, whether it's PA Plus, whether it’s in-house – it doesn’t matter. But if you think you can do it by yourself, you’re mistaken.”
How mortgage professionals can become better brokers
Formerly a high-profile executive in the retail space, and the current president of Next Door Lending, Haddad is well placed to assess the current landscape as it relates to mortgage brokering. He said rather than whittling away time learning systems and focusing on process, brokers should be homing in on their sales approach: how to acknowledge, respond, pivot into different conversations and open up new ones.
To boost their market share in the US, mortgage brokers should focus on community strength, branding, and client education. Hunter Bolling of Grow Mortgage emphasizes the value of staying positive and supporting each other.
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) October 3, 2024
Read more here: https://t.co/1dhVUA5zUj
While many people recoil at the thought of hearing the sound of their own voice, he said listening back to phone calls and different conversations is something he’d make time for from the get-go if he had to start his mortgage career again. “You should add that to your repertoire every single day, and you should want to know how you sounded on the call previously,” he said. “That’s definitely something I wish I would’ve done differently.”
What’s next for AIME?
AIME is poised to continue its strong progress of recent years in 2025, with a rebrand of its “Brokers are Better” mantra to “Brokers are Best” illustrating its renewed commitment to the broker profession.
That adjustment has been accompanied by a focus on live calls streaming on the association’s public pages, allowing brokers to learn from high-performing peers about the best way to handle certain types of query and glean insights into retaining customers and building business.
Streaming platforms such as Rumble, Kick, and Twitch exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the prospect of building a similar structure for the mortgage space top of mind for Haddad. “We don’t have anything for the business sector so why don’t we have people on the calls, talking to agents live, going over objections live, talking to consumers live?” he said.
“That’s what this community needs to propel itself forward because you need to see others doing what you’re doing. You see your peer doing something special, so you have the ability and the permission to do it yourself – and now you give somebody else permission to do it as well.”
AIME welcomed hundreds of mortgage professionals to another successful Fuse, which featured a blend of educational workshops, a tradeshow, and networking opportunities for attendees. For Haddad, it marked an important touchpoint on what’s sure to be a significant journey ahead at the organization’s helm.
The enthusiasm that Haddad has experienced among members for AIME’s advocacy and educational efforts in his opening months as CEO, he said, are a strong portent of good things to come for the association. “The overwhelming amount of positivity is incredible,” he said.
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