"We see it. We own it. We solve it"
This article was produced in partnership with Orion Lending.
Desmond Devoy, of Mortgage Professional America, sat down with Lenny Spatola, vice president national sales manager at Orion Lending, to discuss why positive leadership, and technological and personnel treasures, set it apart from the competition.
You know your companies’ mission statement? The one that was written after weeks of committee meetings and input surveys and, finally, was given a big reveal in the company boardroom? The unveiling was met with polite applause, a speech, some cake, and then, a few days later, pretty much forgotten about.
That was not the fate of Orion Lending’s mission statement.
Lenny Spatola (pictured), Orion’s vice president national sales manager, has it right beside his desk. He signed it when he came on board, and regularly consults it – even during a recent interview.
“Everyone has this on their desk,” he said, holding the statement up to the computer screen during an online interview. There are a lot of things that “bleed through” from that document, that Spatola feels set Orion apart.
“We value our broker partners,” he said, rolling through highlights from the document. “We aggressively pursue a positive outcome. We are constantly innovating and improving and, my favourite is, we see it, we own it, we solve it. We are all accountable to each other and our brokers.”
He cited Orion’s founders, Jeremy Stewart and Curtis Edwards, for setting this good example for their employees to follow, in the knowledge that people want to do business with people they trust and like.
“I think that’s the reason that we win the business that we win in this environment,” he said.
Orion’s proprietary technology edge
More specifically though, how does Orion set itself apart when it comes to relations with brokers and Account Executives (AE’s)?
It’s about technology, yes, but just as importantly, the people behind the proprietary platform, which has been in a constant state of evolution for nine years, with its own development team that is solely dedicated to working just on that application. Orion consistently asks broker partners what works best for them, and what their tech needs are.
“We’re very diligent about the way that we roll out our tech,” he said. “We regularly hold roundtables with our broker partners and processors can provide valuable feedback.”
This process has helped Orion’s tech stand out against its competitors.
Orion also offers a wide array of products, Agency to Non-Agency, Down Payment Assistance, DSCR and Jumbo, allowing Orion to meet virtually all of their broker partner’s needs.
Orion’s AE’s also benefit from the company’s sales forward culture. Orion Lending considers their AE’s to be national, which means they are not restricted by state lines, and can offer Orion’s diverse product offering to brokers nationwide.
Orion marketing studio makes brokers the star
Another value add that Orion brings to the market is its STAR Marketing Studio. Upon initial broker approval, a client will get access to a marketing portal, where they can see everything that Orion pushes out as an organization.
Orion removes all of its company marketing because the tools in there are intended for its broker and realtor partners, and they can go in and quickly auto-brand with their own colour scheme, logos and co-brand in seconds on flyers, socials posts and brochures to name a few. Some new features include a QR code generator, AI writing tool and video editor.
And all of this is done completely complimentary, there is no need for a marketing assistant.
“We do that for every broker partner that gets approved. They can go in, they can create custom fliers directly from there,” Spatola said. “A lot of brokers get a really good lift from that… because everyone’s looking for ways to differentiate themselves in this market.”
A new decade for Orion
Orion Lending will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024, and it is already looking to make some changes as it hits double digits.
It will be taking away the paper broker package and replacing it with a digital broker package, creating efficiencies for brokers through ease of use when it comes to filling out their applications. This partner portal will also make it easier for account executives to track the applications that they get from Orion’s MARS CRM, as well as for Orion on the back end, by helping streamline the data entry piece, which is currently the biggest pain point in the process.
“I would say it’s one of the most painless and most efficient broker approval processes that I’ve ever been a part of,” said Spatola. Speaking of Orion’s digital systems, Spatola enthused that you “don’t have to have an advanced degree in our tech in order to complete a loan to get a submission. You can upload a deal in minutes if it’s your first time ever using the system.”
Orion has also created an online learning library, where clients are walked through every single part of the process of uploading a deal, from start to finish, including creating and reviewing disclosures. The company also provides weekly live training sessions.
“We’re looking forward to the next big run,” he said. “But in the meantime, we’re going to continue to improve as an organization and just be better every day.”
