In every sales industry, there are gateway referral partners.
For Loan Officers, Realtors have always been key. These are the conversations I wish someone taught me earlier in my career — because they’ll save you years of trial and error.
A Mindset Shift Before We Dive In
- Not all Realtors are a good fit. Some will frustrate you. Others may become lifelong friends.
- You’ll need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the right partners.
- Approach every meeting with the mindset that you pick who you want to work with. That single shift changes how you carry yourself.
And it all starts with asking power questions.
“Great loan officers ask. Average loan officers tell.”
The truth is: most Loan Officers don’t run effective networking meetings.
They spend too much time on fake, surface-level rapport and walk away without next steps or commitments.
If you come prepared with intentional questions, you’ll stand out immediately.
Why Listen to Me?
- I’ve met 1:1 with over 1,000 Realtors across 5–6 years.
- I’ve personally funded over $100M in volume from these conversations.
- Today, I also audit Zoom recordings of my Loan Officer students to sharpen their sales conversations.
So let me save you some time — here’s my “menu” of discovery and closing questions. Use your intuition; some can be asked on the first meeting, others saved for later.
You'll find that I broke this all down into two subsections: one for new Realtor meetings and the second for "maintenance meetings."
Positioning Statement
“Hi [Mr./Ms. Realtor], I’m excited for our time together! I’m only looking to add 1–2 more great Realtor relationships and I’d love to see if we’re a good fit. Would it be okay if I ask you a few questions to learn more about you?”
New Discovery
- “I love learning about people's career journey, how long have you been a Realtor?"
- “What compelled you to become a Realtor?”
- “What do you love most about what you do?”
- "Which part of the business do you feel you're really great at?"
- “How many families did you help in the past year?”
- “What are your production or business goals this year?”
- “What do you have planned to achieve those goals?”
- “Is there anything you’ve wanted to do in your business but haven’t yet?”
- “How many new leads/referrals do you typically generate monthly?”
- “What’s an ideal client for you?”
- “Walk me through your new buyer consultation process.”
- “How do you typically bring up financing?”
- “How do you introduce your lender partner?”
- “What’s most important to you in a lender partner?”
- “How many lenders have you worked with — and why?”
- “Have you ever fired a lender? If so, why?”
- “Have you ever been truly wowed by a lender?”
Positioning Statement
"Hey [Mr./Ms. Realtor], I feel remiss as I don't think I've asked you this but..."
Ongoing Discovery
- “Out of curiosity, who’s your personal go-to for financing? [pause] I’d be honored to be that person if you’d be open to it.”
- “I have the capacity to add 1–2 new Realtor relationships. Is there an Agent you respect who might be open to meeting me — with your endorsement?”
- “I’m on a mission to add 1–2 new Loan Officers to my branch. Is there someone you think I should meet?”
- “I don’t think I’ve ever shared with you what I say about you during my buyer consultations. Do you mind if I tell you? That way you can let me know if it matches how you want to be represented.” “…By the way, what do you say about me when introducing me to your clients?”
- "I'd really appreciate your feedback because I am obsessed with creating a best-in-class experience for you. What is ONE thing I (or my team and I) are doing well for you? Conversely, no Loan Officer is perfect, so please, tell me one thing I (or my team and I) can do better."
Closing Questions
- “I really enjoyed our time today and think we can do great things. Do you have any reservations about referring me your next buyer?”
- “I really like you and want to be your lender. Would you be open to ‘test driving’ me with your next buyer?”
- “I realized I may have dropped the ball in following up since we last met — is there something I could have done differently?”
Final Word
These questions have generated me and my Loan Officers millions in volume (and earnings), and I know it will do the same for you.
If you approach each Realtor meeting with curiosity, confidence, and clarity, you’ll quickly separate yourself from the sea of average Loan Officers.
Hope this helps — you got this 🤜🏾🤛🏾
