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We all know what we need to do to grow our business. It’s about making meaningful connections and creating a network of people who know, like, and trust you—not just as a loan officer, but more importantly, as a person.
Sounds easy enough. But how do you actually build that network?
You can look for hacks and shortcuts to growing a referral-based business, but the truth is this: realtors are still our number one lead source—and they will be until the robots take over.
I agree with most accountability coaches in our industry: you need to make the calls and build the connections.
That’s what I did—but I did one thing very differently.
I would never go to war before I softened up the battlefield.
You’re probably asking yourself, “Adam, what the hell does that mean?”
Every day you walk into the office to make outbound sales calls to real estate agents, you’re stepping onto a battlefield. How many times have you heard:
“I get these calls all the time. I’m good.”
Or…
“I’ve worked with my Loan Officer for years, but you can send me an email.”
There are a couple of things to unpack here:
- The person on the other end of the line has no idea who you are.
- They don’t owe you anything.
Here’s the solution — AKA how to soften the battlefield:
You solve for the two things I just mentioned:
- Get them to know who you are.
- Give them something of value.
You don’t need to be a social media superstar to do this.
What you do need is the ability to create a video that captures the attention of local real estate agents.
Your video needs to be contextual and focused on what agents actually care about.
This is NOT market updates, just-closed videos, or mortgage product spotlights.
Ask yourself: If I’m a realtor, what makes me stop scrolling?
- “Why Some Realtors Are Doubling Their Business While Others Are Quitting”
- “How [Insert Name] Doubled Her Listing Volume in 12 Months”
- “The 3 AI Tools Every Real Estate Agent Needs”
Do you think those headlines grab attention?
Just a note before we move to the “value” part:
You’re going to use paid advertising to get these videos in front of local agents.
Don’t freak out.
Here’s a little math: You can reach 10,000 people for every $50 you spend on Meta (Instagram + Facebook).
Now, how many realtors are in your area? I’m guessing not 10,000.
So you can see how affordable and powerful this strategy really is.
Pro Tip: Make sure your ad copy and video script include the words “real estate agent” or “realtor.”
This tells the algorithm exactly who you’re trying to reach.
Once you’ve caught their attention, you deliver the value:
Give them the strategy with a digital download.
And guess what you get in return?
Their phone number and email—so you can deliver the content you promised.
Now you can follow up with your new prospect, answer questions about the strategy, and guide the conversation from there.
And if you’re also making cold calls and branding yourself well, the person on the other end of the phone already knows who you are—and that changes everything.
This is a win-win.
Even if the agent doesn’t request the download, if done right, you’ll be seen as an expert and innovator in your market. When it comes to video and outreach, you don’t want to choose one or the other.
You want to do one with the other — and let the results speak for themselves.
Adam Stephens is the CEO Reach Home Loans.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.
To contact the editor responsible for this piece: zeb@hwmedia.com.
