[New] Gerret

Van Wagoner

Founder and CEO

City 1st Mortgage Company

Gerret Van Wagoner says integrity is an important part of successful mortgage originators.

“When you are in the mortgage business, there is no shortage of opportunities that could measure how much your integrity is worth,” he said. “Especially as an owner, sometimes the smallest difference in how a loan is structured or outlined with the investor can have a major impact on the financial liability or upside of it. Like many folks, I’ve had a few of these situations run across my desk.

“What I did in those times was to stay focused on my core values. As tempting as it may appear, my integrity cannot be purchased at any price. In addition, the dishonest route for solving a challenge may appear to be the quickest, but in my experience, that’s rarely the case in the big picture.”

He has effective advice for loan originators who are nervous about the current climate. “No matter how hard it gets, it’s going to be OK ... eventually. Prepare yourself mentally for the lean times, but never stop working, and be confident you’ll get through it. The most important thing is to make sure you ‘get to work’ every day, regardless of how you feel.”

Melissa Walker Enablement Consultant