Richard Murdock

Richard Murdock sums up his legendary value in two parts. First is consistency and an appreciation of the meaningful role a lender has in the mortgage process.

“Most consumers are fearful of making a poor decision related to questions that they feel they are ill-equipped to make. They must be able to trust their lender to provide them with information to make an informed decision,” he says. “To be able to adequately present and explain options in ways that make it easy to understand requires knowledge and a commitment to remain aware of the constant changes imposed upon us.”

Second, he says, understanding the rationale behind guidelines is imperative because documentation seldom matches the requirements or because of the unique challenges among customers. “An appreciation of these two important aspects of my role is my legendary value and is the very reason how I separated myself from the masses,” Murdock, 67, says.

Murdock believes that guidelines are not rules, and presenting a credible narrative that addresses challenges is the way to overcome loan issues. “Don’t let an underwriter create the narrative at the end of the loan process,” he says. “Rather, take responsibility to do it yourself upfront.” transaction is our responsibility, and blaming others involved is never an option.”

Anisa Johnson, Premier’s vice president of marketing and communications, says of Murdock: “He has had a unique career. It has been divided almost equally between the real estate and mortgage industry. But in each, he has reached the top. He attributes his success to two fundamental principles: learning the business in great depth and marketing.”

Murdock strongly advocates for continual learning beyond what is typically taught. “I make a great effort to explain the concepts behind everything that we do that is required of us, so we understand the issues and can explain options to our customers with a deeper perspective than customers expected,” he says. “I stress that whatever happens in a

Murdock is concerned that the mortgage industry is moving away from the customer, that the business is less personal, ignoring the fact that the only transaction a customer cares about is theirs.

”With so much information that is readily available, it has resulted in adding to the confusion and anxiety about the loan process,” he says. “I endeavor in every opportunity that I confront to stress the importance and the value of the personal touch.”