A-List Highlights
sean phalon Absolute Home Mortgage/ Connected Capital Pursuing a career in the mortgage industry is not something most 19-year olds would even consider. However, for AREAA Northern New Jersey’s Sean Phalon, this was just the start. Sean Phalon is a top producing mortgage originator from AREAA Northern New Jersey where he leads a team at Absolute Home Mortgage. When Sean was introduced into the AREAA Northern New Jersey leadership, the local board was quick to notice and recognize the high level of potential in this young professional. Since the age of 19, Sean has been active in the mortgage industry and was even able to find himself in a successful leadership role by the age of 22. At 22, Sean found himself sitting across the desk of his company’s CEO, explaining what he would do with several thousands of dollars in marketing budget each month. His methods paid off. Sean quickly transitioned into a role as an independent loan officer and pursued this with risk, not knowing what his first year as an originator would look like. With two daughters and another on the way – the first year seemed daunting. But as anyone who knows Sean Phalon can quickly tell you, adversity and challenge are two of Sean’s greatest motivators. This year alone, Sean successfully funded nearly 200 units for just over $43M – and he’s not even 30 years old. When asked if he ever thought this level of success was possible, Sean was quick to respond and let us know that he doesn’t consider himself a top producer. It is apparent, Sean only competes with himself. “I know there is still so much more for me to do, that I feel like I’m just getting started. From the beginning, I knew that I loved to work hard. I was always working against 14
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guys who were 30-40 years older and I had nothing else, but I made sure that I would always outwork and outlearn everyone”. Sean’s drive and work ethic has proven time and time again, that motivation, drive, and hard work will continue to produce results and make even the wildest of goals a reality in due time. With his success and motivation, it’s no surprise that others in his field would look at Sean’s history and ask: How? But for Sean, “at the end of the day, my number one goal is to be the best that I can be. And, if I haven’t hit my potential to pursue whatever is in front of me, I want to do my best and see what can happen”. The accolades, titles, and numbers ultimately don’t mean much when it comes to your personal best. All of those things come when you are working as hard as you can and giving your full devotion to your craft. As Sean told us, having the peace of mind he has is being able to have the freedom to do what you want to do, and truly enjoy it. And for Sean, he truly enjoys and is driven in his career and has made a successful legacy by pushing himself year after year. Sometimes, your best motivation can be found in the competition you have against the person you were yesterday.