BUSINESS BUILDERS
Bockman
A Seamless Mortgage Experience From Beginning to End WORKING WITH ROCKET MORTGAGE® A ‘NO-BRAINER’ FOR CHICAGOLAND BROKER By Keith Loria
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assandra Bockman, a broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Starck Real Estate, was born into the business. While her mom acts as a managing broker for the firm, which serves the entire Chicagoland area, the family’s real estate roots run even deeper. Her stepfather is a real estate attorney who’s part of a group that authored Illinois Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract 7.0, the most widely used in the state. Her grandparents were brokers in Chicago’s North Shore. “It’s almost too much information, but it’s taught me what not to do before it happens, because I’ve already ‘heard that story,’ so I do everything I can to avoid it becoming my own,” says Bockman, who began working in real estate in 2005. Back then, the firm was an independent family company with a handful of offices in northern Illinois. Teaming up with Starck Prudential after the recession, the firm has grown into the biggest company in the Chicago suburbs.
40 December 2021 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE
One of the keys to the firm’s continued success is this affiliation with Rocket Mortgage. “When we first got together with Rocket Mortgage and began getting referrals through them, it was huge for me. I was moving back into the city from the suburbs and needed to rebuild my immediate sphere,” says Bockman. “The Rocket referrals have helped me build on my own business, and I’ve nearly tripled my total sales in only three years. 2021 will be my biggest yet, closing $10,000,000 year-to-date. I’m on a whole new level now.” Bockman always begins by letting listing agents know who is in her preferred circle, including her preferred attorney and mortgage lender. Rocket Mortgage tops the list because experience has taught Bockman that if you know the lender and team you’re working with, it’s a seamless experience. “We work with a great group of people with whom we’ve met face to face,” explains Bockman. “They’ve come to Starck a handful of times. It’s really important to be able to say that I can put a face to that name while working with listing agents. That’s what they want to hear, and that’s the truth.” Bockman has also leveraged Rocket ProSM Insight to enhance her business. The technology platform allows her to provide clients a better experience while clearing the path toward closing. “The incentive with working with me through Rocket Mortgage and the portal is great,” says Bockman. “I never send an offer without talking to the listing agent at least twice. Great communication is the biggest key to my success. I always want to have that conversation beforehand and make sure they know that I’m working with my preferred lender. Their rates and incentives are simply unbeatable with what they can provide for buyers. It’s really a no-brainer.” Better yet, when the seller looks at the contract, they’re going to see a direct number for Bockman’s Rocket Mortgage Agent Relationship Manager. “What’s nice about my niche group at Rocket Mortgage is that they have a much better handle on the particulars regarding the steps taken in Illinois and how a transaction works. This has been a huge change from recent years. I don’t care if you’re a big or small lender, if you’re not from our state, you’ll quickly find out that there’s a learning curve here,” says Bockman. “I’ve never seen any out-of-state lender get it right the first time without some sort of bump in the road. I don’t have to worry about this when working with my Rocket team, and that’s everything.” RE The above article is sponsored content. For more information, please visit RocketPro.com/RealEstate.
