Originate Report - April 2020

APRIL 2020

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF GERACI

INSIDE: EDDIE WILSON

AAPL

Sam Kaddah FOUNDER & CEO

LIQUID LOGICS

SURVIVING AND THRIVING

COVID-19

John Ingoglia

Socotra Capital PRIVATE LENDING

DURING THE CORONA VIRUS MEASURING THE ROI OF YOUR

Marketing Efforts TOP 3 LEAD GENERATION Ideas For Private Lenders www.originate.report 1

2 Originate Report April 2020

CONTENTS APRIL 2020

Features 15 From Cold Lead To Cold, Hard Cash:

Measuring The Roi Of Your Marketing Efforts

By Romney Navarro, Noble Capital

6

22 Surviving and Thriving in the Era of COVID-19:

Industry Leaders Share Tips For Private Lenders

By Anthony Geraci, Geraci LLP; Carrie Cook, Ignite Funding;

Brian Mingham, CFSI Loan Management; Gary Bechtel, Money360;

Pavel Tchourliaev, Mortgage Automator

12

32 Conquering Culture: The CIVIC Differenceâ„¢

Originate Report Staff

39 Top 3 Lead Generation Ideas For Private Lenders

By Abhi Golhar

42 Private Lending During the Corona Virus

By Edward Brown, Pacific Private Money

18

Who To Know 6

Sam Kaddah - Liquid Logics

Originate Report Staff

12 Wisdom From The Ceo

Eddie Wilson - Owner & CEO, American Association of

Private Lenders (AAPL) & Think Realty

22

18 Industry Spotlight

John Ingoglia - Socotra Capital

In Every Issue 44

Upcoming Events

46 Lender Directory

39 www.originate.report 3

Revenue diversification

Fix N’ Flip, Bridge, Refinance, Ground Up & Small Balance Commercial

TODAY’S MARKET OPPORTUNITY: •

•

•

100 billion dollar non owner-occupied investment space SFR ’s 1-4 Fix N’ Flip, Bridge, Refinance, Ground Up & Small Balance Commercial Diversify product offering and add new revenue opportunities you may be missing out on Legally compensate your most prized relationships (Realtors) for referrals

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BROKER + CAPITAL PARTNER RELATIONSHIP: • • •

Concierge across product offering with underwriting, training, service and support Dedicated call center for loan origination support and fund control Marketing materials provided including product tear sheets, pitch decks and web banners

In today’s market, refinancings have limited availability and there’s not much new housing inventory to lend against. For mortgage Brokers, this means the obvious; there are a lack of transactions in the market to profit from.

For shops that are only doing refinance or traditional mortgages, opportunities only come around every 5-7 years. You’ve got to have a big client base to have volume. With financial products across SFR ’s 1-4 Fix N’ Flip, Bridge, Refinance, Ground Up & Small Balance Commercial, the sales cycle is faster, there is significantly higher recurring business, and a few lenders have teams dedicated to helping you succeed.

BROKERS, PARTNER TODAY

4 Originate Report April 2020

Think of it as a new product offering which results in the diversification of your potential revenue. All of this is well within reach, and much easier than you may think.

The NON-O/O investment space is a 100 billion dollar industry that has come full circle since the last market downturn. Over the last decade private lending has been growing, and the comeback of property investors is at an all-time high.

Here’s what it takes to do these types of loans and a good private lender will handle these things for your Brokerage…

• • • • • • •

Review and process loan applications Document collection Facilitate Appraisal Coordinate Title & Escrow Complete underwriting Facilitate Funding Pay you

Traditional Realtors and Mortgage Brokers have the misconception they need an NMLS license to be a lender in this product space. The main point in dealing with a private lender is while they primarily fund SFR’s, these loans are governed under commercial guidelines.

Thus we are not governed under RESPA, TRID or TIlLA. These loans are funded only into business entities allowing 7-10 business day closings and can pay anyone under a Brokerage license a referral fee or commission on the HUD at closing.

There are two avenues a Brokerage launching this type of product to Real Estate professionals can expect to see. You can be a Correspondent Partner (the lender would fund in your name)

http://triumph.capital/brokers

or an Origination Partner (the client would see the lender’s name on the HUD). Most deals are funded under a single set of product guidelines allowing training, underwriting and servicing to be easily understood.

CORRESPONDENT PARTNER (CP): You look and feel like the lender, a complete white-label product.

ORIGINATION PARTNER (OP): Traditional Broker + lender relationship, lender shows on HUD. A full concierge service for Broker partners handling everything from A-Z is an entirely new model for private lending and Mortgage Brokers / Real Estate professionals. Working with a direct lender enables Mortgage Brokers to keep the lion’s share of the profit and have the potential to earn from the yield spread as well, all while monetizing on much more frequent lending transactions, instead of the normal 5-7 year customer lifecycle.

There many private lenders chasing this strategy and it’s safe to be wary of who to work with.

While choosing a partner, look for someone who understands the business and has a strong reputation for closing transactions. You’ll also need support with marketing materials. Having the right documents and product tear sheets (one-pagers) for conversations, trade shows, etc. is helpful in positioning the opportunity with your existing book of referral business from Realtors.

For more information call

877-450-9741

ROB JENNINGS robert@triumph.capital

GEORGE O. FLINT goflint@triumph.capital

CEO Geraci LLP ANTHONY GERACI Anthony@Originate.Report Vice President Geraci Media RUBY KEYS Ruby@Originate.Report

Letter

from the

Editor

Editorial Director MAX BERGER Max@Originate.Report

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” -Abraham Lincoln

Art Director LYNDA HIGHT L.Hight@Geracillp.com

Welcome to the April Edition of Originate Report! Our lives have changed quite a bit since last month. The threat of COVID-19 and mandatory self-quarantine guidelines have had major impacts on the world, the economy, and certainly our industry. No one is sure exactly how long this will continue, or how bad the fallout will be. For now, all we can do is take things one day at a time, stay informed, and try to maintain a sense of normalcy and continuity in our personal and professional lives.

CONTRIBUTORS Anthony Geraci • Pavel Tchourliaev Brian Mingham • Gary Bechtel • Carrie Cook Romney Navarro • Edward Brown Abhi Golhar • Sam Kaddah Eddie Wilson • John Ingoglia FOUNDING UNDERWRITERS

MARK HANF President, Pacific Private Money ORIGINATE WEBSITE www.originate.report GERACI LAW FIRM www.geracilawfirm.com MEDIA WEBSITE www.geracimediagroup.com CONFERENCE WEBSITE www.geracicon.com

The team here at Geraci is committed to helping you get through these trying times. We are providing weekly Covid-19 newsletters filled with invaluable resources from SBA loan requirements to actionable advice from our attorneys about how to protect your assets and mitigate potential issues that may arise in response to current events. Additionally, we have been providing weekly Rapid Response webinars to educate you about your options and bring together leaders in the industry to share their struggles and answer all of your questions. Our website is also frequently updated with new information that applies to our industry. Geraci will be here with you every step of the way as we weather this current economic storm.

Stay healthy, stay safe but most of all stay sane. This too shall pass and new opportunities will be created as a result. How you respond to them will pave the way for your future.

Max

Max Berger Originate Report Editorial Director www.originate.report 5

PROFILE

Sam Kaddah, Founder & CEO Liquid Logics

SAM KADDAH

Founder and CEO of Liquid Logics

By Originate Report Staff

T

he distance between Syria

founder and CEO of Liquid Logics.

Founded in 2004, Liquid Logics

and Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Kaddah, who was raised in Syria,

provides a next-generation cloud-

is just over 6,500 miles.

said the values he learned growing

based

No one understands this better,

up have transferred themselves to

– or LOS – that is primarily geared

perhaps, than Sam Kaddah, the

heightened business acumen.

towards

6 Originate Report April 2020

loan

origination

hard

money

software

lenders.

The

system

the

borrower

was

built

around

and we are always, always going

Valley’ because of the products it

beyond,” he said. “If you want me

offers, but this isn’t the case. Kaddah

emphasizes its simplicity and speed

tomorrow...we’re

you.

also said his own friendliness comes

for loan officers. At the end of the

What sets us apart is our knowledge

from growing up in a self-described

day, Sam said there are a number of

and our service. And we’re not just

modest family composed of teachers

simple factors that separate Liquid

techies, we’re industry experts. And

and a school principal.

Logics from ‘the rest of the pack.’

we are friendly and we’re there for

experience;

this

there

for

you any time you need us.”

“For

us,

[our

most

important

differentiators are] service, trust,

This friendliness is partially due

and

understand

to Liquid Logics’ Midwestern roots

[our clients’] needs, we have the

– Sam said that many people may

knowledge to solve their problem,

think of his company as ‘Silicon

knowledge.

We

“Personally, I think [many people] would be surprised to learn how humble

and

down-to-earth

we

are,” he said. “People think of us completely differently but at the end Sam Kaddah: Continues on pg. 8

www.originate.report 7

Sam Kaddah: Continued from pg. 7

of the day, we are just heads-down, Midwest people.”

electrical engineering from MIT.

what I do. I started from zero with

After graduating, he worked with

just my knowledge and didn’t really

mammoth household names like

have any other help.”

Ernst & Young and General Electric.

This mindset, often referred to colloquially as ‘Midwest nice,’ is something Kaddah tries to inject into every aspect of his business.

Armed only with a background in “So I started as this little kid with

engineering and an unstoppable,

humble beginnings, coming halfway

can-do attitude, Kaddah ran a global

around the world for electrical

operation for General Electric across

engineering,”

I

four continents for a $408 million

should

quickly learned how to work hard

division. This role expanded his

with

naivety

and understand the markets and

experience

nonconventional

lending

understand the dynamics. I put in a

productivity, skills that would prove

space; far from it in fact. After

hundred hours a week worth of work

invaluable once Liquid Logics opened

beginning his secondary education

for years until I got to a level where

its doors. Kaddah also ran Ernst &

in Syria, Sam earned a degree in

I was comfortable and had mastered

Young’s upper Midwest practice for

This not in

‘niceness,’ be the

however,

confused

Sam Kaddah, Founder & CEO Liquid Logics

8 Originate Report April 2020

he

said.

“And

with

technology

and

e-commerce and security, which

with a different type of product.

the chart as the system of choice,”

amplified his web-related acuity.

As for the end-to-end technology

he said.

platform, Sam said this came On

the

heels

of

this

varied

experience, Kaddah took a leap

from a lack of competent systems

Kaddah added that starting his

in the space.

own business has been a difficult, yet

of faith and decided to make the

‘highly

rewarding’

process.

shift to hard money lending and its

One

Northeast

Part of Liquid Logics’ success, he

related technology.

Kaddah talked to said its existing

said, stems from a ‘large company

system had ‘many deficiencies.’ In

mindset’ despite its situation as a

From day one, he said, Liquid Logics

addition to these pitfalls, he said

smaller unit.

focused

hard-to-underwrite

the company also wished to have

services such as Alt-A, HELOCs, and

one system to manage investment-

“The number one challenge, I would

subprime products. By straying from

related processes, as opposed to

say, is being able to adjust to thinking

the ‘easy sell,’ Kaddah said his team

numerous programs to manage

big and working small,” he said. “I’m

was able to attract prospective clients

one-off functionality. This seemed

used to global organizations and

like

for

larger budgets and a larger staff,

Kaddah, who altered his existing

so the biggest challenge was how to

on

company

a

golden

in

the

opportunity

system to accommodate the private lending space.

complete system and specialize it and trim it down,” he said. “We trimmed it down to the private lending products and offered it out to the market. Lo and behold, we found out that there’s actually a big market for it and a big gap – the minute people knew we existed, we started getting flooded with people wanting to move to our system.”

This specialization, in the eyes of Kaddah and his team, allows Liquid Logics to better serve its clients.

“This allows us to focus on a highly specialized vertical and lets our workflow and management and and

and

implement

it

in

a

small

organization and adapt to that.”

“We were able to evolve an existing,

servicing

apply the big enterprise capabilities

loan

origination

expertise be concentrated on one area – that puts us at the top of

Despite the challenges associated with thinking big while being small, Kaddah said this dichotomy has not stood in the way of Liquid Logics growing to its current size. With a development, quality control, and production environment successfully established,

Kaddah

said

this

infrastructure allows his team to provide 24/7 support.

It goes without saying that technology plays a substantial role in the dayto-day operations of Liquid Logics – everything from the complicated underwriting process to regulatory concerns are managed by a complex network of cables; looking forward, however, Kaddah said the everchanging

technological

landscape

Sam Kaddah: Continues on pg. 10

www.originate.report 9

Sam Kaddah: Continued from pg. 9

will be the source of countless hours of navigation and thought.

Technology as a whole, he said, will give companies – not to mention individual agents in the field –

As technology’s role in real estate

However, when the market turns,

evolves, he added, Liquid Logics –

or the market not necessarily turns,

not to mention his competitors – will

but saturates, it’ll be necessary for

all strive to stay on top of trends.

everybody to understand different pockets. After all, there’s no such

“I think the analytics and the

thing as a national market.”

intelligence that you can collect from transactions to fine-tune products

Understanding the different facets of

insight as to where efforts need to

and target specific markets is going

not only real estate, but technology,

be concentrated, where the most

to be paramount [moving forward,]”

will be an important attribute of

profitable markets are, and the

he said. “Today, everybody is making

Liquid Logics moving forward, Sam

ability to leverage those data points

a lot of money and they look at it

said. One area specifically where

into a more robust business model.

from that perspective, as a take-all.

massive changes are occurring, he

Sam Kaddah, Founder & CEO Liquid Logics

10 Originate Report April 2020

added, is the way in which lenders

an [automation] is. Those who think

Sam’s head, one could reasonably

are interacting with technology ‘in

automation is a bad thing, think

assume that any work-life balance

the field.’

you’ll produce bad widgets. Those

is nonexistent. This is not the case,

who think automation is a good

however, as Sam said this phrase is a

Sam said Liquid Logics is planning

thing, think your productivity, your

on ‘going 100 percent mobile in

capacity, and your top and bottom

our application.’ When origination-

line will be directly affected; you’ll

related software began populating

get higher profits at lower costs and

the offices of mortgage professionals

increase your capacity.”

software

implies work is something that I

Although he added that automation

transfer

can positively impact a business,

have to do so I can live. If you enjoy

different elements to mobile devices,

he said that companies large and

what you do and you value every

however, office-bound PCs begin

small should be cautious about over-

part of your life, whether it’s work

collecting dust.

reliance on this facet of technology.

or whether it’s your son calling you,

These concerns take a back seat,

it doesn’t matter. I will stop any

“We are going into a kind of

however, when the economy takes

meeting at any moment when I get

comprehensive

collaboration

a turn for the worst. Kaddah said

approach,” he said. “This means that

Liquid Logics has the tools necessary

a call from my son and talk to him.”

all parties and their [handheld

to thrive during less-than-handsome

devices] can participate in the

monetary conditions, but added that

same loan, the same record, and

the economy – like automation – can

have everything transparent to

be fraught with misconception.

As

go’

thing as work-life balance. It implies

seemed

ludicrous.

‘to

“I don’t really believe there’s such a that work is a burden,” he said. “It

in the 1980s, the thought of taking that

bit of a misnomer.

agents

“Do I believe that we are coming into with

daily act helps him clear his mind.

a downturn? The economy is cyclical.

revolution is a substantial industry

That’s the nature of the economy

“Every day I take a minute, open my

interest

Some

and natural things, so things will

garage door, walk outside, and take

automated

happen regardless,” Sam said. “And

a deep breath of that fresh morning

elements as a boon to their bottom

it’s also affected greatly by politics,

air first thing in the morning,” he

line – heavily incorporating them

not everything under our control...

said. “Those are the most precious

into software – while others take a

so when the economic downturn

more Luddite approach, cautioning

comes, if it comes, we are positioned

moments, where you can enjoy

against

of

to manage both ends of that equation

automated

where nobody else does. I think we

processes. To Kaddah, automation is

will be positioned neatly to be able to

a ‘double-edged sword.’

transition these assets and manage

automation.

professionals

jobs

the

mobile

racquetball court. Just as important

phone

in

the

he said that he is no stranger to a to him is mental acuity; a simple

everyone involved.”

Paired

On the off chance Sam has free time,

view

potential

associated

with

loss

them separately in our system.” he said. “That has been the issue with

With

automations forever. People have

automation, technology, and the

their own misconceptions of what

market

–

of

these

swimming

concepts around

And I do that religiously, every day.

It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing or if it’s one hundred degrees out. It’s worth it just to enjoy that early morning feeling before heading out

“There’s nothing new under the sun,” all

everything by just closing your eyes.

– in

for my day.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: https://liquidlogics.com/

www.originate.report 11

WISDOM FROM THE CEO

Eddie Wilson Owner & CEO, American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) & Think Realty

12 Originate Report April 2020

in the first place.

One great piece of advice that I received in college from a professor was, “Never lose a contact.” He said, “Your greatest asset is the data that you keep.” Back then it was stored in a Rolodex that had everybody’s business

cards

in

different

sections. Now, it’s all digital. I am a consummate networker. I love to network and I rarely lose people’s contacts. I have a very basic system where I’m able to capture info from everyone I meet. I typically connect on social media nearly immediately after meeting them or talking with them, and then I reach out to them often and frequently. And so in my personal database of contacts that I have, I’ve got close to 100,000 that I’ve collected over the years. And that’s just my personal contacts.

E

Within my business I take the same

Eddie Wilson, Owner & CEO American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) & Think Realty

approach. Up until last year I had

ddie graduated from The

Branding, Marketing and Innovation

Ohio State University with

in Business.

and Marketing. He also studied

What is the best and worst piece of

marketing at Georgia Tech and

advice you’ve ever received?

business management at Emory

The worst advice I’ve ever received

University. He is most known for

was to put profit first in your

taking a talk radio station in Atlanta

business. I know that’s a little bit

to the level of “Most Listened to

outside of what someone would

Station in the World” (Radio and

typically tell you, but I believe that

Records Magazine, 2002). He has

a thriving, growing business puts

owned his own advertising agency

people first. First your employees,

and worked with clients including

and

Pepsi, Procter & Gamble Co., Buffalo

understand that profit is important

Wild Wings and Mail America. He

to

is now owner and CEO of American

growing, however if it is your main

Association of Private Lenders and

focal point and what you put all

Think Realty and speaks across

your emphasis on, oftentimes you

the country including well-known

can take advantage of the people

universities

that made your business successful

on

the

topics

of

keep

your a

a few of those last year, but I still have close to 10 businesses that

a degree in Broadcast Sales

then

nearly 80 businesses. I sold quite

customers.

business

alive

I and

I own and operate. And the total data, or touch points, that I have for consumers or people we talk to, in just the businesses that I have, reaches into millions of people. And so I’ve never struggled with that. It was an early lesson and it has been the catalyst to the success I’ve had.

What habits or mindsets have helped you succeed as a business owner?

I love to work. So for me, work is life. I don’t necessarily need a work-life balance because I feel like I’m most balanced when I’m Eddie Wilson: Cont. on pg. 14

www.originate.report 13

Eddie Wilson: Cont. from pg. 13

putting effort and time into the work that I love. One of the habits that I have is I break down my day into activities that ultimately meet the requirement or the need that I have, versus breaking my day down into work time, play time, and family time. I think any time can be work time, play time, and family time. I take a chunk of my day and break it down so that I’m spending percentages of my day thinking and creating, like creating content or vision for the businesses that I run.

I spend a percentage of my day just doing tactical things that I know I have to get done.

What is the most difficult period of time during a startup journey and why? What helps you to work through it?

Very rarely do I get into that middle

it, then hire somebody that can be

region of a business startup where

100% focused on it. If you can’t hire

I have to determine if I actually

someone to be focused on it and

want to put the time and effort into

you can’t be focused on it, then you

scaling that business. So I’d say the

shouldn’t be starting that business

most difficult period of time is after

in the first place. It’s crucial to have

the first level of growth, and then

one person that’s solely dedicated

learning to say no and being okay

to its success or failure. And if your

with where it is. It leaves time for

process of dedicating yourself leads

other opportunities.

to failure, at least you know that you’ve given it everything you have.

What has been your favorite aspect

You don’t question the choices you

of being an entrepreneur?

made.

I boil my life down into three words: time, wealth and purpose. Being an entrepreneur allows me to have the freedom of managing my own schedule, and doing what I want to do when I want to do it. It also has provided me the catalyst to create and sustain the lifestyle that I want.

And that time that I have control of, and the wealth that has gotten me there, allows me to live out that

When I’m in the startup mindset,

third piece: purpose. Purpose is

I’m putting everything into it and

when I look at my life for the greater

I’m excited about the idea or the

good that it could accomplish, and I

customer. And early on in any

put those time and wealth resources

business that I started, it’s kind of

into creating something that makes

a fail-fast model. It’s either going

my life more valuable than just the

to make it or it’s not. That’s not the

businesses I own or the people that

hard part. The hard part is when I

I touch. It actually transcends that

actually find some success, but then

and starts to make a difference in

I’m in this transitional period of

this world.

point I have to decide, once I get the

What

business off the ground, do I want

someone who’s starting their first

to scale it? Is it self-sustainable?

business?

And is it something that I want to

I

do for the rest of my life? A lot of

they have to be all in, and 100%

businesses come out of a great idea,

dedicated to it. They have to give

and once that great idea is created

up on everything else for a time.

and I’ve found a business process

To always have a Plan B ultimately

for that idea, it’s fulfillment enough.

diverts some energy from that

I’ll hire a staff to run it or operate it.

business success. If you can’t be in

14 Originate Report April 2020

key

activities

do

you

recommend entrepreneurs to invest their time in?

I think there are two activities that every

entrepreneur

or

business

leader should conduct. First, they should be involved in networking of some sort within their relevant industries. Every great opportunity I’ve ever had in business came through a people connection, so it’s absolutely critical. The second activity I would recommend is finding alone time where you can sit and think, taking the world’s distractions

from

your

mind.

Especially as an entrepreneur, where you get inundated with 24 hours a day of business. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, for example, had their own processes they went through. They

taking it to the next level. And at that advice

would

What

offer

would

the

you

advice

offer

that

called them ‘walkabouts,’ and they would go sit in a cabin for a week or something similar. I think it’s important to get alone with your thoughts and really dissect them down, to write down your ideas and formulate processes to bring your ideas to fruition.

FEATURED

From Cold Lead To Cold, Hard Cash:

MEASURING THE ROI OF YOUR MARKETING EFFORTS

By Romney Navarro, Noble Capital

E

very business lives and dies

return on investment (ROI). There

a social media campaign and the

by its Profit & Loss (or,

are many ways to track the success

“real world”. It’s even more difficult

more accurately, because of

of digital marketing campaigns

to track “terrestrial” marketing

its P&L). Whether you’re a Private

which involve measuring clicks,

efforts such as radio, TV, a magazine

Lender, or you run a hamster rodeo,

impressions, website traffic and

ad or a piece of printed collateral

your business has to take in more

the like. Many marketers consider

money than it sends out. But it’s

a form fill or a click to your website

more than just tracking capital ins

a conversion and use that metric

and outs, you also have to justify

to evaluate the performance of

the return on every dollar spent,

their campaigns, but they’re rarely

including your marketing budget.

able to tie revenue directly back

Whether your marketing efforts

to their marketing efforts. Where

consist of digital or traditional

it gets tricky is bridging the gap

methods, you have to understand the

between

something

digital

like

all the way to the bank, so to speak.

How can you calculate your actual ROI on marketing spend without knowing how much revenue you’ve brought in as a result?

Digital Tracking Tools Some of the more common methods Cold Lead to Cold, Hard Cash: Cont. on pg. 16

www.originate.report 15

Cold Lead to Cold, Hard Cash: Cont. from pg. 15

of tracking conversions involve what I’ll call platform analytics.

These can include such things as Facebook’s Insights reporting dashboard,

Google

Analytics

or services like HubSpot which can give you great visibility on the audience size, interactions, clicks and website traffic. But the information you gain from

digital tracking methods and every

for segmenting leads from discrete

detail of how they operate. Just to

campaigns.

provide some context to the “open end” of the marketing funnel in

Take a radio show, for example. It

the modern digital landscape. The

can be difficult to track a terrestrial

point is that, unless you run an

or non-digital marketing campaign

eCommerce business, the internet

to the point of first contact. If a

has no way of knowing if any of

potential lead goes to your website

these digital interactions resulted

or contacts you as a result of

in revenue.

hearing your show, how do you know

that’s

where

they

came

Tracking Leads from the “Real

from? There are a few ways that

World”

you can funnel them into trackable

In addition to taking advantage

communication

of all of the digital marketing

on a call-to-action given on your

luxuries we have access to these

radio show (or TV show, podcast,

days, you may (and should) also

magazine ad, billboard, etc.). The

be

marketing

first method would be to set up an

methods like radio, television, and

email address pinned to a specific

print publications that regularly

campaign which is not public and

touch your target audiences. But,

is not used for any other purposes.

tracking leads from these types of

Then

traditional sources through to the

the

point of conversion is even more

information about our services,

tracking pixels. These are like

complicated than doing so for

visit radio@lendingcompany.com”,

little voyeuristic snippets of code

digital campaigns. The reality is,

you know how to classify those

that gather information about the

it’s not always feasible to ask every

leads.

individuals interacting with your

potential new client how they

ads online. They can be used to

heard about you. And even if you

The same idea applies to a dedicated

measure online conversions on a

did, they may have been exposed to

URL. You can usually purchase

specified page of your website or

your company in multiple different

domain names for relatively cheap.

to serve retargeting ads to people

places (assuming you have an

So, if you prefer to funnel them

who have visited your website,

aggressive

strategy),

through your website and track it

among other things. Another tool

so that input isn’t always the most

through Google Analytics, you could

you can use is a UTM (Urchin

useful. The solution, then, is to

direct that URL to a standalone

Tracking Module) code. A UTM

build multiple marketing funnels

landing page and your call-to-action

code is a section of text appended

– both inside and outside of the

could be, “to learn more about

to the end of a URL which allows

digital sphere – using dedicated

us,

you to track visits to that URL, so

contact

of

com”. Finally, in conjunction with

you can evaluate the performance

capturing and tracking real world

a dedicated URL and a purpose-

of campaigns associated with that

leads by assigning dedicated email

built landing page, you can create

specific URL.

addresses, URLs and even phone

a contact form specifically for that

numbers. This isn’t a new idea, and

campaign. That way, you’ll know

The purpose here is not to provide

it’s certainly not rocket science.

leads submitting that contact form

a

But you can utilize these methods

came by way of a given campaign in

these analytics platforms are still relatively limited in depth.

More

savvy

digital

marketers

have a few sharper arrows in their quivers to evaluate digital campaign performance. Tracking codes can provide a more granular view of the marketing funnel than broad analytics platforms. Those who have used Facebook or Google AdWords might be familiar with

comprehensive

discussion

16 Originate Report April 2020

of

using

traditional

marketing

channels

capable

if radio

visit

your

channels

based

call-to-action

show

is,

“for

on

more

lendingcompanyradio.

addition to capturing their contact

to the campaign that pulled them

information. It’s also a good idea

into the marketing funnel.

to include in those forms a “how

in the future.

Never Settle for “Good Enough”

did you hear about us?” dropdown

From there, it’s simply a matter

Marketing is not an exact science,

option just to reinforce the lead

of following them through the

but it’s not simply an art either;

source.

sales process. When and if you’re

it’s always a combination of both.

able

Your

to

convert

them

into

a

company’s

processes

and

The Real Work Starts Now

borrower, you will know exactly

methodologies

Though many marketers would

how much revenue resulted from

new leads should never be static.

consider these events conversions,

that campaign, and you’ll be able

For any business initiative to be

to calculate your “real” ROI from

successful, you have to continually

that marketing spend. But that’s

evolve. If you don’t get the results

not the only benefit of this process.

you

Not only can you evaluate the

evaluate why then refine it and try

effectiveness of your marketing

again. Marketing moves quickly

spend

resources

these days, and there are always

accordingly, you’ll also learn a lot

new tools at your disposal. It’s

about your sales process. If you’re

important to be both open to new

unable to close a loan with some

ideas and critical of the results. If

of the leads that have made it into

you are, you’ll always be able to

the sales process, you should be

improve the outcome. But tracking

able to see at which point they fell

your business through the entire

off. That can help you continually

marketing funnel from cold lead to

improve your sales operation and

cold, hard cash is a good place to

practices to produce better results

start.

you

can’t

calculate

your

ROI

without following them all the way to the point of sale which, in our case, is closing their loan. Whether your leads enter the marketing funnel from a digital or nondigital campaign, you now have to coordinate those efforts with your business development and/or sales teams. Whatever information you’ve gathered from the first contact from your leads should be compiled and organized into your CRM or even into a spreadsheet.

If your campaign incorporated a dedicated email address or URL with a contact form, you will at least have captured a name and email address; you can backfill additional

information

as

it

becomes available. Then all of those leads should be tagged according

and

allocate

would

for

expect,

attracting

you

should

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Romney is a partner at Noble Capital and Co-founder of the Private Lender Network (thepln.com). He specializes in financing renovation and construction projects through private capital. Romney has more than 16 years of experience in the real estate industry.

Contact: rnavarro@noblecapital.com

www.originate.report 17

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Checking back in with our inaugural cover feature!

John Ingoglia

Socotra Capital

18 Originate Report April 2020

over-night. Like 9/11, COVID-19 in many ways came out of nowhere.

I ended up moving from New York to San Francisco in 2002. remembered

that

out

of

I

work

stockbrokers drove cabs in the 70’s, so that is what I did. I was angry and really messed up from both the economic disaster and the human tragedy of that single day.

A year later, I landed a job

with a commercial real estate firm doing leasing and investments in Sacramento. There I met Adham Sbeih who helped finance several of my real estate deals. It was than in 2008, when he shared his vision and concept of Socotra Capital, to do hard money loans during this next bust. Adham had a proactive approach: he wanted to lend money when institutions were not lending.

In

November

2008,

I

joined

Adham and we did just that: We made loans when the institutions were not lending. It was hard. It took us 6 months to make our first loan together.

John Ingoglia, President Socotra Capital

Q: How did you first get your

decade until the very end. It was

start in loans and investments

much like how it is now.

and have you ever faced anything

9/11 and our current crisis, the

like COVID-19?

COVID-19 pandemic, the fear is

I got my start in investments at

both life and economic.

a young age. From Sacramento,

the streets that were once vibrant

I really wanted to go to the East

at all hours of the day, were empty

Coast to learn the game. In 1994,

for a long time after that day. No

I attended Boston College studying

tourism. No nightlife. People were

finance and ended up becoming

hurting. It was a very sad time and

a Financial Advisor in New York

a strange time for the entire city.

during the dot.com bust in 2000

We all experienced it together. It

and 9/11 in 2001. I had a great

happened literally in one morning,

With

In NYC,

We helped rebuild lots of areas that were hit hard by the meltdown.

Now we face this new challenge. It seems like a much greater threat to our economy and well-being however we will do what we set out to do from the beginning: make loans when institutions are not lending.

Q: How do you see Socotra Capital perform during this challenge of world pandemic and financial crisis?

Entering this event, our portfolio John Ingoglia: Continues on pg. 20

www.originate.report 19

John Ingoglia: Continued from pg. 19

was

positioned

as

defensively

as possible. We had a portfolio average LTV of 47%, $1.9M in loan loss reserves held at the fund level in addition to $1.4M in reserves that we held at the individual loan level. We manage $250MM in loans and investments and have no debt.

We will be in a great position to

Q: What has been one of your

failures come when I fail to teach

biggest successes and one of your

rather than coach or vice versa. A

biggest failures in your career?

true leader leads by not being seen.

My biggest success at Socotra is

When I take over, I forget that I am

helping investors and borrowers as

not often serving the client or my

a team. Our team consists in large

team, but my own ego. I see this

part of graduates of UC Davis. We have energy that we carry through to our clients, both to our investors and to our borrowers. Working remote, it’s ironic, since in many ways, we have become closer. The

lend again to serve our borrowers

growth and leadership within has

and clients in these trying times.

been tremendous.

Our biggest

great crisis in many ways as their time to lead and take charge. And the reality is: They want to do it!

Q: What is something that most people would be surprised to learn about you?

One thing people are surprised to learn about me is that I am in Saturday Chinese School with my son.

We take Mandarin. Wo shi

zhong guo ren. Wo da zhongwen mingzi Liu Ban! Which means “I am Chinese. My Chinese name is Liu Ban!” Q: How has your company vision evolved from Day 1 to Today?

We named our company Socotra Capital, which is the name of an island, also means “peace of mind.”

We were founded in 2008, during the last crisis.

Our mission is to

provide a place for those looking for refuge, both investor and borrower.

Socotra is a place to make a sound investment. We want to make good loans to weather any storm.

Q: Before Shelter-In-Place, what did you do in your free time?

When not in quarantine like this, my free time is split between family time and mixed martial arts. My wife, Shirley Liu and I are actively raising our four children: Presley (from left to right) John Ingoglia, Mike McIntyre, and Urijah Faber, AKA “The California Kid,” Hall of Famer UFC

(16), Antonio (7), and Santino and Coco (twins, 17 months)! When I am not at home or at work, I train at

20 Originate Report April 2020

Urijah Faber’s Ultimate Fitness with the best in the world in fighting. I enjoy that very much as well. It’s often the most relaxing place during my day to settle my mind.

Q: What is something that most people don’t know about your company?

What people don’t know is we have offices and employees that cover most of the Western United States and Texas. We love North Carolina and Georgia, and have opened a new platform into the DC area including Virginia and Maryland.

Q: What does success look like for you?

Since inception, over our 12-years in lending, we have not lost any investor principal.

The newest members of the Ingoglia family, Santino and Coco

“Seek first to understand, then to be

coach and mentor. Honor your

Q: Tell us about a person or

understood.” It is a habit, the fifth

commitments. There are no outside

organization that you admire.

one, from Seven Habits of Highly

forces that govern you. You are,

Why do you think they have made

Effective People. I read it in college.

in fact, the master of your own

an important impact?

I say it almost every day to my

universe. Be prepared and don’t be

Charles

Hershson,

AKA

Uncle

team. To truly problem solve, and

Chuck. “55% LTV loans, and you can

to be synergistic, one often needs

make it through any downturn!!!”

to change their own paradigm to

He started 5 decades ago, he would know. We are currently at 47% on average in our $250MM we manage.

We are unsure where this market will take us but feel strongly about our principals. Thank you, Uncle

create win-win solutions.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island with access to one

Q: What mistakes have you seen others make in this industry?

How does Socotra Capital avoid

Chuck, for inspiring us.

making those same mistakes?

Q: What advice would you give

lenders are focused on winning the

your younger self?

late. It’s no one’s fault but your own.

Mistakes I have seen are when deal rather than the borrower or

book, one song, and one movie, what would they be?

If we were stranded on the Island of Socotra, and I was stuck with one book, one song and one movie, what would they be?

One book:

The Fountainhead. One Song: Bob

their investors.

Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up,” since

Q: What is your favorite quote?

movie, it would be a Keanu Reeves

Q: What is one piece of advice you

“Be impeccable with your word

movie for sure. The first Matrix

have learned and carried with you

and responsible for all of your

movie or his most recent movie,

throughout your life?

outcomes,”

John Wick: Chapter 3.

The advice my grandfather gave

we are on an island.

me: spend a little, save a little.

–

Ken

Doyle.

My

As for the

www.originate.report 21

FEATURED

Surviving and F Thriving in the Era of COVID-19:

our years ago, Geraci set out to really adopt technology and infrastructure to allow our

people to work wherever they are in the world. We rapidly grasped that the world was moving from PC’s and desktops to cell phones and mobility.

After

INDUSTRY LEADERS SHARE TIPS FOR PRIVATE LENDERS

hours

of

research

and

adjustments, we came down to use the following: Technology We adopted the following technology

Dear Readers,

W

e have received a lot of inquiries in the last few weeks regarding how we set up a remote office.

Rather than just responding to people individually with our own experiences, we thought this topic warranted a deeper dive and a more thorough examination. Not only will we elaborate on the steps Geraci LLP has taken to maintain efficiency

22 Originate Report April 2020

that forms the basis of our firm: and continuity during these trying times, but we will also be sharing

1. Ringcentral

insights from other industry leaders

We use RingCentral as the backbone

who are working through the same

of

challenges.

where

Wherever we are, we have access

you live and work, the mandatory

to our office phones as a result. As

quarantine looks to be the new

long as we have our cell phones or

normal for at least a while longer;

Wi-Fi coverage, the RingCentral app

so in the meantime, let us help you

will ring as if we were in the office.

make the most of it.

As a business that relies heavily on

Regardless

of

our

communications

hub.

our phone system, this is absolutely

that infrastructure, you could use

will help you any way we can. Stay

mission critical for us.

Dropbox or box.com as a great

healthy, stay safe, but most of all

alternative to be instantly remote.

stay sane. This too shall pass and

2. Zoom.us

new opportunities will be created as

We have over 50 people that work at

4. Slack

a result. How you respond to them

Geraci. In order for us to meet and

We message each other through

will pave the way for your future.

move our priorities forward without

an app called Slack. It is free and

being able to meet physically like

accessible for desktop or on cell

- Anthony Geraci, CEO

we used to, we have adopted and

phones.

Geraci LLP

harnessed zoom.us as our virtual meeting room as well as our platform for team meetings. The connectivity and interaction it is almost as good as being physically present with each other. Each month we have our All Hands meeting, and last week was the first time we did it completely virtually. It went very well.

3. File Server Our files are all on a remote server

Putting it all together Our meetings are calendared and hosted just as they would be in real life. The only difference is we get together over Zoom. For any interactions between people, we could either directly call them, video chat or send instant messages via Slack. Our banking, transactions, closings, etc. are all completed via the internet.

that can be accessed from anywhere,

if you have any questions on how

by anyone on our team. For those of

we did it or any other needs at all,

you who have not already invested

feel free to reach out to us and we

Anthony Geraci, CEO Geraci LLP

Industry Leaders Share Tips: Cont. on pg. 24

www.originate.report 23

Industry Leaders Share Tips: Cont. from pg. 23

T

here is one word to describe

their new temporary environment.

to discover the creature comforts of

my

As the leader of the company, I

the office we missed most (come to

knew that it was my job to maintain

find out the employees missed the

the strong company culture that

employees most). Day Eight Carrie

We are headquartered in Las Vegas,

I have cultivated for a decade.

gathered the list of creature comforts

Nevada and as our management staff

My employees expect change and

to prepare for dissemination to

monitored the situation closely as it

even

in

employees’ homes to make the next

became apparent to us on Monday,

technology and adjustments to our

30 days a little easier (they do not

March 16th that we needed to start

portfolio to meet market demands

know this is coming yet). Day Nine

implementing our Contingency Plan.

while mitigating the risk to our

we implemented Zoom to try and

This planning could not have started

investors

diversification.

meet the creature comforts request

a minute too soon because within

We are now fully embracing the

through video conferencing, which

48 hours the entire city of Las Vegas

technology that allows us to work

was hilarious, and thank goodness

was a ghost town. Our Governor

securely from our homes without

for our millennial staff who teach us

addressed the residents of Nevada at

clients experiencing any change in

new things every day.

6pm on Tuesday, March 17th, and at

the level of customer service or the

8am on Wednesday morning I rallied

availability of investments.

team

and

that

is

RESILIENCE.

embrace

improvements

through

I know you were probably expecting something very serious, but during

my management staff and then the employees at 9am with a social

Every day I mass communicate with

distancing meeting in our training

all employees in a fun interactive

room to inform the staff that it was

way. Our culture is ‘work hard, play

time to fully test our Contingency

harder.’ Here are some examples of

Plan, so let’s put it into action. A

the activities that have transpired in

communication was sent to all

the first nine days of our virtual office

investors and posted on our website

experience; Day One started with a

that Ignite Funding will maintain

Magnolia Manifesto quote that ended

“business as usual” in a virtual

with

environment from our homes. By

Day Two was ‘guess whose virtual

noon the office was cleared out with

office this is,’ and we also had a

the exception of two members of

baby join our family on that day.

management and we were enacting

Day Three we hit an all-time record

our virtual office environment. By

funding week of over $22 million.

8pm we confirmed that all employees

Day Four was ‘selfie count’ on your

were virtually ready for the next day.

phone to guess who had the most.

#itslonelywithoutemployees.

these times we need to remember that the comradery of employees is what matters most. As the President, I’m proud to tell everyone that I have become the virtual assistant to all my employees while they stay safely planted at home during this time.

- Carrie Cook, President Ignite Funding

Day Five was from the fairygodboss.

The first day was rough with the

com Hump Day challenge questions

technology, but we quickly fixed

(Ignite Funding style) and boy, did

every issue promptly as to not

we learn a lot of hidden secrets about

allow our employees, investors, or

employees! Day Six was a virtual

borrowers to build up frustration

COVID-19 themed dance-off with a

as the country was acclimating to

$100 prize. Day Seven it was time

24 Originate Report April 2020

Carrie Cook, President Ignite Funding

A

few tips for those of you

like you have your “own” space

who are new to working

A lot of people don’t have home

from home.

offices, so dining room tables and

This can be a tough transition while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, having your kids home from school, and still trying to

corners of bedrooms become your makeshift workspace. It adds stress to the rest of your family because they feel you are still there to support

A

s we become acclimated to working remote based on State or Federal guidance

during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary for companies to quickly and seamlessly transition from an office environment with everyone in the same location to one

manage a household… But here is

them, but you have to balance staying

how we are helping our team.

focused for uninterrupted periods of

This

time so you can still get your work

continuity as people work through

1. Keep your routine the same

done. A lot of mistakes can happen

making

Wake up at the same time, eat, shower,

with frequent interruptions, and this

get dressed, brush your teeth, and get ready to walk out the door.

can cause frustrations for you, your manager, and your employer. Take a deep breath, take a little extra

2. Log on to your system, grab

where no one is physically together. has

disrupted

necessary

business

changes

and

adapting to the “new normal” during the shelter in place policies adopted by the federal government as well as many states, counties and cities.

time to get acclimated to your new

Businesses, especially those with a

environment, and communicate with

large brick and mortar presence and

your

your manager on any issues so they

back-office staffs, were probably the

manager and your team members

can offer advice/suggestions for a

most impacted. Putting in place the

will keep you focused on the tasks at

successful “work at home” experience

hand and help you feel like you are

for the next several weeks as we get

still part of your team.

through this challenging time.

your coffee, and check in with your manager Keeping

in

contact

with

3. Get up and move around Take breaks, stretch, walk around a

- Brian Mingham, Founder & CEO CFSI Loan Management

remote takes time to implement, and can lead to a loss of productivity and a potential a loss of revenue. Time will tell how long we will all be hope it’s not for too much longer!

the office you are routinely getting up for coffee, talking to another

At Money360, from very early in our

person in a group down the hall – you

history, we began building an end-to-

are moving, at least semi-regularly.

end, secure, proprietary technology

At home we have a tendency to sit

platform

in one place and just keep working.

for

the

origination,

processing and closing of our loans.

Next thing you know, it’s 4:30 PM

Having this in place allows our

and you forgot to eat, shower, or

employees the ability to work remote

brush your teeth. That is why you

yet still have all the functionality as

must keep your routine.

from everyone allows you to feel

their employees the ability to work

operating under these policies, but I

bit, and get your blood flowing. In

4. Setting up your workspace away

infrastructure and policies to allow

if they were in the office. So, whether Brian Mingham, Founder & CEO CFSI Loan Management

they are traveling for business, on Industry Leaders Share Tips: Cont. on pg. 26

www.originate.report 25

Industry Leaders Share Tips: Cont. from pg. 25

vacation, or sick, etc. they have the same functionality as any other team member no matter where they are physically located. This includes accessing

the

Company’s

loan

pipeline, closed transaction folders, and all supporting documentation.

We already had most of our Regional Directors (who originate our loans) working remote, as well as a handful of back office personnel occasionally working remote because of family needs or for other reasons.

We also heavily utilize Microsoft Teams, which allows us to hold oneon-one meetings or collaborate as a team. Teams allows us to share

in the same location and the normal

best in these unprecedented and

physical interaction that goes with

trying times in our Country’s history,

it does change the way business is

but we are Americans and will get

conducted, but from a productivity

through this! Unfortunately, it will

standpoint, we didn’t miss a beat.

come at a steep cost; with the loss of

My advice to other companies still

livelihoods. My hope is that we and

working

through

this

transition

would be to utilize commercially available

products

like

Zoom,

WebEx, Slack etc. to get their employees sharing information and

this and take steps to reduce threats like COVID-19 in the future.

- Gary Bechtel, President Money360

Teams has worked great for us and I’d recommend that depending on what platforms companies are currently operating on. At this point, it’s probably too late to build the kind of technology platform that we have at Money360, but it might be

pertinent information utilized in the

something to consider in the future

business. So, for us, the transition to a

as companies revisit their office/

remote only workplace was relatively

staffing/business strategies.

painless. As is to be expected, it does

26 Originate Report April 2020

our government will all learn from

working together. Again, Microsoft

our screens, documents, or other

take some getting used to; not being

many lives, businesses and people’s

I wish you and your families all the

Gary Bechtel, President Money360

S

taying Efficient during

key to minimizing this overhead.

Since

COVID-19

We have already been using Slack

processed via ACH, you can collect

for internal communications, but

your

Mortgage Automator is a complete

we switched to Zoom for video

without having to see anyone for

end-to-end loan origination and

team

their paper checks, thus adhering

servicing

private

more personal, crack a few jokes,

lenders. Our product development

and maintain sanity during the

pipeline

quarantine.

in

software is

advance

for

scheduled and

months

adhering

meetings

to

keep

things

monthly payments

payments within

are

minutes

to the social distancing protocols.

Similarly,

your

investors

won’t

even have to hit pause on that

to are

better

Netflix show they’ve been binging.

than

others,

They will receive beautiful monthly

so we increased the number of

statements automatically with a

working

internal meetings in order to keep

complete update of their portfolio

remotely these days. While at the

everybody aligned. We have even

and outstanding loans.

office you can simply ask someone

created lunch socials and started

a quick question, now that question

using phone apps like HouseParty

This level of automation reduces

has to be a call, a video meeting,

to play team games and keep up

the need for constant supervision

or multiple messages sent back

the morale.

and empowers team members to do

the schedule is a top priority,

Some

regardless of where we work.

communicators

Our

entire

team

is

people

more work, independently, error-

and forth. You can be an absolute efficiency ninja and it would still

free and in less time. For all those

Keeping clients going

lenders that are struggling to keep

take you more time. We call this ‘communication overhead.’

Keeping the team organized is the

More

importantly,

Mortgage

Automator

keeps

the

clients’

businesses

going

during

this

difficult time. We enable our users to have a highly process-oriented approach,

including

actionable

tasks that can be assigned to any team

member

and

tracked

up during these times without proper software, tell us about your challenges and we’ll help get them sorted for you from the comfort of your living room.

- Pavel Tchourliaev, Co-Founder Mortgage Automator

to

completion.

Automated document generation allows for LOIs, Term Sheets and Funding Documents to be generated error-free in under 1 minute; and a user-friendly web-interface can be accessed from any remote location, on any device, including a phone.

You can get all the work done and still have plenty of time for those walks to the fridge or to walk your dog if you have one.

Pavel Tchourliaev, Co-Founder Mortgage Automator

www.originate.report 27

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Applied Business Software, Inc. 2847 Gundry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90755 sales@absnetwork.com

28 Originate Report April 2020

PRESS RELEASE

Applied Business Software Announces Exponential Growth on its Services Department LONG BEACH, Calif., March 31, 2020 - Applied Business Software (“ABS”), is excited to announce record growth in the Services Department for the fiscal year 2019.

In the 2019 fiscal year, ABS experienced a 38% growth in their newest service: printing, stamping and mailing of 1098 and 1099 tax forms. ABS is the only software provider in the private lending space to offer this service from within its loan servicing software platform.

ABS has a long history of providing cutting edge technology to the lending industry. They were pioneers in providing their customers the ability to file directly with the IRS, from within The Mortgage Office© and The Loan Office©.

This growth is attributed to increased awareness of the multitude of services offered by ABS and the ever-growing necessity to have an automated back office system with centralized services. ABS’s constant product innovation for the last 41 years and multi-licensing options continue to make The Mortgage Office the industry leader.

“We are thrilled to see our customers using this service. We aim to be a one-stop shop for them and know they appreciate the integration and seamlessness this service provides. From filing directly with the IRS, all the way to having their 1098 and 1099 forms printed, stuffed and mailed with a couple clicks. Services integration is one of the many ways we continue to innovate daily as we understand how essential we are to our customers’ business.”, says ABS CEO Carlos Nodarse.

About Applied Business Software Applied Business Software is a market leader and global provider of software systems and solutions to the lending industry. ABS offers a complete suite of software products designed from the ground up to specifically address the needs of those who originate and service loans. All its products are consistently rated superior in design, system interface, expandability and ease of use. ABS continuously updates its product line, always keeping it ahead of the curve with ever changing technology, and compliant with the rules and regulations that affect the lending industry. It offers Cloud Hosting, SaaS and Perpetual License options which address the needs of any size company. ABS is based in Long Beach, California.

For additional information about ABS’s products and services, visit www.themortgageoffice.com or call (800) 833-3343.

Elizabeth Morales, Chief Marketing Officer www.themortgageoffice.com | (800) 833-3343 | elizabeth@absnetwork.com www.originate.report 29

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CULTURE CORNER

Habitat for Humanity Playhouse Build: The #CIVICCARES team joined together with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles to build life-size playhouses for local children of an orphanage and veterans’ families.

Conquering Culture: The CIVIC Difference™ CIVIC

By Originate Report Staff

C

IVIC takes pride in being

specializes in the financing of non-

world, the CIVIC brand is not

a

lender

owner occupied residential and

what they describe it as. It is not

real

multifamily properties — but only

just a logo. It is the sum of their

estate investors through excellent

when they go further does any of

customers’ total CIVIC experience

this ultimately matter. And this is

— from the website, to phone calls,

why its culture is key.

to processes and documentation,

service,

best-in-class

that

empowers

providing

lending

solutions for real estate investment

to how they handle questions and

needs. As an institutional private

GO FURTHER™ is CIVIC’s Brand

solve problems, and how they treat

money

Promise. And it matters. In today’s

one other.

lender,

the

company

32 Originate Report April 2020

“At CIVIC we have a genuine focus on making sure our employees are equipped with ongoing knowledge and access to career-building resources. Not to mention, it really is possible here to develop your career and maintain balance between work and life … it’s just not a new concept to us.”

- Taryn Barnett, Manager, Learning & Development Taryn Barnett Manager, Learning & Development

Since its inception in 2014, CIVIC

The CIVIC Core Purpose: Enriching our

customers. In between good and

has taken a hands-on, innovative,

people, partners, and communities

great lies a space that requires people to step up and step in,

and people-first approach – leading to its successful growth of over 300

Enriching our PEOPLE

and this is where CIVIC digs deep

employees, an energized culture,

CIVIC is proud to be recognized

and lives out their core purpose

(two years in a row!) as one of

and values every day. They Go

the Best Workplaces by FORTUNE

Further. They pay attention to

and Great Place to Work®! Based

the details. They take ownership,

on employee voting and feedback,

accountability,

the company has also ranked as

finding solutions. They help their

and a core purpose extending to serve the communities in which they live and work. From hiring incredibly

hard

working

and

passionate individuals, to creating fast,

honest,

simple

lending

opportunities for its customers, CIVIC’s core ideologies are the

one of the Best Medium-Sized Workplaces,

one

of

the

Best

Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance, and among the Top

backbone of the company – and

100 Best Mortgage Companies to

CIVIC’s clients, believe it or not,

Work For. They are committed to

are the ultimate benefactors.

being a transparent environment where employees are encouraged

“Our values mean everything,”

to ask questions and be heard. So,

says William J. Tessar, President

yes, their business is in real estate

at Civic Financial Services. “They

investing … but it’s known (and felt)

guide everything we do and drive

company-wide that their greatest

us

investment is in their people.

to

do

everything

possible

to maximize our potential. We believe that the way we treat our

Enriching our PARTNERS

employees is the way they will treat

CIVIC’s success in the private

our customers – and this is where

lending arena is a result of an

our Brand Promise comes to life.”

unrelenting focus on the belief that the way employees are treated

So here’s an inside look at exactly

will naturally lay the foundation

what this means.

of how employees will treat their

and

focus

on

customers dream big while doing what is expected, but also doing the unexpected. They accelerate success without sacrificing quality.

Enriching our COMMUNITIES CIVIC believes there is no better thing you can do with your life and your work than to follow your passions in a way that serves the greater good. CIVIC is committed to giving back to its communities and supporting the causes they care

about.

They

rise

to

the

occasion to lend a helping hand, and come together as one. They are proud to be a Corporate Champion of Wounded Warrior Project®, a partner of Habitat for Humanity®, and a supporter of national disaster CIVIC: Continues on pg.30

www.originate.report 33

CIVIC: Continued from pg. 29

relief efforts. The team serves at soup kitchens, cleans up our beaches, donates blood, and has even created a Military Discount Program to benefit our military service community. Whether on an individual volunteer basis, or

big things, what are you doing

transparency is paramount and

when no one’s watching? Are you

directly translates into a culture of

diligent? Do you have a thoughtful

inclusion, knowledge, recognition

approach and relentless pursuit

and success for teammates and

of success for others? They ask

clients alike.

themselves these questions every day, and acting with honor guides

CREATE SMILES

every decision they make.

CIVIC’s employee engagement is skyhigh — ranking among the top 5% of

through collective group events,

BE A GREAT PARTNER

companies nationally — and their NPS

food drives or fundraisers, CIVIC

Push boundaries. Lend a helping

and customer ratings are higher than

employees live and breathe the idea

hand. When it comes to taking

the industry average as well. Happy

of helping to make our communities

care

employees = happy customers!

better and helping those who may

going above and beyond, they

not be able to help themselves.

pay attention to the details, take

SIMPLIFY

ownership, and find solutions.

Moving quickly and growing fast

The

CIVIC

Core

Values:

of

its

relationships

and

means tapping into the power of

Act

with Honor, Be a Great Partner,

COMMUNICATE CLEARLY

innovation.

Communicate

Proactive, concise and genuine.

eliminating the fluff. CIVIC strives for

The

delivers

efficiency and leverages technology.

information with urgency, clarity

They are intentional - continuously

ACT WITH HONOR

and resolve, and leaves nothing

refining

From the little things to the

open to interpretation. Top-down

complexities, and optimizing results

Clearly,

Create

Smiles, Simplify

CIVIC

team

Being

their

process,

The Core Values of CIVIC: Act with honor, be a great partner, communicate clearly, create smiles, and simplify.

34 Originate Report April 2020

straight

and

reducing

by working smarter.

hold long term, or to acquire

CIVIC has access to institutional

multifamily real estate for cash

capital

in-house

flow, they have a focused team

“We

encourage

our

control over the lending. This

and set of products that empower

take

chances,

have

means fast answers, a smooth

investors to build wealth through

push boundaries. We elevate our

process, on-time closings and a

real estate.

team members by helping them

and

complete

growing product portfolio – all

impacts its customers. people fun,

to and

develop, learn, and Go Further

designed to better serve their

At CIVIC, they go further by taking

– and this creates a ripple effect

customers. Whether the intention

that one extra step in everything

of happiness, transcending to our

is to buy a single-family home

they do. By supporting one another

customers, that we could not be

to flip, to leverage an existing

and going further, a little bit at a

more proud of.” – Merced Cohen,

portfolio

time, that is how their brand truly

EVP, Operations

of

rental

homes

to

“We work hard, we play hard, and we celebrate often. Fun is one of the essential ingredients in CIVIC’s unique culture.

Happiness is the secret sauce.”

- Sophie Kim, SVP, People & Culture

Sophie Kim SVP, People & Culture

CIVIC: Continues on pg.32

www.originate.report 35

CIVIC: Continued from pg. 31

Encouraging Recognition: The CORE Challenge grand prize, a Tesla Model E. CIVIC’s Opportunities for Reaching Excellence is a year-long program encouraging team recognition and development opportunities to achieve our business goals; all while having fun through a game and points system.

The President’s Club: Top producers in Sales and Operations were recognized during CIVIC’s annual company event, uniting employees from all offices around the country.

The CIVIC Coin: The CIVIC Coin dawning the company’s core purpose on one side, and core values on the other, makes its way around the globe as employees submit their photos with the coin as part of an ongoing contest.

Supporting What Matters Most: Team members at CIVIC headquarters in Redondo Beach on National Wear Red Day, sporting their red in support of heart disease awareness.

Celebrating In Style: Team members join together to celebrate the milestone of CIVIC’s 5th Anniversary.

36 Originate Report April 2020

“When you spend so much time with your work family, the ‘why’ really matters. To be part of a company with such a clear purpose, real values and contagious camaraderie is a true joy.”

- PJ Chan, Marketing Software Manager PJ Chan Marketing Software Manager

“I love that we all know our voices really matter. The value placed on employee feedback makes it known that all of our ideas are important -- and this is what inspires me every single day.”

- Collin Hoffman, Sr. Marketing Specialist Collin Hoffman Sr. Marketing Specialist

CIVIC BENEFITS, PERKS & COOL STUFF • Competitive Salary

• Company Celebrations

• Performance-based Bonuses

• Grand Idea Rewards

• 401K (Matched)

• Community Outreach Opportunities

• In-House Investment Opportunities

• Team Building Events

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

• Electric Car Charging Stations

• Optional Health Care Plan Choices

• Employee Recognition Awards

• Free Snacks & Beverages

• Culture Squad

• Monthly Town Hall Company Gathering

• Ticket & Rental Car Discounts

• 50% discount on CIVIC Swag and Apparel

• Casual Fridays

• Employee Referral Program

• Offices all over the Country

• Workout Tuesdays

• The Daily Pulse Company e-Newsletter

• Continuous Training and Development

• Top Gun Training Program

• Coaching and Mentoring

• Internship Program

• Scholarship Program

• CIVIC Coins

• Catered Meals Several Times Each Month

• Ongoing Employee Surveys

• New Hire Dinners and Welcome Gifts

• Daily Team Huddles www.originate.report 37

38 Originate Report April 2020

FEATURED

Top 3 Lead Generation Ideas For Private Lenders

A

By Abhi Golhar recent

study

revealed

that close to 92% of new mortgage

Not sure where to begin? I’ve got

the marketing space right now, but

your back!

how can you capitalize on it as a

borrowers

private lender?

before

In this article, we’ll discover 3 lead

approaching a lender. In the same

generation ideas that will enable

conduct

online

research

vein, 66% of homebuyers favor handling their mortgages entirely online over manual methods.

What does this imply? There’s a great deal of leads out there waiting to be tapped. All you need is a few robust strategies that will help you score these high-quality leads

you to get more leads and convert them into clients.

Let’s do this!

1. Sponsor a Dinner to bring Influencers together (and film it!)

According to this study by Tomoson, influencer marketing yields a $6.50 return on investment for every

that are on the verge of getting

dollar spent.

converted to long-term clients.

It’s easy to see why it is the talk of

“All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” -Ronald Reagan The answer is simple: sponsor a dinner to bring influencers under one roof.

Sponsoring a dinner encourages word-of-mouth

marketing

in

a

huge way. More often than not, Top 3 Lead Generation Ideas: Cont. on pg. 36

www.originate.report 39

Top 3 Lead Generation Ideas: Cont. from pg. 35

influencers who attend this dinner will have a positive interaction with your brand and continue to talk about your offering and the amazing time they had even at a later time. If your company’s name or logo appears on their social networks, you have an additional opportunity to reach more clients.

Filming part of the dinner for your social media channels is an effective method for amplifying your reach.

A number of social networks today offer a live story feature. You can easily live stream the dinner. Once eventually, more revenue.

prominent names in the lending

Staying on top of SEO takes a lot of

space get seen in your events, it’s

experimentation as well as research.

certainly going to get leads flowing

Google’s algorithms are continually

Getting to page one of the search

your way.

updated so it’s important to stay in

results is important since 75%

line with the newest happenings.

of users don’t even click past

can

With this in mind, and a bit of

effortlessly bring together private

practice, you can become your own

lenders,

bankers,

SEO expert in no time!

financiers

and

These

types

of

dinners

corporate

other

lending

Google’s first page. If your content accurately

represents

what

the

visitor is searching for, that visitor turns into a lead, and eventually a

professionals. This will not only

As more and more users ignore or

explore and delineate the new

completely block paid search and

lending eco-system and innovations

ads, it has become more critical

in credit risk assessment, product

than ever to exercise SEO to your

origination,

contact

best advantage. Search engines

strategies, and AI; but also get new

(and the people using them) look

opportunities

partnerships

for high quality content that has

your way, getting your lending

value related to their search, and

search the internet for something

company the exposure it needs.

ideally, you would like them to

like “Fast funding for renovation in

engage your company. If you’re not

Los Angeles”. Now, if you take this

2. Master Google SEO with

displaying that quality content, you

search query to be your keyword

Organic Content

will miss out. In fact, you probably

and build your landing page or even

This report by the Search Engine

already are.

a blog piece around it, the chances

fintech, and

Journal states that 93% of all online

For example, if a lead is looking for a lending company that can approve

their

renovation

loan

within a short time span in Los Angeles, they’re probably going to

of your company being displayed

experiences begin with a search

Once your website begins to rank

engine. Well, duh. But, that’s exactly

in the first pages of Google’s search

why search engine optimization

results through organic content,

(SEO) is so crucial to your lending

you’ll get more visibility. This means

company’s online success.

more traffic, more conversions, and

40 Originate Report April 2020

client for your lending company.

in the said lead’s search results considerably increase.

3. Create meaningful video

help grow a business isn’t new and it still holds true. Your network is struggling with different types of problems. You can easily pick one and make a quick video that helps to solve it.

Uploading the video to LinkedIn will give it all the more exposure. Since LinkedIn’s audience is traditionally business-focused,

your

chances

of being found and scoring leads considerably increase.

Here’s What Lies Ahead The content for your local market &

about how he uses screen recording

upload it to LinkedIn

to discuss a fixed rate versus a

Video is a highly engaging and

variable rate or other in depth topics.

versatile content format that not

Jason admits he is 99% virtual and

only keeps us informed about the

rarely gets the opportunity to meet

latest advancements taking place

his clients; because of this, he uses

within our niche; it’s also easy to

video to build relationships and

share across multiple platforms.

help his clients tackle this heavy

Consumers like it because it’s easy to digest, and entertaining, while we lenders like it because it can give a potentially huge return on investment.

Jason Roy of Quantus Mortgage Solutions is well-known within the lending realm for having utilized a video marketing strategy for generating leads and expanding his business. In a recent interview, Roy told BombBomb how he’s shifted from scripted, professional looking videos to more personal, one-to-one videos over time.

Btw, maybe consider not creating videos when you’re driving?

information on their own time.

Finally, Jason explains his “mortgage minute videos” and how they’ve

state

of

real

estate

lead

generation is evolving at a rapid speed. What brought in great leads at an affordable rate a few years ago might not necessarily have the same impact today.

In the end, it all comes down to maintaining good terms with your network and showing them that you care. Call people to congratulate them about their milestones and

helped him grow his business.

that brings results, guaranteed.

Creating meaningful video content

and top of mind. Take birthdays,

for your local market is a lead

for example—every day, Facebook

generation

here

will tell you whose birthday it is, so

to stay, given that video drives a

instead of just posting a birthday

157% increase in organic traffic

message on their Wall, pick up the

from Search Engine Results Pages

phone and call them.

strategy

that’s

It’s a great way to stay connected

(SERPs).

[Almost all] of the people you call The

idea

sharing

that

will appreciate it, and guess who

free

will they recommend or work with

information can

when the time is right? You.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Abhi Golhar helps companies grow faster. Learn more at AbhiGolhar.com

In this interview, Roy also spoke www.originate.report 41

FEATURED

Private Lending During the Corona Virus

By Edward Brown, Pacific Private Money

T

he 1918 influenza pandemic has frequently been compared to the Coronavirus outbreak we are currently experiencing in the world today.

Varying government agencies have taken similar steps to those during 1918’s pandemic to quell the spread of the Coronavirus; isolation, quarantine, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings.

These measures seem to be the fastest way to rid the general population of this kind of virus.

During these times, the economic effects are dramatic.

An article by Thomas Garrett, written in 2007 by Assistant Vice President and Economist for the Federal Bank of St. Louis that examines the economic effects of the

42 Originate Report April 2020

1918 influenza pandemic, indicated an eerie parallel to today’s world.

Merchants in Little Rock stated their business had declined 40%. Others estimated a decrease of 70%. The only business in which there had been an increase in activity was the drug store.

over the 1918 pandemic; countries around the world have taken the above-mentioned steps in the early stages of today’s pandemic. With the advent of the internet, many workers can perform their jobs at home. Companies such as Amazon still make home and office deliveries.

The proactive measures that the

One difference in the two pandemics seems to be that the one in 1918 was reactive, whereas the current one appears to be proactive. In 1918, not only were businesses hit hard by the isolation/quarantines of people – few people could enter an establishment to conduct business – but the number of workers affected by the illness were tremendous; thus, the labor force and the income derived by them had decreased substantially. The current pandemic has, potentially, some advantages

world is taking will, hopefully, curtail the coronavirus so that it is short-lived and we all can get back to a relatively normal life. However, the economic impact of this virus cannot be ignored.

Garrett points out that “most of the evidence indicates that the economic effects of the 1918 influenza pandemic were short-term. Many businesses, especially those in the service and entertainment industries, suffered double-digit

losses

in

revenue.

Other businesses that specialized

charging higher points and interest

occur. These investors will demand

in healthcare products experienced

as the supply of money has shrunk.

a lower loan-to-value on the loans

an

Some

Private lending companies derive

they are making in addition to a

academic research suggests that the

most of their capital from individual

higher interest rate. Private lending

1918 influenza pandemic caused a

investors. Many of these investors

shortage of labor that resulted in

are skittish during uncertain times.

companies that previously sold to

higher wages (at least temporarily)

When the supply of money seemed to

for workers”.

be endless, especially in California,

increase

in

revenues.

rates and points charged were at How does this affect the private

historic lows [in the private lending

lending sector? In early February

community]. The demand for loans,

2020, prior to the US Government

however, has not been dramatically

implementing guidelines to help

affected yet. The reason for this is

eradicate the virus such as no public

that the supply of money provided by

gatherings of more than 250 [since

conventional lenders has diminished.

lowered to 100 and in some cases,

Since conventional lending makes up

10], there was an ample supply of

the majority of capital available to

money flowing into private lending.

lend, this factor has more than made

In addition, the capital markets

up for the slower demand of loans

were healthy and hungry looking

needed. Although some borrowers

to place money in loans. The stock

have cancelled their applications

market was at an all-time high of

for loans due to uncertainty, there

over 29,500. By March 20, 2020,

always seems to be a need to serve the

the stock market dipped below

borrowing community. People still

19,000, a loss of more than 35%.

move, loans come due, refinances as

Investors, as well as bankers, pulled

rates drop still occur and these loan

back their appetite to place funds,

requests need a home.

would-be providers of capital to sit

Individual investors are demanding

on the sidelines, as most tumultuous

an

markets make investors anemic.

historically low rates. This could be

in

yield

pay their investors a higher rate to attract money; thus, they will have to charge the borrower a higher rate.

They will most likely also increase their spread at what they charge the borrowers as compared to what they pay their investors. Quality loans will be in demand for these companies.

Loans that may have been marginal from a risk/reward standpoint just a few months ago will be turned down by many lenders.

If Garrett is right about a short-lived economic impact due to a pandemic, there is a window of opportunity for those investors willing to lend. Due diligence will be very important, and investors should not presume that a recession is not prolonged.

Conservative underwriting will be

as fear and concern pushed these increase

the capital markets will also have to

even

at

due to these investors attempting

the law of the land and lower loanto-values will be the benchmark. As one private lending company pointed out, there is always money to be made in real estate; one just needs

In addition, although Federal Funds

to take advantage of the low supply

Rates are at near zero, many large

of money available for loans. It

banks have, for the most part, stopped

also could be that these investors

accepting loan applications. Most

remember when they

have been relatively small compared

to fund loans that were already

were able to command a higher yield

hope that the world continue to take

approved, but, until things settle

during uncertain times such as the

serious measures to limit the effects,

down, they do not want to take what

Great Recession starting just 12 years

both health and economics-wise, so

they consider to be undue risk.

earlier; however, the

that we can get back to “normal.”

banks will honor their commitments

predominant reason is The capital markets (those buying

most likely due to the

loans) have all but dried up. They did

unknown of how this

not slow down. They just stopped

virus will play out in

altogether… at least for now.

the real estate market in an almost certain

Private lenders are lowering LTVs and

recession

that

will

to be prudent. So far, the number of illnesses and deaths worldwide to the 1918 pandemic. We can only

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Edward Brown is in the Investor Relations department at Pacific Private Money in Novato, Calif.

CONTACT: edward@pacificprivatemoney.com

www.originate.report 43

UPCOMING EVENTS 2020 EVENTS CALENDAR

AUGUST 19-21, 2020 | COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL, LAS VEGAS Where deals and capital meet! Join us for our flagship show of the year in Las Vegas! Captivate will turn its attention to the real need in the non-conventional lending industry: capital. Our Captivate Conference will connect lenders and investors and show you the tools you need to grow your business. With two and a half days of networking, Captivate will connect top sponsors directly with high net worth individuals who are looking to make their next business deal. All attendees will have access to network with one another through an app prior to the event. Join us in Las Vegas for good times, great memories, and valuable connections!

Showcase Your Upcoming Event Here Contact Alicia Carter at a.carter@geracillp.com for more information.

44 Originate Report April 2020

THE IMPORTANCE OF

results. This global reach creates networking opportunities for building relationships and partnerships. Your audi ence has invested time in registering and listening to the information you plan to share. They’re expecting valuable takeaways from the webinar, even some thing they can put into place at their own company. This positions you and your brand as an industry lead er, or expert. Webinars can give your audience the chance to ask questions and provide feedback. This how well it performed. These metrics include the is valuable because you can address concerns, reser number of attendees, number of those registered, vations, or any lingering questions they may have and total views. The webinar can and should be recorded about your training or product in real-time. You can Webinars have grown in popularity in recent years for you, the audience, and affiliates to share with customize your presentation to your audience based on and have become an important marketing tool. others, growing the results even more. Each time a their questions and feedback to keep them engaged.

These live web-based seminars can connect you with person completes your webinar’s registration form Ask them to take an action, such as completing a task leads from all over the world. They encourage interacti they should be considered a new potential lead, or answering a question. This will increase audience by allowing the audience to ask questions orJust how whether it be for a sale or a potential partnership. participation and interest. Include guest speakers, beneficial can a webinar be to your business? Here Webinars adds a personal interaction that videos and such as industry leaders or affiliates, to speak during are 7 reasons why webinars are a fantastic marketing commercials don’t. Webinars put a face and name your webinar. These individuals should be familiar strategy. Webinars are a cost-effective way to extend with your product making you approachable, human, with your industry and value of your product. They your reach globally. Rather than pay for flights and and someone they can trust. Educating them on how will be able to educate the audience on the benefits hotels to meet with individual leads, you can engage your product can benefit their company is the first or impact, validating information you have or will with a larger group over their computer screens. step in opening the door to future discussions and be sharing. By inviting a guest speaker, you can also People from all over the world can attend, providing partnerships. It is essential to show both new and increase the webinar’s attendance by including your your brand or product with the potential to see huge established leads how your product or service can guest’s audience and following. This can grow the results. This global reach creates networking opporimprove or enhance their workplace. Depending on number of leads you may gain substantially. Results tunities for building relationships and partnerships. the prospect, the sales process can be slow. Businesscan be seen quickly from webinars. After hosting a our audience has invested time in registering and lises want to convert a lead into a cusWhile it’s cerwebinar you’ll have metrics to measure how well it tening to the information you plan to share. They’re tainly important to provide useful information and performed. These metrics include the number of at expecting valuable takeaways from the webinar, tips to your audience, it’s equally important to share tendees, number of those registered, and total views. even something they can put into place at their own how your brand or business can help them achieve The webinar can and should be recorded for you, the company. This positions you and your brand as an this. How can your product be a solution to their audience, and affiliates to share with others, grow industry leader, or expert. problems? Your webinar should show the audience ing the results even more. Each time a person com the value of your brand. Garnering interest in the pletes your webinar’s registration form they should Webinars can give your audience the chance to ask product and its potential impact is the first step in be considered a new potential lead, whether it be for questions and provide feedback. This is valuable becompleting a sale. a sale or a potential partnership. Webinars adds a cause you can address concerns, reservations, or any personal interaction that videos and commercials lingering questions they may have about your trainThere are numerous benefits to hosting a webinar. don’t. Webinars put a face and name with your prod ing or product in real-time.

Though this article only touches on a handful of uct making you approachable, human, and someone them, it should be clear that webinars are an effecthey can trust. Educating them on how your product You can customize your presentation to your auditive tool for engagement and growth. As you take can benefit their company is the first step in opening ence based on their questions and feedback to keep these benefits into account, you should begin to the door to future discussions and partnerships. It them engaged. Ask them to take an action, such as think how you can use a webinar for lead generation is essential to show both new and established leads completing a task or answering a question. This will and to increase traffic, which will yield great results how your product or service can improve or enhance increase audience participation and interest. for your business. Webinars have grown in populartheir workplace.Depending on the prospect, the ity in recent years and have become an important sales formation and tips to your audience, it’s equalInclude guest speakers, such as industry leaders or marketing tool. These live web-based seminars can ly important to share how your brand or business affiliates, to speak during your webinar. These inconnect you with leads from all over the world. They can help them achieve this. How can your product be dividuals should be familiar with your industry and encourage interaction by allowing the audience to a solution to their problems? Your webinar should value of your product. They will be able to educate ask questions or provide feedback in real-time. show the audience the value of your brand. Garnerthe audience on the benefits or impact, validating inJust how beneficial can a webinar be to your busiing interest in the product and its potential impact is formation you have or will be sharing. ness? Here are 7 reasons why webinars are a fantasthe first step in completing a sale.There are numertic marketing strategy. ous benefits to hosting a webinar. Though this article By inviting a guest speaker, you can also increase the only touches on a handful of them, •it Upcoming should be clear Business Development • Fintech/Newest Loan Programs • Automation in Today’s Evolving Society webinar’s attendance by including your guest’s auWebinars are a cost-effective way to extend your that webinars are an effective tool for engagement dience and & following.

This can grow the number of reach globally.

Rather than pay for ights and hotels Trends Changes • Marketing & Outreach • Essential Tools & flTechnologies •and New Legal Issues and Regulations growth.

As you take these benefi ts into account, leads you may gain substantially. to meet with individual leads, you can engage with a you should begin to think how you can use a webilarger group over their computer screens. nar for lead generation and to increase traffic, which 5. Results: will yield great results for your business. WebiResults can be seen quickly from webinars. After People from all over the world can attend, providnars have grown in popularity in recent years and hosting a webinar you’ll have metrics to measure ing your brand or product with the potential to see huge have become an important marketing tool. These

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Redwood Mortgage Corp. www.redwoodmortgage.com RMC@redwoodmartgage.com (800) 659-6593 San Mateo, CA 94402

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Zinc Financial Inc. www.zincdinancial.com office@zinc.net Tom Valentino

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5M 10M 2M

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