That's a great question, I'm glad you asked =...

Beat 1: Lead with the differentiator

You're not just hiring Barrett Financial. You're hiring me.

Barrett has been in business for over 22 years and we are the largest mortgage broker in the country by volume. We closed almost 10 billion dollars last year, so the processes, systems and resources are established.

I've been doing this for over 20 years. I've seen enough deals to know where they go sideways before they do, so when I partner with clients early in the home buying process, we catch the issues instead of finding them two weeks before closing.

I work as a broker, not for a bank. That means I work for you, not for one particular lender.

So when we talk about rate, it's not about "our rate."

It’s about what I have found for your situation out of 199 lenders.

Beat 2: What that actually looks like

My job breaks down into four parts..

- Understanding what you're actually trying to accomplish.

- Build the financing strategy around that.

- Walk you through the process step by step.

- And this is the part almost nobody else does, and it's about 60% of my overall job - managing your mortgage after you close.

I'm stay in your corner and proactively help you navigate whatever comes next — your family growing, rates moving, your overall debt, refinancing opportunities, when it might make sense to buy again or sell.

You're not going to be figuring that out alone and hoping to remember to call me. I'm going to be the one reaching out to you.

(pause here, check in: )

Have you worked with a loan officer before who stayed in touch after closing?

Beat 3: Hand it back

So what matters to you most, the payment, the timeline, or something else?

The Ask for Everyone

Do you know any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to buy, sell or refi?

At the beginning of the transaction, once rapport is built, I say something like:

Hey, Steve is an incredible Realtor. How did you meet him?

They usually share the backstory, follow with:

You’re in great hands.

He’s one of the best, and he runs his business almost entirely by referrals and reviews.

If you don’t mind, once you see how good he really is — and you will — think of two people who shouldn’t still be renting or who might be ready for their next home.

Then before we close, we can surprise him with a couple of referrals.

At the end of a transaction

Thank you for letting us be part of your home-buying journey.

Can I ask a couple of favors? Next time friends or family bring up buying a home, or ask about your experience would you mention that you "Got a Guy." That actually, you have a team.

I'd really appreciate that.

So I have to ask, do you have anyone right now that would benefit from Your Team?

[If response is "Nobody comes to mind"]

Totally understand.

Lastly, do you mind if I send you the link my Google Business Page. I would really appreciate and honest review.

Thank you so much!

Hey Mr. and Mrs. Client, we have a very simple process.

I’m going to email you a quick questionnaire for you to complete that I stated on your behalf.

That way we will have the information so that we can help build a clear mortgage plan.

Hey client, is there anything that would prevent you from uploading your documents tonight by 10:00 p.m. so that I can ensure that we're able to verify everything and get you Pre-Approved before your find your new home?

Hey I'm so glad that you're fully pre-approved I'm going to add us to a group text.

When you're looking at homes you can text me the address so that I can update the numbers and make sure the monthly payment and cash to close still meet our goals.

What if I told you the seller could pay part of your mortgage payment for the next year or two? It's real, and it's called a temporary buydown.

Here's how it works. As part of the negotiation, the seller agrees to pay a lump sum at closing. That money doesn't go to you directly. It goes into an account with your lender.

That account is used to lower your monthly payment for the first two years, or even three years of your loan.

So instead of paying your full rate right away, you might pay two percent less in year one and one percent less in year two before it steps up to your normal rate.

This gives you breathing room. Maybe you're expecting your income to grow. Maybe rates come down and you refinance before the buydown even ends. Either way, you get lower payments when your budget is tightest, right after you move in.

Here's something a lot of buyers don't realize. Because this money is collected and applied by the lender at closing, it may create an additional tax deduction beyond what you'd normally get from mortgage interest. Every situation is different, so definitely check with your tax advisor on how it applies to you.

If you're working with a seller who has some room to negotiate, ask me about structuring a temporary buydown instead of a straight price cut. It could save you real money in year one. Reach out and let's run the numbers.

First, thank you for calling. We’re really excited to help.

Our approach is pretty simple. There are really two steps.

Step one is the Pre-Qualification. This is where we take a 30,000-foot view of your situation. I’m going to ask you a lot of questions about your income, assets, debts, credit, goals, and what you’re looking to accomplish.

I don’t need to run your credit or collect all of your documentation. The goal is to figure out, generally, whether buying a home makes sense for you and what that might look like.

I’ll show you different purchase prices, down payment options, estimated monthly payments, and help you understand what you can realistically afford.

At the end of that conversation, you should be able to say, “Yes, I think I’m ready to do this,” or “Maybe I need to work on a few things first.”

And either answer is perfectly fine.

Once you know you’re ready, the next step is the Full Pre-Approval.

That’s when we’ll collect your documentation, run your credit, verify your income and assets, and submit your file to underwriting. We’ll know your maximum purchase price, your down payment options, your monthly payment, and, most importantly, we can identify and address any potential issues before you’re out shopping for a home.

That allows us to implement our Pre-Approval Strategy, which is designed to put you in the strongest position possible when you find the right home and "win" the home.

It also eliminates the horror stories. A lot of those problems happen because something wasn’t discovered or addressed until after they were already in contract.

We want to find those things before you’re competing for a house, not after you’ve fallen in love with one.

Today we can start with making sure I answer all your initial questions and then I will ask alot questions so I better understand what you are trying to achieve.

Then we will have another meeting to review your options. Instead me telling you, I will be showing you with a software that make everything very clear. It’s basically a website with loan options that design exactly for you. 

That’s a great question!

I'm a broker, not a bank, which means I work for you, not the lender. So when we talk about rates, it's not about what I'm offering; it's about what I found.

Online rates are the best-case scenario for the beast case loan scenario. Rates can vary based on several factors, such as lock period, credit score, loan amount, down payment, the type of loan you choose, and sometimes the time and day you received your quote.

I built my business on never quoting inaccurately. And if you ever see a number out there we didn't talk about, bring it to me. There's almost always a reason, and we'll look at it together.

Another approach:

I don' t think I can match that.

Let me ask you something...If i could, who would you go with?

Let them tell, why they would go with you. Now they have told why, to them, you are better. Learn into that.

So you said that, A, B, C,. Do you believe that A, C & C are worth the difference?

Follow Up Questions:

Has anyone taken the time to explain how mortgage-backed securities work, lock periods, or Loan Level Price Adjustments?

Has anyone aligned your anticipated hold period with the breakeven of paying points?

Has anyone explained the difference between permanent and temporary buydowns to you? O how to use a Seller Credit?

I would like to take a few minutes to discuss your situation and provide an accurate quote that aligns with your goals. I will combine several options into an online comparison that shows each option's total cost and payment schedule.

I will compare different hold periods so you can make an educated decision on the right option for you. Instead of me telling you, the comparison allows me to show.

Can I ask you a few questions now?

Start Dreams and Goals Survey

Has anyone showed you how the seller can pay part of your mortgage payment for your first two or three years? This strategy is the only one that allows a seller to effectively transfer money from their account to yours.

Many people have heard of it, most don't understand the power of it.

I call it a Seller Mortgage Subsidy, you may have heard it called a temporary buydown.

Here's how it works. As part of the negotiation, the seller agrees to pay a lump sum at closing. That money doesn't go to you directly. It goes into an escrow account with your lender.

That account is used to lower your monthly payment for the first year, two years, or even three years of your loan. So instead of paying your full rate right away, you might pay two percent less in year one and one percent less in year two before it steps up to your normal rate.

This gives you breathing room.

Maybe rates come down and you refinance before the buydown even ends. Also, if your refinance or sell before before the buydown period is up, you get a any more left over. Your lender will either reduce your loan amount by what is in the escrow or send it to you in a check.

Either way, you get lower payments when your budget is tightest, right after you move in.

Here's something a lot of buyers don't realize. Because there is a closing cost to pay for this, it may create an additional tax deduction beyond what you'd normally get when you write off your closing costs. Every situation is different, so definitely check with your tax advisor on how it applies to you.

Often, this is a better strategy than of a straight price cut. Let me show you the numbers.

Most lenders would like you to believe there is a single rate you qualify for.

But the reality is there's an entire range of rates that you qualify for. My role isn't to select that rate and to tell you what you get.

It's really to guide you through the various options and help you walk through those so you can select the rate that best fits your scenario.

With that being said, let me share my screen and show you a bit about mortgage rates and where they come from.

Show MBSHighway

So what you're looking at now is the current mortgage-backed security chart. This is where interest rates come from. Now, many lenders would also like you to believe they have a monopoly on great rates.

But here's the reality. We all get our gas from the same pump. This is where it comes from. Now, I want to point out a couple of things I think are important to you, because right now, this probably just looks really super busy. So, green is good, red is bad.

And I want to point out something to you. So, I know we're already in April, but back on February 27th, and I want to get specific here because it's important to me that I establish that knowledge

That's why it was so cheap to borrow money back then. So, fast forward to today, and I'm going to go back to six months because I want to I want you to understand this.

Fast forward to today, you can see that the pricing on these bonds is significantly lower. What do you think that means to you as the consumer?

(And I want you to be quiet and listen because your customers are going to answer the question for you and they're going)

So, this is a professional-grade analytics site that I subscribe to. And the reason I do that is that I need these little locks. These are lock alerts that get sent to me to make sure that if you're under contract and we've decided to float for a while that we don't miss the market. And so I have people who are watching my back on your behalf.

Does that give clarity on how we approach the mortgage market?Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasize this text with bullets, italics or bold, and add links.

I'm going to create a couple of different scenarios and potential solutions, and we're going to compare and contrast those based on the time horizon in which you plan on being in the property, and then we're going to revisit the assumption that the 30-year fixed is the best choice, because it may be, but I want to see how that nets out over a period of time, and I want to make sure you choose the loan with the lowest overall cost, including closing costs and interest over your time horizon. So when you get that link, take a minute to look through all the options, and then I want to schedule a time to circle back once you've had a chance to review it.’”

With your permission Prospect, I'm going to loop in your Realtor and/or financial advisor, because I want to make sure that the advice I give and the direction I'm advising aligns with your overall financial plan, and where your advisor thinks you should be going. I'm going to spell out the cost differences between the different loans, and we're going to look at the total costs over the time horizon you're going to be in the home. But I want to make sure whatever decision you make, you and your advisor feel good about. Would you make sure you have an opportunity to review this with your advisor before we make a final decision?

I'm glad you took the time to call me back. I understand how you feel, wanting the best for your family.

One of my concerns, having been in this business as long as I have, is that, in an attempt to gain business, other lenders may often promise to meet or beat our rates. Or more importantly, that they can meet the close of escrow deadline.

Because of that, I don't like to play games. I believe in giving you the best deal upfront. Buying a home is enough work and the last thing you need is to play games with your mortgage company.

Besides, I have found that oftentimes these lenders charge higher fees in an attempt to make their rates look better.

And as a broker, I don't work for one bank, which means I work for you, not the bank. So when we talk about rates, it's not about what I'm offering; it's about what I found about 199 lenders that we are approved with.

Do you still want to work with me or do you want me to cancel your file?

(I know this might sound harsh, but if they are shopping for interest rates, this is a question to determine if they REALLY want to do business with you. Nothing is worse than processing the loan, and then they cancel because they are rate-shoppers and not committed to working with you.)

I know you’re already pre-approved, and I’m not looking to replace something that’s already working.

I simply want to make sure you have the right loan, the right rate, and the right overall strategy. And if your current lender already has the better deal, I’ll tell you that.

Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. Just like with major surgery, getting a second opinion makes sense.

Would you be open to a free second opinion?

I’ve been doing this for 25 years and have helped thousands of families. My job isn’t just to get you approved. It’s to help you structure the mortgage correctly, strengthen your offer, clear contingencies, and get you to the closing table.

I’ll compare what you have against a few things your current lender may not have shown you, including:

Your total long-term cost, seller-paid buydown opportunities, and ways to make your pre-approval more competitive.

And that last one can be important. Our pre-approvals are extremely thorough, and in a competitive market, the lender behind your offer can give the listing agent additional confidence that your financing is solid.

Would having that kind of advantage be valuable to you?

It costs you nothing to get a second opinion, and if you already have the best deal, I’ll be the first person to tell you

Give market update and...

Markets react fast when bad news happens. Rates always go up faster than they go down, so when you are waiting for a drop you are exposed to a jump in rate.

I'm not a gambler and so my inclination would be to lock you right now and if the rates moves a very significant amount - .25

or .375, we can have a conversation about me helping you do a little bit better.

But you'll be protected from the downside.

Possibly remind them how tight things are, they have a lot of expenses coming up. The move costs money. The move always means five or six trips to Home Depot or Lowe's and it seems like each one of those trips is four $500.

Remember our closing numbers are pretty tight. If the market gets hit and your interest rate goes up, you might have to pay more money for the rate we targeted or need to qualify to close.

“Welcome Home! Thank you for coming.

Did you see the home online, or drive by?

So how long have you been looking for a home?

How are you searching for properties now?

Have you seen any properties you liked?

Are you also looking in other areas?

Tell more about that.

If you bought the perfect home, how soon would you like to move in?

What is your price range?

Have you spoken with a lender and been Pre-Approved?

Would you like a second opinion on your borrowing options?

I know a few additional homes that are coming on the market would you like me to set up a showing? ​Hey guys, what did you think of the house?”​When is the best time for you to go see that property?

Exactly What to Say Version

Rejection-Free Openings

1. I’m not sure if it’s for you, but we do have a special financing option for this house.

2. Are you open-minded to seeing what it takes to qualify?

3. Who do you know that has a house like this?

4. Opening-fact-question: Great to meet you. What do you like about this home?

Perspective Changers

5. What do you understand about this home?

6. What is your experience with buying?

7. How certain are you that this isn’t the right home for you?

8. How important is it for you to have a 4-bedroom 3 bath for you?

9. Could it be possible this is your dream home?

10. How would you feel if you lost this house?

11. Just imagine if you don’t find another home how will it impact you?

12. If this house sells, then will you still have a place to live? Assumptive Frames

13. When would be a good time to review if this is the house for you or not?

14. I'm guessing you haven't got around to see all the city has to offer.

15. You have three options.

a. Keep looking and hope we find a dream home and don’t get outbid.

b. Do nothing and keep renting.

c. Make an offer and let me negotiate the price down for you.

16. Two types of people

One who waited and lost the offer.

Secondly, those who make an offer and gain equity.

17. I bet you're a bit like me and don’t want to overpay in this market.

18. Simple swaps

a. Instead of looking at homes let’s discuss what you would want to change about this home to make it your dream home.

How long have you lived in the neighborhood?

Hey if you were to sell your home where would you move to?

How soon would you like to be there?

Tell me more about that.

Bill, one of the things that I find to be really important is that when I talk with a client about the indebtedness that they're going to be taking out the loan program and the terms associated, just like I've done with you right now, I need to check in and ask them how their relationship is with their CPA, and you consider your CPA to be someone who's a financial advisor to you.

If YES...

Wonderful. Sometimes I think it's valuable just to have a second set of eyes, especially somebody who's handling your taxes. What I'd like to offer to do and free of charge, I mean I, I'll take a little bit of my time, is just pick up the phone and contact your CPA, introduce myself, send them a copy of the spreadsheet that we just reviewed together and go over it and review it with him or her just to make sure that we're checking that box and that they feel that we're doing the right thing. That the amount of points that you're paying is the right amount of points, etc. Given your tax bracket and your tax deductibility.

If NO...that's a great opportunity for you to maybe make an introduction and refer them to a good CPA.

Call to the CPA

Call the CPA, and introduce yourself. Hi, Richard. My name's Tim Braheem with First Rate Financial. We have a mutual client in by the name of Bill Williams. I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be working on Bill's purchase transaction for his and his wife's new home. We've gone over three or four different loan scenarios in great depth and detail. We've kind of zeroed in on one Richard that I think makes the most sense, but we both agreed that just having your blessing, having a second set of eyes on it is really important, especially given the fact that he, he's going to be paying one and a half points. We want to make sure that you can fully write that off and that there are no issues there. You know much more about his tax planning strategies than I do, and I just want to make sure there are no blind spots.

Explaining the value of starting Pre-Approval early

“What I found is a lot of home buyers don't see the importance of starting early with their financing so that they can get their ducks in a row to qualify for the best loan program and most competitive terms when the time comes to buy the house. The very minor impact to their credit to have the inquiry is very much worth what we can give as far as advice to help better situate you so you're ready for your home purchase six months, nine months, 12 months down the line. Is there anything that you have any concerns about before starting the conversation of kind of getting home ready?”

Presentation: https://www.canva.com/design/DAHQ5srKEto/Ut1DIVNJrz6GzInLTIJNmw/edit

On live, start talking right with an introduction so the algorithm knows who to show it to. Start who I am, what I do and what we are covering today

Try to turn every single question into a lead.

Schedule Appointments Scripts:

If you want to schedule a one-on-one just go to my bio and you can schedule one on one though my website

Fill out the form so we can continue this offline.

My website is in my bio. Also, If you want to schedule a one on one use talktoKurt.com

Send a dm with No Down and I will reach out

Stay Connected Scripts:

Do me a favor, hit that follow button so we can stay connected and you can see updates and more information

Drop a follow so we can stay connected.

I am doing this twice a week, so if you miss anything, come to my live again.

Please follow me so we can stay connected.

Fill out the form so we can continue this offline

Questions Scripts:

Hey btw, if you have questions be sure to ask them.

Please ask any questions you might have.

Hey btw, if you have questions be sure to ask them, if you want to send questions that I can answer offline or if you want to schedule a one on one just go to my bio and you can schedule one on one through my website

Hey Bob, great question! Hey everyone, this is a great question and it’s kinda important to understand…

Don't say "Pull Your Credit"

vs

Review Your Credit

Request Your Credit

or

Request and review Your Credit

Don't say "Your Rate.."

vs

Today's Rate Range is...

Don't say "You Qaulify for $XXX,XXX"

vs

Based on Fannie Mae guidelines, we need to keep your total payment at or below $4,300..... the payment can change depending the home, and where rates are, that why we always try to have a Pre-Offer Huddle.

Don't say "should be"

Will be

Don’t say "free"

On us

Don't say "easy"

Simple

Don't say "how are your?"

It's great to connect with you

Don't say "I'd love to..."

I'd be honored to carve out some time to...

Don't say "Thanks so much for your time."

I have enjoyed our time together.

or

I'm looking forward to our time together

Don't say "cash to close" or "cost"

Total Investment

Don't say "If you work with us...)

When we work together

Don't say "Buy a home"

Own a home

Don't say "What do you think?"

Are you ready to move forward?

Totally fair.

Is there something that feels unresolved I rather you leave with clarity than doubt.

Then SHUT UP

Never say “I understand” or ask “why”. Say this, and it'll get you the next one. 

Hey, totally fair, and thank you for telling me.

Two things: Can I ask you what they did that I didn't? And can I check back in 90 days and see how things are going? 

That's the whole response. And here's why it's worth more than the deal that you just lost. Saying "I understand' closes the door politely. If you say why, it makes them defend a decision that they've already made, and then people who have to defend a decision will never call you back because that's all they think about you now. That first question gets you the truth because you asked about them, not about you. And the second one puts you on their calendar for the day that the other guy disappoints them, and he will about a third of the time.

So 90 days later, you were the one who was gracious, who asked, who checked in, and the other guy is just the one now who's late, and they're not happy with.  Most people lose the deal, but then they also lose the relationship. That's short-sighted thinking. So if you lose the deal, keep the door open. 

On the call back add them to Home Report and Stikkum and now you have a new Mortgage under Management.