Top Producer Mike Garrett shares how putting the customer's needs first in every transaction has made him a top producer year in and year out.
Mike Garrett would like to help place everyone he encounters in a home, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
“Sometimes we’re not going to be the right fit for someone. We’re okay telling them that,” he says.
It’s this frankness that has helped him become a top producer at Silverton Mortgage, finishing 2019 with 225 units worth $53M. The focus for Garrett is all about the number of homes sold rather than dollars because he can’t control the size of a mortgage. And besides, more homes sold equals more happy families.
Working and imbedded within a real estate office for the past 12 years, Garrett has built a loyal book of business, and customers who trust him because he’ll tell it like it is—even if it means missing out on sales. He also works closely with his partners, some of whom happen to be in the same office.
For his real estate partners, “We’re always there for them from a marketing standpoint,” Garrett says. “But we also help their clients make sure they get the best deal whether that’s with us or someone else because we are not always going to be the best place.”
And he says that even if someone calls him because they aren’t happy during the process with another lender, he still encourages them to stick with it because their deal is so good. It’s the rare salesperson who will deliver this message and lose a potential customer. It certainly makes him stand out from the crowd.
With refinances, Garrett applies the same consistent message. If they are not a good fit, he tells them.
“I get paid 100% commission, but I can’t in good conscience refinance your loan. It’s not a good decision for you.”
Putting it this way lets his clients know that he has their best interests at heart. Why would they ever go anywhere else? The trust he earns is a precious commodity for any salesperson and one that customers crave with 84% of buyers wanting to buy from someone they know and trust.
By being the advisor who isn’t afraid to shoot straight with his clients, Garrett has developed a business that will thrive no matter what the market is doing.
