For Ashley, success happens when you have the right tools to go alongside your skillset. Homebot helps her rise above, even in a down-market.
Mortgage Branch Manager
Having been through many shifts in the market for the last 20 years and more, Ashley McKenzie-Sharpe has not only seen the impact of economic strain on homeowners, she’s built her business around dulling its edges. More recently, Ashley has managed to land herself on the Scotsman Guide Top 200 for originators across the country, and that’s despite housing scarcity and market woes. Ashley shared with us how Homebot fits into her recipe for success and why it’s a must-have tool.,
“I've been using Homebot now for six years with my database and it has been a huge game changer for my business. It gives you that touch with your clients that... I don't think there's another system that really can be utilized in the same way.”
Building a long-lasting connection with clients can be difficult, especially when done at scale and for decades over. Recipes and boilerplate messages sent en masse to a database aren’t cutting it anymore, and Ashley’s realized this. Your past clients care about what’s happening in their lives first and foremost. The question then becomes, how do we cater to their needs as a homeowner, while also giving them support for their future? Well, for Ashley and her team, the answer is Homebot.
“You're saying to them, “Hey, I'm going to be with you. You're going to be a client for life, and I'm going to stay in front of you, reach back out to you.” I mean, you're adding value to your clients every single day in a unique way that other mortgage loan officers aren't doing.”
Bringing something to your past clients that they genuinely value is the most important step, and asking for something in return (such as their business) naturally follows when the time is right. Ashley spends her time helping clients along their journey, bringing them options and strategies for building wealth through homeownership and beyond. That action-first mentality keeps her and her team ahead of the game, all while ultimately building clients for life.
An interesting thing happens when you provide something of value to your book of business, many of them get hooked on it. As was the case with dozens of clients that Ashley has supported over the years. Here’s one example she shared with us:
“I switched to another company, and in the interim, my clients missed one month of Homebot. I can't tell you how many borrowers reached out to me and said, “Hey, can you please put me back on Homebot?” And I was like, it's been one month, one month. And they were very upset with me. So they can't go a month without it. It's a big thing.”
When homeowners get used to seeing their Home Value Estimate every month, it becomes a part of their routine. The best part is that Ashley is front-and-center each time they open their email, click through to their Home Digest, or have a question about their equity and what options they have for better managing their financial future.
While engagement in Homebot is a major component driving leads, it’s the conversations it generates for Ashley’s team that make Homebot essential to her business. In the digital age we’re in, everyone has a megaphone, and the noise is only getting louder. Overcoming this and cutting through the noise is a challenge all mortgage professionals are familiar with. And yet, because of Homebot, Ashley’s clients are raising their hands, starting a conversation about refinancing, finding a new home, or ways to leverage their equity.
“As soon as I see that someone's interacting on Homebot, I'm picking up the phone. I'm calling them and we're going to have something come to fruition.”
The hand-raising doesn’t end at clients though. Ashley tells us of the many agents who are regularly reaching out for her co-sponsorship, wanting to work with her together via Homebot to capture all of the business funneling through. It’s proven to be a great way to build a strong relationship with agent partners, bringing them value first, similar to her homeowners, resulting in more deals closing, more often.
“Once borrowers are reaching out, asking the questions, I'm introducing them to an agent. It's a way for you to really feed your agents in a nice way as well, because you're able to say, “Hey, this borrower would like a CMA.” It's giving your agents that primo spot in front of borrowers.”
Actions speak louder than words, and Ashley’s success is the result of just that. She creates an experience for her clients with tools like Homebot, that keep them coming back year after year. Her performance even in a down-market stands on its own, but even then, sometimes it’s better to let the numbers do the talking.
“At least 10% to 20% of my business in one year can be attributed to Homebot and all of those nice touches, and probably more every single year I use it.”
Over the past 6+ years, Homebot has become a must-have tool for her and her team, building it into weekly workflows, keeping track of her database’s interest in market conditions, interest rates, equity, and ideas for building a better future for them and their family for years to come.
“They're always going to think of you when they think of their home, and I mean, you can't put a dollar figure on that, they're actually opening these things. We bombard them with all kinds of little nonsense about gardening and home care and all of these tools and tips and things like that, that they consider a nuisance. This is one thing that you can give to your borrowers that they actually want to open.”
Ready to see what Homebot can do for you? Check out a self-guided tour of our Home Digest report, or schedule a demo with us and we’ll help you explore the possibilities.
Join thousands of Loan Officers and Agents that love using Homebot.
Mortgage Branch Manager
Join thousands of Loan Officers and Agents that love using Homebot.
Join thousands of Loan Officers and Agents that love using Homebot.
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