Grow Time
February 2022
News
The Armory is live!
Need branded pens for your next open house? How about a sweet jacket or this fun spatula?
Get all this and more for your branch by visiting the Armory at armory.castlecookemortgage.com. Purchases are subject to branch manager approval.
To buy branded items on your own, visit the credit card site.
Add your mobile phone numbers to the Forge (please)
It's undeniable: a majority of leads would rather text you than call you. We confirmed it with stats from our own refinance campaign last year, and industry stats back us up.
That's why we're including the verbiage "call or text" more often across all media, and why we're including more and more text message campaigns in the Forge.
If your mobile phone number isn't in the Forge, we strongly encourage you to contact your marketing account executive and make the update. Borrowers are glued to their mobile phones these days, and our success as an organization depends on our ability to reach them in the way they prefer.
Customer reviews, Zillow profiles, and Google My Business
We've been working behind the scenes to switch over to a new reputation management platform known as Swell and ending our partnership with Experience.com (formerly Social Survey).
We're making the switch for one big reason: Swell ensures your reviews are going to the places that matter. Going forward, your new homeowners will get emails and texts that send them directly to the reviews sections of Google, Zillow, and/or Facebook.
The date of this switchover is not set in stone, but there are a few steps for you to take between now and then:
1. We have created a series of emails in the Forge that will be sent to all your past borrowers, encouraging them to leave a review on your Google my Business page.
Leaving Experience.com will indeed result in all reviews being archived and no longer visible on the web. We understand how this can be cause for alarm, but this campaign will ease the transition as we switch providers and give all your Google pages a little lift.
Please note: We need you to OPT OUT by Thursday, Feb. 10, if you do not want to be included in this email campaign.
2. You must have a Zillow account to take full advantage of the new system, and it must be live by Friday, Feb. 11. Email authentication is required, so we cannot create a profile on your behalf.
We are excited to show the world how fabulous you are at helping families finance great homes!
HomeBot has launched!
Homebot has launched, and your borrowers have received their first monthly home equity digests. They now have up-to-the-minute info about what their homes are worth, how much equity they may have, and what options they have for selling, refinance, and more.
If they haven't started calling you to explore financing options yet, we bet they will soon!
We recorded our onboarding training meeting with our Homebot representative for your convenience, and we're here to answer all your questions and help you make the most of this exciting new tool.
Loan status updates are back
If you can remember all the way back to autumn of 2021, you'll recall that we turned off automated loan status updates for both purchase and refinance transactions because incorrect info was going out.
We have since reworked the campaign, and loan status updates are back!
New Content
Social posts and flyers
Social post: Ease buyer's minds in multiple-offer situations
Caption:
You've been renting for a while now, but did you know it could cost less to get into a home of your own? Call or text today at (XXX-XXX-XXXX) to start exploring opportunities!
Social post: Ease buyer's minds in multiple-offer situations
Caption:
Found your dream home, but worried about other buyers making a better offer? There might be ways I can help. When you work with me and my expert team, you get a smoother process, a better experience, and better odds in bidding wars! Contact me to get started (before you start putting offers on the table). #castlecookemortgage #mortgagememes #realestate #realestateproblems
Social Post and Flyer: Kick confusion to the curb!
Caption:
Buying at today’s low, low interest rates could help you afford more, even in this hot housing market. When you’re ready to see what you could afford, give me a call! #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #firsttimehomeowners
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Flyer and Social Post: Don't let your credit get you down
Caption:
It may be possible to get into a home of your own, even with a low credit score or past credit challenges. Call or text me today to see what you could qualify for!
Not all who apply will qualify. #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #fhaloans
The social post is available here and the flyer can be found in the flyer gallery in the Forge.
Scheduled posts
Social Post: National Pizza Day, Feb. 9
Caption:
It's national pizza day and we have one burning question: Have you ever been paid in pizza for helping a friend move? If the answer is a yes, let us know in the comments or smash that like button! #nationalpizzaday #pizza #paidinpizza
Available in the social only subscription in the Forge.
Social Post: Valentine's Day, Feb. 14
Caption:
We love homes, and we love all the folks who have chosen us for their home finance needs! Happy Valentine's Day! #castlecookemortgage #homeloans
Available in the social only subscription in the Forge.
Social Post: President's Day, Feb. 21
Caption:
USA! USA! We are so proud to live and work in this great country, and lucky to be able to help so many families achieve their own piece of the American dream. #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #homeownership
Available in the social only subscription in the Forge.
Social Post: National Maragarita Day, Feb. 22
Caption:
Here's hoping there's something delicious in your glass today! Just remember what we learned from the one and only Jimmy Buffet: It's five o'clock somewhere. Salud! #nationalmargaritaday #margaritas #fiveoclocksomewhere
Available in the social only subscription in the Forge.
Social Post: International Women's Day, March 8
Caption:
“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” –Unknown #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #internationalwomensday #women #iwd2022 #womensday #girlpower #womeninbusiness #womenshistorymonth #iwd #girlboss #strongwomen #empoweringwomen
Available in the social only subscription in the Forge.
Tuesday Tidbits
The Tuesday Tidbits subscription is live for all loan originators and their connected Facebook pages (unless you've specifically opted out), and it's a great way to cultivate your contacts and connect with them on a weekly basis. Here's what's your followers will see this month:
Tuesday Tidbit: Practice safe shopping
Caption:
Ready to fall in love with a home? Practice safe shopping and get pre-qualified first. Call your loan officer with Castle & Cooke Mortgage to find out how much house you could afford. #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #firsttimehomeowner
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
Tuesday Tidbit: Don't spend all your spare cash!
Caption:
Don't get caught by surprise! You’ll need more than just a down payment to buy a home. #castlecookemortgage #closingcosts #closingday #homeloans
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
Tuesday Tidbit: Extra payment
Caption:
If you get paid every other week, that means you get 26 paychecks per year but only 12 months of mortgage payments. Why not use the extra funds to make an extra mortgage payment? Interest is calculated daily, so not only will you pay off your home loan sooner, you'll also save on total loan costs over the life of the loan! #castlecookemortgage #homeloans
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
Tuesday Tidbit: Get prequalified first
When it's time to shop for a home, getting prequalified can help you know how much you can afford. It also shows sellers you're serious, and that's a big deal in this market! #castlecookemortgage #homeloan
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
Instagram posting instructions
Instagram is popular for loan originators company-wide, and we encourage you to use all the below assets on your own profile! Here's how:
- Right click on the image you want to use
- A menu will appear. Click Save Image as ...
- A new dialog box will pop up. Choose the filename and folder you prefer
- Open instagram.com in a browser and click the
button - Choose your photo and click Next in the top right corner of the dialog box, following instructions along the way
Note: You can find approved caption copy in the Forge (or next to each post above), or can write your own. We highly recommend using the following hashtags, and others as you see fit:
- #castlecookemortgage
- #homeloans
Additional CCM:Mobile video training
Watch this brief overview of using the site as a loan officer.
Watch this walkthrough of a borrower's experience doing an application so you can better understand how you recieve notifications about the app and the loan in your pipeline.
More training opportunities for your agents
We love our real estate agents, and they love continuing education! Remind your industry peers about these upcoming classes.
Feb. 9-10: Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) Certification
Do you have agents who want to sharpen their negotiation skills? This 2-day course is an interactive experience to help negotiators elevate their game! Attendees will be earn RENE (real estate negotiation expert) certification. Available in-person at our corporate offices or via Zoom.
Feb. 17: Marketing Strategy & Lead Generation
The Marketing Strategy & Lead Generation course takes a deep dive into how using proven networking, branding, and marketing strategies can build your real estate business.
March 4: New Home Construction (NHC) Course
Representing clients in the purchase of new-home construction requires a significantly different set of skills. This course is designed to help real estate professionals gain the product and transaction knowledge needed in order to guide clients through the processes for the purchase, construction, and customization of a new home.
If you haven't already, send your real estate agents to our Business Development and Sales Training page to register. The classes are heavily discounted for your agents when they sign up using the code CCMROCKS.
We want to hear from you!
Your culture committee (a collaboration of executives, marketing, and HR representatives) has created a new email designed to receive feedback from the field, and you can access it at suggestions@castlecookemortgage.com.
Please send suggestions on:
- How to embody the Castle & Cooke Mortgage values as a company or team
- How to foster relationships of employees or communities
- How to save the company money
- How to help Castle & Cooke Mortgage be more efficient
Watch this space
Your Marketing team is hard at work creating new flyers, social posts, email campaigns, and more. When we have something new for the field, we'll update this section. Bookmark this page, and check back often!
Flyer and Social Post: Turn your tax refund into a down payment
Caption:
If you're getting a big tax return this year, we have good news! With home loan options from Castle & Cooke Mortgage, that could be enough for a down payment. Contact your loan officer to see if you qualify! #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #mortgagememes
The flyer is available in the flyer gallery in the Forge, and the social post is available here.
Social Post: You can only choose one house
If money were no object, which house would you choose?
The social post is available here in the Forge
Social Post: TFW you close a loan in 8 days!
It's not that we close every loan in 8 days, but it does happen sometimes! Call me today to find out how it works. P.S. Our legal department asked us to remind you that Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC, cannot guarantee closing time frames.
The social post is available here in the Forge
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Flyer and Social Post: Don't fall for these mortgage myths
There's a lot of misinformation out there about mortgages, but don't fall for it! You may be qualified to get into a home, even if you've had past credit challenges. Learn more at https://www.castlecookemortgage.com/blog/debunking-credit-myths. Then, call me for details! Certain limitations apply. Not all who apply will qualify.
The flyer is available in the flyer gallery in the Forge, and the social post is available here.
Flyer and Social Post: Homes for heroes
The flyer is available in the flyer gallery in the Forge, and the social post is available here.
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Social Post: More than 78k families helped by Castle & Cooke Mortgage!
The social post is available here.
All-in debt consolidation refinance campaign
Your marketing team has assembled a company-wide campaign to promote cash out refinance loans for debt consolidation! In addition to social media posts you can schedule at your own convenience, we’ll send an email on your behalf to all your borrowers who closed a loan more than five months ago.
The automated pieces of the campaign (emails and texts) will go live on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Look for an email from Scotty K. with full details, and please OPT-OUT by Friday, Feb. 18 if you do not wish to participate.
The social posts are available here in the Forge.
Social Post: How much is your home worth?
Call me to find out. #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #debtconsolidation #refi
This social post is available here.
Social Post: Drowning in debt?
Drowning in debt? Your home’s potential equity may be the solution. #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #refinance #debtconsolidation
This social post is available here.
Social Post: Hidden savings account
Call me to find out.
This social post is available here.
New venture program social posts
These new social posts will help you connect with potential investors.
All six social posts along with compliance-approved captions are available here in the Forge.
Social Post: Thank you veterans
This week we are grateful to all the men and women who serve our great nation, and proud of the U.S. military veterans among our own ranks. #thankyou #usa #veterans #freedom
This social post is available here.
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Social Post: Thank you veterans
First-time buyers, did you know down payment assistance programs could help you get into a home of your own (even if you don't have a lot of cash on hand)? Contact me to find out about options in your area. #seizetheday #castlecookemortgage #homeloans #firsttimebuyer
You can find the flyer in the flyer gallery of the Forge, and the social post is available here.