Grow Time
July 2021
News
How to Qualify for Cabo!
As we celebrate our top loan originators and support staff from 2020 in New York City, we've had some questions about what it takes to qualify for next year's Summit Club trip to the beautiful JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.
Our top producers will be there April 7-11 of 2022, and we believe you can make it! Read the qualifying criteria below.
Retail loan officers
• $24 million or 80 units, and in the top 20% of all retail loan officers
Retail branch managers
• Top two branch managers in volume, top two branch managers in percentage over plan
Consumer Direct loan officers
• $21 million or 80 units, and in the top 10% of all Consumer Direct loan officers
Sales/Regional managers
• Must hit 110% of plan and be the sales/regional manager with highest percentage over plan
Social Survey gets a new name!
The company formerly known as Social Survey will transition to Experience.com on August 3. We're also making some changes on our end to make your reviews easier for your customers to find.
No immediate action is required on your part, but here’s what you can expect.
What Marketing will do
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Handle the switchover and back end of the new experience.com
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Post a selection of the best reviews on our corporate social media platforms every few weeks
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Ensure reviews pushed to your Facebook pages go to the Reviews tab instead of your timeline
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Work with experience.com to have borrowers leave reviews directly on Zillow and Google My Business
What loan officers should do
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If you want to manage your profile and respond to reviews, attend a training (TBA)
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Use a library of five-star templates (available August 3 in the Forge) to post your best reviews on your own Facebook timeline
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Make sure your Zillow account is connected to the Castle & Cooke Mortgage Zillow account
What Compliance will do
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Continue handling your negative reviews
New Content
Too many would-be homeowners let mortgage insurance scare them away from getting into homes of their own. This new blog post, flyer, and email are available in the Forge to explain what it is (and why it might not be so scary after all).
Student debt social post
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FHA changed the way it calculates student loan payments, and your borrowers could benefit! This post is available in the Forge.
FHA 580+ eligibility post
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Borrowers with FICO scores of 580 or better may now qualify for FHA loans. Let the world know about it with a quick post and email, housed in the Forge.
Self-employed borrower package
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You know it’s a myth that self-employed borrowers can’t get into home loans, but do all your contacts know? Spread the good news with a new social post and flyer, both housed in the Forge.
Real estate agent presentation and package
Working with your friends in real estate is a great way to grow your pipeline (while helping them grow their business). This flyer and social post (coming soon) will help you engage with agents in your area.
Buy now social post
Buyers are feeling nervous about finding a home in this market, but the numbers show it doesn't pay to wait! Find this post in the Forge.
This post is part of Active Shopper Content or can be posted manually.
New blog posts to share
Each blog is complete with a social post, locked and loaded in the Forge. Or, you can write your own!
Social success
Tuesday Tidbits All-in/All-on reminder
Last month, the Marketing team turned on the Tuesday Tidbits subscription for all loan originators and their connected Facebook pages to help you cultivate your contacts and connect with them on a weekly basis.
If you'd like to opt out, please see the instructions in this how-to guide. And as always, let the team know if you have suggestions for Tuesday Tidbits and any of our other company-wide subscriptions.
Scheduled posts
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Holiday: National Ice Cream Day
Celebrate our nation's favorite frozen treat with this fun Ice Cream Day social post.
Available as part of the Holidays subscription.
Tuesday Tidbit: Questions to Consider Before Renting Your Home
If you're a homeowner considering becoming a landlord, here's what you should know.
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
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Tuesday Tidbit: 13 Questions Your Loan Officer Will Ask
A well-prepared borrower is a happy borrower. Share this article to help yours feel ready!
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
Tuesday Tidbit: What to Know Before Buying in an HOA
Learn the pros and cons of HOA living.
Available as part of the Tuesday Tidbits subscription.
All-in newsletter offerings
Client newsletter
On the first Wednesday of August, you are signed up to send a homeowner-focused email newsletter to your contacts in the Forge. Each month, we include industry news, a seasonal recipe and a homeowner tip.
Industry newsletter
Starting in July, we'll also send a real estate agent-focused newsletter to your industry contacts in the Forge. In the inaugural edition, set to launch on the third Wednesday of the month, we'll link to industry news, write about the real cost of waiting to buy, provide a snippet from Joe Massey's blog about reasons to work with a direct lender, and more. We hope you like what you see!
Social Media Tips & Tricks: Video Guide
We love sharing our mission here at Castle & Cooke Mortgage, and we’re confident that creating the best possible photos and videos for your branch pages will grow your reputation in your communities and help you win more business. When you're ready to play photographer, use these tips to get the best possible results!
Photos to take
- Candid close-ups of team members interacting with people in your community
- Photos of the team showing off the results of their hard work
- Photos with happy homebuyers on closing or move-in day
Videos to shoot
- Candid clips of team members working with borrowers or interacting at a community event
- Clips of community members talking on camera about their experience with us
- Clips of team members answering simple questions on camera
- Clips of borrowers or real estate agent partners talking about their experience working with us
Video and photo tips
- DO use indirect natural light and be aware of shadows, especially on people’s faces
- DO shoot faces from above (to reduce double chins)
- DO fill the frame with your subject matter
- DO have subjects on video stand up straight and spread their feet a bit (to prevent rocking)
- DO be aware of what’s in the background (visually and audibly)
- DO take more photos and videos than you think you’ll need
- DO check the final product on your phone before you move on
- DO check with anyone in the photos to ensure they’re OK with posting on social media
Things to avoid
- DO NOT place subjects right up against a wall (visual depth makes for more interesting shots)
- DO NOT use flash, especially indoors (it flattens photos and creates weird shadows)
- DO NOT use filters or edit before you send (we’ll help edit your stuff here in Marketing)
- DO NOT use manual zoom (just get as close to the subject matter as you can)
What to send
Please send your SaMEE a selection of your best photos and videos (largest file size possible), along with spell-checked descriptions of who’s in the photos and what they’re doing.
Thanks in advance for your efforts. Together, we’ll create something truly captivating!
How-to Guide for the Forge
As we roll out the SaMEE role on our team, we want to ensure that you have exactly what you need to continue being successful in your role. We’ve put together a detailed guide on how to manage your Forge account to help. This includes:
- Adding and deleting contacts
- Managing subscriptions
- Opting out of marketing content
- Downloading flyers
As always, if you need extra help or have questions, feel free to reach out to Trisha Alarid or Kellie Rich at marketing@castlecookemortgage.com.
Trainings
The Forge
Join us for a recorded Forge training
CCM:Mobile
Join us for a recorded CCM:Mobile training
MobilityRE