As we know from last week, Realtors simple do not direct mortgage business with the same frequency of several years ago. Accepting this fact is difficult at times for us and them; however, with a little coaching the trend can be swayed in your favor.

Your loyal Realtors would like to send every one of their buyers to you, which won't happen, but if the agent is strong and plants the right "seeds of doubt" in the minds of their buyers, you can both increase the percentages. So whenever your agents have a buyer who already has a lender, encourage them to ask some of the following questions...

How much experience does this lender have? Do they really know and understand our local market? Is their company reputable? Can you afford to lose your earnest money if they don't perform? If I could provide a proven lender with the same pricing would you be interested in not taking any chances?

Even better than these questions is for the Realtor to get in the habit of calling the buyer's lender and doing a quick interview to determine their competency and reliability. Once they do, they will usually have enough food reasons for the buyer to call you!