Swipe this email and send to Realtors for Referrals

In this blog is a simple email for you to swipe and send to your list of Realtors that you want to work more with.

Let me give you the backstory first…

Years ago, I was meeting a Realtor for our first “coffee meeting”. 
At one point she said, “I’ve got a pile of old leads, but they’re probably dead.”

I said, “Mind if I follow up on a few of them for you?”
She laughed—”Knock yourself out, they’re all ghosts.”

So initially, she sent me 10 of them, and I called them.

And you know what happened?

A few were duds.
But two of them—TWO!—got pre-approved and closed within 60 days.
She handled the buyer side on both deals…
And even landed a listing from one of the referrals.

Let’s just say… I had a new best friend.

And yes, she sent me the rest of her old leads, and all of her new ones going forward ☺

That one simple act turned into a long-term referral relationship—
And a steady stream of closings I would’ve never seen otherwise.

Here’s how you can do the same thing, starting today:

Send this message to a Realtor you like working with (or want to):

——

Subject: I’ve got an idea for your old leads

Body:
Hey [Agent First Name] — do you have a list of leads that ghosted or fizzled out?

If so, I’d be happy to follow up on your behalf and see if I can warm any of them up again.
I’ll be professional, helpful, and if I get anyone re-engaged, I’ll hand them right back to you.

It’s just a simple way I can help you close a few more deals this quarter.

Want to give it a try?

– [Your Name]

——-

That’s it. Nothing fancy.

–Quick win
–Zero cost
–Zero pressure

And it positions you as the kind of loan officer every agent wants in their corner.

Do it today. Be helpful. Play the long game.

Let me know how it goes.

I Couldn’t Say My Best Friend’s Name…

When I was a kid going through school, I had a speech impediment.
I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t talk like the other kids.

Every week, I’d get pulled out of class and taken to a special room where a kind teacher used flashcards to help me learn how to talk.

I’ll never forget her encouragement, support, and kindness.

What pushed me to keep trying wasn’t just the lessons—
It was one of my good friends, Rory.

See, I couldn’t say his name.

And as a kid, that hit me hard.
I wanted to say his name like everyone else.
I wanted to call out to my buddy without feeling different.

So I practiced.
I worked at it.
And one day… I finally started to overcome this handicap!

I’ll never forget the day I said “Rory” the right way—
And could do it on demand from that day forward.

And now… here’s the rest of the story.

That little boy with the speech problem?

He grew up to make his living by speaking.
How ironic is that!!

Today, I talk with loan officers.
I lead masterminds.
I teach to tens of thousands every month.
I coach. I do podcasts.
And it’s led to building a business that’s brought in tens of millions of dollars—and continues to do that today.

All because I kept going—


Even when it was awkward. Even when it was uncomfortable.
I pushed through the fear, with the help of my mentor, that special teacher.

I share this with you to encourage you to keep on keep’n on.

So here’s my question to you:
What’s the thing you’ve been avoiding?

The one you know deep down would grow your business—or even your life…


If you just leaned into it?

• Making calls?
• Following up?
• Doing the uncomfortable?
• Starting conversations with referral partners?

We all have our “Rory moment.”

And your breakthrough might be waiting on the other side of it.

You’ve got this.

A Smart Question from One of Our Alliance Members (You’ll Want to Hear This One)

I got a great text the other day from one of our Alliance members, Glenn Siaumau.

I wanted to share it with you, not just because it was a smart question, but because it opened the door to a BIG opportunity that most loan officers overlook.

Here’s what Glenn texted me:

“Carl, good morning. A member of my church is the CEO of the Postal Credit Union here. What is a good approach for her? What type of business should I be looking for from a credit union?”

Great question, right?

Here’s what I shared with him:

“Hey [CEO’s Name],
Hope you’re doing great! I was thinking—it might be helpful for your credit union to have a trusted mortgage partner you can lean on when your members are looking for home loans.

What we’ve seen is that when members call the big banks for a mortgage, they often end up moving over their car loans, credit cards, or even checking accounts.

I help credit unions protect those relationships by giving your members great mortgage service, without ever trying to take any of your other business.

If you’re open to it, I’d love to have a quick chat and see if there’s a way I can help you all out.”

Here’s what I want you to know:
This is one of the biggest no-brainers for credit union leaders, but most of them don’t even realize this is a problem.

They’re focused on taking care of their members day to day, and they don’t see that when a member calls a big bank for a mortgage, it could cost them the whole relationship.

Unless you reach out and show them how you can help protect that member base… they may never know the risk, or the solution you bring to the table.

You’re not taking anything away from them—you’re helping them keep what they’ve already earned. And when they see that, you instantly become a hero.

So here’s your takeaway:

**Credit unions can be an incredible referral source**and the opportunity is wide open. Most loan officers never ask.Sooooo…

Call the credit union managers or CEOs in your area, reach out. Use the message above, adjust it for your style, and have a quick chat. You might just open the door to a powerful long-term referral relationship.

I’ve closed hundreds of loans using this one little trick.

Just a quick note to help out… because that’s how all this works!

You’re not behind — you’re just getting started 

I wish someone had told me early on: 

Just because it feels slow right now… doesn’t mean you’re failing. 
It might just mean you’re still building. 

I remember a moment in 2010-ish — scrolling through the all new social media thing, thinking: “Am I the only one not crushing it?” 

Everyone else was posting wins… 
Top producer awards, closing pics, jumbo checks… 

And me? 
– Some ghosting pre-approvals 
– Several of my deals unraveling 
– A pipeline that looked more like a headache pool 

Right when I was about to call it a day, I got a text from a past client: 

“Thanks again. I was painting my daughter’s room today and thought about how you helped make this possible.” 

That changed everything. 
 
Here’s what I remind myself now: 

1. Social media is a filter, not a fact. 
Everyone’s showing the highlight reel. 
No one’s posting canceled contracts or rate shoppers. 

2. Progress is quieter than you think. 
The follow-up you made when you didn’t feel like it? 
The coffee meeting you almost canceled? 
That’s what winning looks like. 

3. You don’t need to beat anyone but yesterday’s version of you. 
If you made one more call… showed up more focused… 
You’re ahead. 
 
You’re not behind. You’re just early in your story. 
Keep going. 

My dirty job

When I was 14, I spent my summers working in the tobacco fields of Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. 

Now, if you’ve never been in a tobacco field in July, let me paint the picture… 

It all starts at 4:30 am (I still wake up about that time every day) 
In the field by 5:30 am. 
 
It’s 95 degrees by 10 a.m. 
 
The humidity… it felt like I was wearing it within the first 30 mins.  
And that black gum from the stalks? It’ll stain your hands for days. 

I was hot, tired, itchy, and smelled like the inside of a barn. 
And to be honest… I felt like quitting… often! 

But I showed up and did the deed day after day anyway. 
Because that’s what you did. 

Nobody was coming to save you. Nobody was handing out shortcuts. 
You just did the work. 

Day after day. Row after row. 

I remember one particular hot afternoon, I dropped to my knees and asked God, “Please tell me you have a better plan for me; tell me I’m learning something here…” 
 
Turns out… He did have a better plan for me. 
And I did learn something in those hot fields. 

Years later, I found my way into the mortgage world. 
But at first? 
Man, it felt just like those tobacco fields

Waking up early. Making uncomfortable calls. 
Getting rejected. Sweating through your shirt. 
And doing it all over again the next day. 

But here’s the twist… 

Most people quit when it’s hard. 
But, see, I had a little secret from those tobacco fields: 
Hard wasn’t new to me. 

See, I learned something in those rows that they didn’t teach in school: 
The ones who keep showing up – even when it’s not fun, sexy, or easy – those are the ones who win. 

And now… 
 
Because of that hard work… 
We built a mortgage business that runs with freedom and flexibility. 
 
Because of that hard work… 
We built a training company that helps thousands of loan officers every week, many of whom are going through their own “tobacco field” right now. 

If that’s you, I just want to say this: 

You’re not alone. 
You’re not broken. 
You’re just in the middle of the row. 

Keep showing up. 
The harvest is coming.