Ep #88: How to Break Into the Financial Planner Market and Diversify Your Business

Craig Strent breaks down his two-pillar referral strategy — financial advisors and Realtors — with heavy focus on how to find, approach, and convert financial advisors into referral partners. He also covers his exact script for moving clients from rate questions to advice-based conversations and how to extract multiple opportunities from every loan application. Best for LOs who want to diversify beyond Realtors.

Takeaways you can run this week

• When a prospect asks 'What's your rate?' use Craig's exact pivot script: 'I appreciate you asking. What I'd like to do is build you a detailed spreadsheet of rates, loan options, payments, and closing costs broken down to the dollar. In order to do that accurately, is it okay if we take a few minutes so I can get the information I need?' — then schedule a screen-share call, send the Mortgage Coach presentation 10 minutes before, and follow up with a video summary.
• Pull the CPA's contact info directly off the client's tax returns. After closing, mail the CPA a letter with a copy of the closing disclosure and a brief intro. Follow-up call script: 'I wanted to make sure you received the letter I sent for Bob and Jane Jones. They were able to save $300/month. We're a local experienced lender and I'd welcome a chance to coordinate on clients — I'm also regularly asked for CPA referrals.' Connect on LinkedIn after the call.
• Use Craig's cold-call script for financial advisors verbatim: 'My name is Craig, I'm a local mortgage lender. I have a unique niche where I support financial advisors by managing the liability side of the balance sheet — I structure the mortgage to accelerate financial planning goals, which helps create and preserve assets you manage. I'd love to take a few minutes to show you how this could benefit your practice and increase your business.'
• After any advisor meeting, immediately identify one of three follow-up actions: (1) introduce them to a relevant referral partner, (2) send a book tied to a hobby or challenge they mentioned with a handwritten note, or (3) send a sample Mortgage Coach video case study (e.g., 30-year vs. 15-year) they can show their own clients — this gives them third-party validation they can use immediately.
• At the point of closing with every client, set an 'auto lock target' — a specific rate at which a no-cost refinance makes sense — and tell the client you will monitor it for the life of their loan. This seeds the next transaction at closing.
• Find financial advisor prospects by: (1) Googling 'financial advisor [your city]', (2) looking up local chapters of the FPA (Financial Planning Association) or NAPFA and attending their meetings, and (3) volunteering to speak at those chapter meetings on how the mortgage integrates with financial planning goals.

The playbook

1. Step 1 — Identify advisor: Ask every client during the loan app if they have a financial advisor and whether they're happy. Pull CPA name from tax returns.
2. Step 2 — Get the meeting: Use the cold-call script above. Position the ask as 'I want to interview you to see if you're a good fit for my clients' — not a sales call.
3. Step 3 — Meet at their office or yours (not a restaurant): At their office, observe hobbies and team setup. At yours, give them a tour and introduce your team.
4. Step 4 — Never contradict the advisor in front of the client. If you disagree with their recommendation, call the advisor privately, present a data-backed case study, and let them decide.
5. Step 5 — Follow up immediately after the meeting with a personalized gesture (book, article, referral intro) and a sample Mortgage Coach case study relevant to their client base.
6. Step 6 — Maintain regular contact via blog posts, mortgage/financial planning articles, and event invitations. Connect on LinkedIn. Referrals will come over time as trust builds.

Worth quoting

“Financial advisors partner with CPAs and estate planning attorneys, but they haven't thought to partner with mortgage people.”

“Who do you know now? Rather than 'keep me in mind,' I say 'who do you know now that's also buying a home?'”

Best for

LOs who rely solely on Realtor referrals and want a concrete script and process for breaking into the financial advisor market.