Ep #94: Making the Shift...How a $3 Billion Dollar Originator Goes from Old School to Modern Marketer

David Jaffe breaks down the exact database marketing system, time-blocking habits, and client-review process that built a $3B career — then discusses how he's pivoting to video testimonials and social media to stay competitive. Best for experienced LOs who rely heavily on past clients but feel their database leaking to servicers and online lenders.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Build a 25-touch annual database system: 4 quarterly newsletters + 8 'Who I Helped' postcards + 12 monthly emails + 1 birthday text + 1 annual mortgage review call. Alternate snail mail and email so clients get something every two weeks.
• Create 'Who I Helped' postcards: two-sided oversized postcard — one side is your photo and contact info, the other tells a real client scenario ('who I helped this week') with the problem and solution. No names needed. Goal is name/face recognition even if it's thrown away.
• Add a personal 'On the Home Front' section to every newsletter: 2–3 paragraphs about your personal life with family photos. David reports clients referencing details years later — this is what separates you from a servicer's robo-call.
• Batch video testimonials in one day: pull your Raving Fan and VIP clients who are local, call them personally, book them for 20-minute slots, hire a videographer for ~$450 for the full day, give each client a $10 Starbucks card. David got 6 polished testimonials for under $1,000 total.
• Capture video at loan signings: when clients sign docs in your office, set up a phone on a tripod and ask for a 60-second reaction video on the spot. David already gets clients to his office to sign — he identified this as an immediate missed opportunity he plans to fix.
• Run an annual client movie-theater event: rent a theater for an 11am weekday showing (~$20/person all-in with popcorn). Invite Raving Fan/VIP tier first, then expand. David uses this for meaningful face-to-face contact with 15–20 families per event.

The playbook

1. Step 1 — Segment database into Normal, Raving Fan, and VIP tiers.
2. Step 2 — At loan origination, set expectations: tell clients you will proactively manage their mortgage like a financial planner manages assets, including a rate-watch program and an annual review call.
3. Step 3 — Execute 25 annual touches: alternate monthly between a snail-mail piece (newsletter or postcard) and a plain-text email; add one birthday text; add one annual phone review call.
4. Step 4 — On each annual review call, ask if rate or life circumstances have changed; leave a voicemail if no answer — the act of calling reinforces your promise made at closing.
5. Step 5 — Layer in live events (movie theater, client appreciation) targeting Raving Fan/VIP tier first to deepen relationships with highest-value clients.
6. Step 6 — Add video testimonials by booking a single videographer day; post clips to website, Facebook, and use at agent presentations.

Worth quoting

“Keep doing things right and the business will come in the door as it always has.”

“You can't grow your business and keep losing people out of the back end. We never want to lose anybody.”

Best for

LOs with a multi-year database who are losing clients to servicers and online lenders because their current touch system is inconsistent or fewer than 12 contacts per year.