Becoming a Top 100 Female Loan Officer
Katie Grimes breaks down how she built a top-100 national production volume in 7 years using realtor referrals, authentic relationship-building, and a free marketing service for agent partners. She also covers her response to the NAR settlement changes and why social media supports but doesn't replace agent relationships. Best for LOs who want a repeatable, relationship-first model for growing purchase business.
Realtor referrals are the highest-converting, lowest-cost, fastest path to closed purchase loans — social media amplifies that but can't replace it.
Takeaways you can run this week
- Rewrite your Instagram bio in three layers: (1) a credibility line (award/ranking), (2) a client-benefit line ('I save home buyers time and money'), and (3) a humanizing personal detail (hobby, quirk) — all visible above the fold without clicking 'more.'
- Run a 'buddy system' outreach every 60-90 days: text or call a current raving-fan agent, ask 'What can I do better to serve you?', then ask for one warm introduction to a co-op agent or office colleague they'd vouch for.
- Replace hard-to-schedule coffee meetings with 45-minute walks at a local park — pitch it as movement time, keep it low-pressure, and you'll get more yes responses from busy agents.
- Host a rooftop, charity, or community event for 30-50 realtor partners and their spouses quarterly — Katie uses these to stay top of mind across a wide agent network without one-on-one meetings for every contact.
- Build a free on-demand marketing portal for your agent partners (Katie calls hers Team KG Marketing): offer listing flyers, open house materials, rent-vs-buy comparisons, and buyer scenarios on request — remove their time cost and you become indispensable.
- Teach a NAR settlement class for buyer's agents that includes specific product solutions: demonstrate how a 2% non-repayable grant covers a commission gap, and how a buy-out-PMI product (15% down, no PMI) frees up 5% that can cover agent compensation or an appraisal gap.
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GET FREE ACCESSThe playbook
- 1. Identify your top 10 raving-fan agents by closed deal count.
- 2. Every 60-90 days, call or voice-text each one: express specific gratitude, ask what you can improve, then ask for one warm introduction to a colleague they respect.
- 3. When a new referral partner is introduced, onboard them with a one-page breakdown of how your team communicates and what marketing assets you can provide for free.
- 4. For each active agent relationship, get personal — know their family, hobbies, and goals so they can authentically edify you to clients without a script.
- 5. Diversify: avoid putting more than one 'whole pie' of volume with any single agent or team to protect against relationship disruption.
- 6. Stay visible between deals: spontaneous voice texts of gratitude, walk-and-talk meetups, charity events, and open house appearances keep you top of mind without a formal drip campaign.
Worth quoting
“Nothing makes me feel better than when a client or agent calls and says the listing agent accepted your offer because you are the lender.”
“I'd rather be disliked for who I am than liked for somebody I'm not.”
Best for
LOs who are already doing 3+ deals a month with agents but rely on random referrals rather than a structured, relationship-deepening system to grow and protect that pipeline.