2010 seems to be the year of the retail branch platform. With additional industry fallout, tighter financial requirements and S.A.F.E Act licensing, many strong mortgage bankers are looking to grow.
I'm just thinking - since these ventures often have significant upfront costs, how are these bankers approaching this?
-Do they really know who they're bringing on, and what makes them tick?
-Are the assumptions and expectations realistic and in-line with operations?
-Are systems really in place to allow these new branches and financial models to thrive?
-What efforts are made to embrace the branches and make them feel part of corporate?
-What focus is given to loan officer retention?
-How independent are the branch managers?
-How are training and system integrations handled?
There's so much potential here, for both great success and failure.
