EvOlvE OR dIE!Loan Officers. All of the “used-to-be” Countrywide Branches around the
country were going through the same experience that I was going through
at my new Bank of America Branch. My area Sales Manager had encour-
aged me and the other “now” Bank of America Branch Managers to just
hold on and that things would get easier soon. However, it seems like I
was losing a Loan Officer everyday as they were aggressively seeking
stable shelter within Corporate America.
Then, the defining moment that changed my life. It was a normal morn-
ing as I made my hike into the office. I pulled up, parked, walked in, and
sat my things down on my desk. The floor where my Loan Officers sit in
their cubicles was empty. The office was very quiet. I’m early, just like
any other day. The only thing is, more than half of them weren’t going to
show up because they had already quit. For some reason, it was like ev-
erything was happening in slow motion as I was reflecting on the last few
months. Sitting at my desk looking out the office window onto the floor,
my elbows up, my fingers crossed, as I’m in a thinker pose, I eventually
decided to begin considering my options. I remember saying to myself
“Bobby, you have to reinvent yourself.” Abruptly, the office phone rang!!
“Thanks for calling Bank of America Home Loans, my name is Bobby
Bryant, how may I help you?” is what I said as I answered the phone.
The voice on the other end said, “Bobby, this is Mr. Johnson! I’m com-
ing to your office before lunch, are you going to be there?” Shaking off
my self-meditative moment, I told Mr. Johnson to come to the office and
that I would be here waiting for his arrival. He confirmed and stated that
he would see me soon.
During my 11 years in the mortgage industry, I have worked with hun-
dreds of Buyers. Some buyers needed their hand held, and others showed
up with a folder full of documentation to complete their files because
they understood the loan process. As an Owner and Branch Manager in
the Mortgage Industry for several years, my experience has afforded me
the opportunity to have dialog with some of the best Real Estate Brokers,
Managers, Owners, and Realtors in this business with different perspec-
tives on the real estate industry. In a reflective state of mind, it was the ac-
cumulation of phenomenal dialog, and experiencing a shift in our industry
that all aligned on this opportunistic day that unknowingly started me on a
journey to create a real estate company that had the potential to revitalize
homeownership in America.