Use your leverage as a referral source to improve your business and the service your lenders offer to your clients. Schedule a meeting with the loan officers you use the most and have the following discussion.

Here's a list of things to ask the lenders:

1. What do you think is most important for me to do to succeed?

   Loan officers have seen many agents come and go and often have a few terrific tips to share. This is also a question that relaxes them as you develop rapport.

2. How can I help you?

   Lenders' motivation is to get the buyer to work with them and not with their competitors. They know their strengths and weaknesses in the marketplace and will appreciate your help in urging the buyer to work with them. If you know their relative strengths, you can help them more effectively.

3. Can I tell the buyer that you will match or beat the best rate they can find?

   The loan officers that have earned 90 percent of my clients’ business, as well as my family’s financing needs over the past ten years, have always told me I could make this promise to my clients.

   With one exception, they always beat the competition. As a result, I felt great about suggesting that my buyers work with them. The exception was a buyer who came up with an interest rate and points that one officer, Tim, couldn’t beat. He told her to check with the other lender again, because he was doubtful that the quoted rate and points were really what the lender was willing to offer. Sure enough, when she pressed the other lender about it, the lender backed off and she ended up working with Tim.

4. Inform the lender that you treat your buyers like they walk on water:

   You should tell every lender, "My business depends on my buyers having a terrific experience. I expect you to treat them as well as I do. As much as they are not legally your clients in a fiduciary relationship, I expect you and your staff to treat them almost as if they were."

   This is where I set some basic guidelines for the lenders:

   A. I am available seven days a week (if you are) and expect you to be available as frequently as I am.

   B. When a listing agent or seller calls to ask about my buyers’ finances, do not reveal the exact ratios, credit scores or the amount of cash available. Please just let them know that the buyer’s finances are acceptable and there is sufficient cash available.

   C. For my buyers, I expect you always to attend settlement. If that is not possible, I expect you to inform me ahead of time how I can contact you during settlement (not voice mail, but where exactly you can be reached).

5. The standard I set for any partner (loan officer, inspector, contractor) whose name I recommend to my clients is three strikes, and you're out.

   Naturally, there will be times when problems occur. Sometimes it will be the buyer’s fault for not completing the necessary paperwork or doing what was asked of them. Other times, however, it may be the fault of the lender.

   I tell lenders this, "You, your loan processor, underwriter or appraiser may make a mistake. I work hard to find motivated buyers, help them locate the right house, and negotiate the transaction. I am unwilling to lose sales and personal referrals due to problems in the loan approval process. So, you have three strikes. If you or your organization make three mistakes, you will never hear from any of my buyers, sellers or me again."