Full Transcript is Below:
– Welcome in to our top producer series for the month of February, 2020. I’m your host, Greg Sher. And we are so psyched to go out West to the Western division to welcome in a rising star. Shane Staples joins us right now, from the Western Division of NFM’s Family of Lenders led by, Ryan Sandell, an incredible leader out there. Shane, thanks for being with us on NFM TV and congratulations on being our top producer.
– Thank you, thank you for having me today.
– First of all, you’ve only been in the business for less than five years. So I just wanna throw out that disclaimer. In 2018 you closed just South of 28 million, 2019 forty six and a half million, and you’re coming off a year in 2020 where you eclipsed $83 million. But wait, the best part of this is that somehow you’ve managed to remain North of 75% purchase in the biggest refi craze ever. Congratulations, how have you been able to do that?
– Thank you, I mean, we’ve been very fortunate to be insulated by a mass influx of trust with our builder relationships, and going through that, we’ve been able to retain the business, service to clients, keep that up. And then at the same time, use those relationships with the realtors to just grow and grow.
– All right, well let’s dive into your words here, because you said using those opportunities to grow and grow. Let’s get down into the nitty gritty here. How do you do that? How do you take a relationship that’s not giving you business, have it give you business, and then continue to give you more?
– The systems we have in place have really afforded us that opportunity. And so, when they get, when these listing agents, buyers agents, whatever it might be when they get our emails, when they hear from us, when they get our notices of, where we are milestone wise, they love the updates, they love the communication. So then at the end of it, we give them that courtesy call to say, how was your experience? I’d like to do this on every deal we have with you. And it’s just setting up that first meeting, in that, that grows.
– It’s well-known that getting over that three to five unit hump, getting to the 10 to the 15 and then to a place where you close 288 units in one year, that normally takes a longer time than, than the horizon. You’ve been able to hit it in. What have been some of the catalysts, that have enabled you to grow that fast?
– Like you mentioned before, Ryan Sandell, our Western Region President, he’s been very instrumental in my growth, personally, my development, putting systems in place to help, the whole branch grow, not only my team and me personally, but our whole branch. And it’s just been, the builder market has been amazing. I mean, even through the hardships of shortages of supply, the builders have pushed through, continued on, and they’ve had record breaking years.
– So originally you were going to be a lawyer. You were pre-law. How did you get off that track and get onto this one?
– The partner that I worked for at the law firm, we did structured finance. We had an investor on one side and we were the financier. We we’d put the loan docs together. My boss had always said, you’re really good with the numbers. You’re really good with the analytics. Have you ever considered banking? And two days after I got married, Ryan had called me, and said, are you interested in coming to the other side? And he’d been courting me for a few years. And finally, I just said, what if now is the time, this is the time.
– Then I wanna ask you what some of the biggest obstacles you’ve had to overcome are, in getting to where you are today?
– I guess, knowing your limits personally, you think you can do a lot and you try to aspire to do so much, but everybody has their own limits. And, I think that’s always been my biggest problem is asking for help. I think I can do it all, but it’s really, when you start to be able to rely and trust that other people can do it with the same type of service level that you have is when you can really grow.
– All right that’s a great answer. Because you’ve grown, looking at these numbers quickly, 40% year over year the next leap from this 85-ish place where you are right now is to get you to another, another 60 million or so to get you around 130 to 140, is that in sight? How do you accomplish that, and still keep that balance?
– The goal is just to, really get to, 40 plus per month on average, 40 plus units, that is. And the team I have in place that I’ve been working on for the last, two years we’ve been structuring each other, learning our ways, just the guidelines. Just how to flow together. I think is really starting to click and that’s what’s enabled this year to happen.
– So what’s the balance like between being a top producer and having two young beautiful daughters at home, Ava and Sloan and your wife. I know your family means the world to you. Are you able to show up for all those moments?
– I’m constantly working on that. I mean, I, they’re always on my mind all throughout the day. And fortunately my wife is great and sends me updates in FaceTime videos and, whatever it might be. So, I mean, I get to see them all day.
– Well, amazing, we really appreciate this window into your world to congratulate you, on the enormous success that you have had and wish you continued success in 2021. Shane Staples is our top producer for the month of February. We really appreciate your time.
– Appreciated.
– I’m Greg Sher from NFM TV. We’ll see you next time.