In today’s slowly recovering real estate market, homebuyers must recognize the importance of getting a legitimate pre-approval. This is where Citibank really proves its worth as a partner—allowing the busy real estate agent to tend to active customers while the team at Premier Lending Desk helps prospective buyers get to where they need to be financially.
According to Mills, this is why Premier Lending Desk is much more than just another technology ploy, but rather a multifaceted system with an experienced, accessible team at its core, helping to guide and inform consumers.
“We’re all about people, processes and technology,” says Mills. “The average tenure of the team at Premier Lending Desk is over nine years—we are staffed with qualified loan officers who treat leads with white glove service from start to finish. Others may have the technology, but just having the technology to drive in the lead doesn’t equate to success.”
This type of personalized service from the Premier Lending Desk team takes lead management beyond the traditional methods that many real estate professionals rely on. As Mills says, “You can’t automate yourself to success. Drip campaigns are overused. Our team talks to people and if they say, ‘I’m not ready to transact—I’m about three months out,’ then we’ll ask when is the best time to call back so we can start the process for pre-approval, and we set a date to follow up. We’re leveraging the technology we have in place to connect with leads more effectively—we’re not just adding them to an email campaign. The speed to contact them in the first place is critical; but then it’s also critical that you begin to create the kind of relationship that’s right for the consumer. Be it three days or three months, we are there for you when you’re ready.”
Mills underscores that the role played by the Premier Lending Desk team allows agents and loan officers to focus on the important business at hand. “Agents have a variety of issues to deal with each and every day in terms of handling their current customers,” he explains. “When it comes down to it, working leads can eat up a third of an agent’s day—we take that off their plates, which allows them to focus on the buyer-ready customer.”
