Become More Comfortable Making Bold Decisions

by Cheryl Strauss Einhorn

Leaps of faith make great scenes in a movie, but in real life they fill us with stress and uncertainty, two emotions that are not comfortable for the human brain. To face down our discomfort, we can take advantage of a revealing data set that we often ignore: our past decisions. Looking back at our decision-making history allows us to see patterns that we might not otherwise notice, thus providing a crucial perspective for understanding (and solving!) complex and unique current and future problems. Click HERE to learn about the Bold Decision Barometer, a series of steps to identify and examine variables from previous decisions so that you can reduce uncertainty and increase your comfort making the next big leap of faith.

Spring Thaw Luring Homebuyers Back: Realtor.com

by David Krechevsky

More buyers returned to the housing market this spring as mortgage rates fell, but the lack of inventory and reduced affordability has tempered activity. According to Realtor.com's Monthly Housing Trends Report for March, the recent six-month surge in active listings lost momentum, moderating to 59.9% year-over-year. In addition, time on market shrank to 54 days — from January’s high of 74 days — as buyers eased back into the market. Still, the report cautioned, recent higher mortgage rates could freeze them back out. Click HERE to learn more details from this report.

How Loan Officers are Dealing With Surging Rates and Record-Low Inventory

By Connie Kim

LOs are having to work harder and get creative to overcome the double whammy of surging rates and a lack of inventory. Buyers are now used to rates in the 6% levels and understand that the days of 3%-range mortgage rates are gone. This means LOs need to find ways to ease the financing pain for borrowers on a case-by-case basis. 2023 is really all about understanding a buyer’s motivation and ability to qualify, and then determining where to go from there. Click HERE to learn more.

Workforce Flexibility is a Banking Innovation

by Debbie Bianucci, President & CEO, BAI

Financial services executives have many important issues on their minds in 2023. Externally, the economic environment, market volatility and regulatory pressures are ever-present concerns. Customer growth and digital transformation also remain important priorities. Interestingly, for the first time since the survey started tracking executive priorities, the quest to attract and retain top talent was identified as one of the top three business challenges in the year ahead. The issues around hiring and retaining top talent won’t be resolved anytime soon. In fact, many financial services executives believe that staffing challenges will become even more pronounced next year. If this is the case, why do so many bank executives resist flexible working models? Click HERE to read on.

Leadership is About Action, Not Position!

by Gordon Tredgold

A friend recently asked me, “If you could invite 5 leaders to dinner and spend the evening debating leadership, who would you invite and why?” It didn’t take me long to think of an answer. Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jesus, and Mohammad are all people I’d like to invite. For me, these are 5 of the greatest leaders in history, through their actions they have all left enduring legacies which have changed the world for the better. Each of them started to lead and then became famous for leading, none of them became leaders and then started to lead. It’s a fun game, so who would you invite to dinner and why? Click HERE to read more.

10 Factors That Will Determine Banks' Future Relevance

by Andre Iervolino

The swirl of change in banking is now constant, and it's easy for banks to be become immobilized trying to sort it out. Click HERE to learn more about ten key change factors financial institutions must understand, plan for, invest in, and — in particular — execute on in order to not only remain relevant in banking’s future, but increase their relevancy.

RON's Competitive Advantage in Today's Housing Market

from HousingWire

Simply put, RON is a low risk, high reward solution for lenders. It can be easy to implement with the right partner, doesn’t require lenders to alter many existing processes and helps deliver a superior closing experience, which may be the most important pro on the list. The closing ceremony is the last chance for lenders to make a positive impression on their borrowers and often has the greatest impact on the borrower’s overall perception of the lender and their experience, as well as any online reviews they may publish. Click HERE to gain insights from HousingWire's interview with Brian Webster of NotaryCam.

How the Best Leaders Reenergize Their Depleted Team

from Lolly Daskal

As a leader, it’s your job to keep your team motivated, engaged, and energized. Yet even the most dedicated employees can become burnt out or depleted. As a leader, when that happens, it’s important to take action and reenergize your team. By implementing these five strategies, you can help to boost morale, increase motivation, and get your team back on track to success: avoid unnecessary meetings, encourage and engage team members, foster a healthy culture of connectedness, acknowledge effort as well as results, and embrace fun. Click HERE to learn more.

How Community Banks Can Win in the SMB Segment

by Jennifer Dimenna

Financial institutions of all sizes are increasingly focused on the small and midsize business market — and with the right product offering and strategy in place, banks can win big with this segment. In fact, 85% of banks believe greater success with small businesses is critical to their overall success, according to a new report. Also, 60% of decision makers indicated they would likely switch to a community bank if its products, services and customer experience were comparable to a larger bank. Click HERE learn about the imperatives community banks should consider when building their business banking strategy in an effort to shift market perception and better communicate their business banking capabilities.

The Nuances of Listing an Inherited Property

by Alex Craig

Certain property types—like inherited property—require more specialized knowledge. It’s essential to understand some of the nuances that comes with selling an inherited property in order to serve the client and the transaction well. It is a great niche, yet few inherited properties have the same circumstances. When in doubt, always seek out information for your specific situation. Click HERE for important factors you need to consider to give you and your clients the best service.