I was talking to my friend Mike yesterday and this came up. How many of you are actively going after the listing agent on the transactions you already have in process?
Most loan officers are not. They're focused on the buyer's agent, the borrower, the file. The listing agent gets a couple of updates if they're lucky. And then the transaction closes and that relationship dies.
That's the biggest missed opportunity in this business right now. These agents are already experiencing your process. They already know your name. The door is open. You just have to walk through it.
Not from cold calls. From a consistent Tuesday process they experienced firsthand on a transaction where I delivered exactly what I said I would.
It Starts Before the Offer Is Even Accepted
Here is how I set it up. The moment my buyer wants to make an offer, I ask for the listing agent's contact information and the property address. Then I call the listing agent before we go under contract and introduce myself.
The call sounds like this: "Hey, we've got a well-qualified buyer. 800 credit score, money in the bank, putting 25% down. Here's what my process looks like once we get a contract. The file will be fully underwritten within the first five days. And every Tuesday before noon, I'm going to call you personally with an update so you can keep the seller calm and we can close smoothly."
Then I text them my contact card. Don't make them type your name into their phone. Give them the card so they can save it in one tap. And I tell them, call or text anytime, nights and weekends included.
That one call, before the contract is even accepted, puts me ahead of almost every other loan officer they have ever worked with.
Trust is built in small kept promises. I told them they'd hear from me every Tuesday before noon. When I call at 11:55 and say "I told you I'd call before noon," I'm not just giving an update. I'm proving I do what I say.
The Tuesday Call: What to Say and What Not to Say
Every Tuesday before noon, my team and I work through the full pipeline. I get a quick update from my processor, enough to speak to each file without getting into the weeds, and then I start making calls.
Here is where most loan officers make a mistake. They leave a full detailed voicemail with every update. The agent gets the information, has no reason to call back, and the relationship stays transactional.
The better approach: leave a voicemail with curiosity, not content.
"Hey, it's Steve Kyles on your listing at 123 Smith Street. I've got a super important update you're going to want to hear. Give me a call when you get a minute. My cell is 832-XXX-XXXX."
That's it. Two things will happen. Agents who aren't paying attention to their business won't call back. The great agents will call back every time, because they know something is happening on their listing and they need to know what it is.
When they call back, give the update. Then do this: "I've really loved working with you. I don't want another transaction. I want to work with you. Who do you have right now that I could help get pre-approved?"
I'm not asking for a referral. I'm asking for the business in a way that makes clear the relationship matters more to me than the deal.
The Six-Part Process
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1
Call before the offer is accepted
Introduce yourself, walk them through your process, set the expectation for Tuesday updates. This one call separates you from the field before the transaction even starts.
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2
Text your contact card immediately
Not your phone number typed out. Your full contact card. Let them save it in one tap so they can reach you without friction.
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3
Call to congratulate on the contract
Not "excited to have the deal." "Excited to work with you." That distinction matters. Remind them of the Tuesday call cadence.
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4
Leave curiosity voicemails, not content voicemails
Give them a reason to call back. The conversation is where the relationship gets built. A detailed voicemail eliminates the reason to call you.
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5
Ask for the business on every call
"I'd love to work with you again. Who do you have today that I could help get pre-approved?" Every week. Not just at closing.
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6
Follow up after closing
One agent I worked with got a call from me after closing just to check in. She laughed and said, "I can't imagine a Tuesday without hearing from you." That's the relationship. Keep it going.
What Agents Are Actually Saying
The feedback I keep hearing when this process works: "Nobody gives updates like this. It's so refreshing." That tells me everything. The bar is low. Most loan officers go quiet after the contract is signed and only reach out when there's a problem.
When you're proactive, you're removing chaos and bringing clarity. A listing agent's job includes managing a seller who is anxious about whether the transaction is going to close. When I take that anxiety off their plate every week with a predictable update, I become the safest loan officer they've ever worked with.
This is the Same Way Every Time system running in real time.
The Tuesday loans-in-process call is one piece of the SWET week structure inside the 5-Day Challenge. The calendar, the cadence, and the ask are all built there.
Start the Challenge. $297 ›The Closest Opportunity Has the Biggest Results
Listing agents are not strangers. They're already on your transactions. They've already seen your name. They're already wondering if you're going to communicate or go quiet like every other lender they've worked with.
You don't need more agents to get more referrals. You need to activate the ones that are already watching. Do what you said you'd do, every week, at the same time. Ask for the business every time. Follow up after closing.
Anything worth doing is worth doing badly. Just get started.