There is no doubt that the business landscape is constantly evolving. In order to stay ahead of the competition and present yourself in the best light to your clients, it is imperative for employees to continuously develop their skills and knowledge. There are many local, regional and national mortgage associations and the larger ones offer professional development opportunities for mortgage employees. But does taking the time to attend a seminar or read the latest blog trend really help? The answer is YES!

Take, for instance, the fact that employees that spend more time learning are:

• 47% less likely to be stressed

• 39% more likely to feel productive and successful

• 23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities

• 21% more likely to feel confident and happy

• And 94% more likely to stay with their current employer

As a real estate finance professional, you'll reap the following benefits by pursuing professional development.

• Relevancy: Pursuing educational opportunities ensures that your knowledge and skills are relevant and up-to-date. With the ever-changing landscape of the workforce in the mortgage sector, it is important to stay abreast of new trends and directions in the lending industry. And you need more than merely being a member of a mortgage association and claiming success. By actively pursuing professional development webinars, seminars, blogs, tradeshow events, and certifications or designations from these mortgage bankers associations, you can be sure that you are keeping your skillset relevant.

• Awareness: Keeping a finger on the pulse means you are more aware of changing trends and directions in the industry than your peers. In the midst of a sea of information available online, it can be difficult to filter out the noise and focus on what matters most. By actively pursuing professional development, you can gain access to useful information that will help you stay on top of your game and better serve your clients. This, of course, helps with repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.

• Competitiveness: Evolving your knowledge beyond what you know today can also make you more valuable in the job market. With the ever-increasing competition for mortgage lenders, realtors, processors, etc. it is important to have an edge over other candidates. By actively seeking professional development focused on your industry, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you are committed to lifelong learning and keeping your skills up-to-date.

GETTING STARTED! 

If you are looking to pursue training opportunities, there are many resources available to get you started at NAMMBA. We offer several programs such as:

Leadership Academy (NLA) For Anyone In The Mortgage Industry

• Get the skills, the insight, and the connections you need to show your colleagues, your boss, and the wider lending world that you are leadership material. We can help you understand Sales, Operations, and Servicing and how you can support them; know how you can impact your company’s bottom line through performance management; grasp the larger perspective of the Mortgage Banking process, and be an effective leader in an industry with so much crossover, it can make your head spin.

Certified Community Lender (CCL) For Loan Officers, Processors, and Underwriters:

• This program teaches you skills from how to leverage relationships with real estate agents to becoming your own market expert. NAMMBA takes you through each step to becoming the first person your team thinks of when it comes to the CRA/LMI market.

Accredited Social Impact Lender (ASIL) For Lending Institutions: 

• ASIL is a 12-month program guiding companies and their key staff to better understand where they are now, where they want to be, and how they can use data and training to create a more inclusive and sustainable housing market to tap into the $300B underserved industry. And NAMMBA is there to advise and coach every step of the way. It’s real, creditable, and quantifiable LMI/CRA work that gets you noticed. With accreditation only available to 5% of all lending institutions, getting a coveted accreditation spot with NAMMBA is no small feat.

So demonstrate your commitment to lifelong learning. Don't wait any longer - get started on your professional development today! Many resources are available to help you get started. Learn more on our professional development page!