“He encouraged me to start my branch in 2004 and helped me get it up and running. For years, I would talk to him on a daily basis, and he was my go-to with questions and concerns,” he said. “I originate both forward and reverse, thanks to his coaching.”
Read more: Mentoring a new generation of brokers
Another piece of advice Gonzales received from his mentor that stuck with him and significantly impacted his career trajectory was focusing on the things that he can control. “In this business, we have so many things that change (rates, guidelines, issues with the property, etc.). I used to worry about those things, but it was wasted energy.”
For the things that he can control, Gonzales has learned to be proactive in customer service and delegate the right tasks to the right people. His wife, who joined their team four years ago, heads their marketing and employee retention, which he claims is now way better than when he used to do it himself.
“Our team is constantly working on email campaigns, social media, and networking every day,” he said. “I’m fortunate that I have Tammy (my wife) to make sure this is done. When I used to do the marketing, I would get busy with loans and stop marketing, then we would run low on business, and I would have to concentrate on marketing again. This was a rollercoaster way to do business. As soon as I figured out the importance of being consistent and always investing in marketing, production not only grew, but we have eliminated most of the rollercoaster issues.”