“A critical element to one’s success is that we believe you must partner with a high quality, experienced non-QM lender. There are lots of people getting back into the non-QM space in 2021. To be an expert, you must filter through the noise and work with the best  in the industry. That’s the only way that you’re really going to succeed in non-QM and come up with a good experience – to find and partner with solid, accomplished non-QM lenders.”

So how feasible is this for someone who is relatively new to the non-QM sector? Do they risk being left behind as more experienced counterparts flourish – or is there a way to avoid this?

“It’s unavoidable that loan officers who have been doing non-QM for years are going to be a little bit ahead of the game, rather than somebody who’s trying to do their first non-QM loan,” Hutchens said. “But it’s really not difficult for them to embrace non-QM. Once you do that, then you can start marketing yourself as something different from the usual Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans expert.”

For more invaluable advice – covering not only branding and partnership, but tips on networking, social media and more – Angel Oak’s new infographic ‘Six Key Steps to Success’ is an essential read. Take a look here.