Stress Relief Advice for Mortgage Brokers

Stress is a part of pretty much any professional career. Some jobs come with lots of stress, others with less. Mortgage brokering is somewhere in the middle ground, with a strong lean to the more stressful side.

The job entails working long, often irregular hours, and comes with a wagonful of worry, so a healthy diet and physical activity are invaluable if you are to maintain the challenging work routine. But they are not sufficient.

You depend a lot on of people and even if you are in top shape, that underwriter who went home early on the day of a subject removal and neglected to sign off on the BFS income can really get to you. The client is steaming himself into a nice hot stew, the realtor is throwing off sparks, and... it’s all on you. The stress bar in such situations can really skyrocket, making you wish you had a case of Valium in your desk drawer.

Mortgage Broker Stress Relief

So how do you open that heat valve and let some of the steam vent without damaging working relations with your connections? There is a simple enough set of principles, both mental and practical that will allow you to deal with the stress in a constructive manner and forge a more solid, successful mortgage brokerage career.

Trying to Hard is Often not Good

If you are stressed, the “get this done” attitude that many adopt can actually be off-putting. You risk coming across as bossy, aggressive and controlling to people who do not understand where you are coming from. We do not mean to say that you should kick back and go to low gear, but going into overdrive is not a solution either.

Being careful about formatting and phrasing in communications with clients and associates is very important in those tricky situations, when the ice is thin and temperatures are on the rise. Identifying those moments is the first step, which allows you to step back and act with self awareness. This, in turn, will make your communications more pleasant and more efficient at the same time. Stress rubs off, and sharing it actively makes its levels rise. Break the circle and you will have less coming back at you.

Be the One to Set the Mood

When everything is going haywire, staying calm is not easy, but it’s also the best way to keep things manageable. The key to this is that what’s on the inside and what’s on the outside should not be the same thing. Being worried is not the same as acting worried. Easier said than done, right? Because the confusion, anger and frustration have to go somewhere. Share your emotions with a venting buddy or do it in complete, isolated privacy.

Control the Flow of Information and Set Expectations Low

Yes, we think that under-promising is the way to go about it. Doing the opposite to woo the client puts you in danger of letting them down. If you give a promise, make sure it’s one that you can keep even if all hell breaks loose.

The best thing about under-promising is that you end up over-delivering, which secures a super-happy client who will send all their friends and relatives your way. Remember, this client is a link to a whole phone-book of his connections. Make sure you don’t only get him to buy, but make him happy as well. Ascertain that the client understands the expectations and review them every now and again.

When stressed, stop and breathe before you act. If you control yourself, you control everything. Good luck!