New brokers often ask the same question.
“How do I get leads?”
It’s a fair question. But it’s also the wrong place to start.
Leads are not the goal. Trust is the goal. Leads are just what trust looks like in motion.
That said, trust does not magically appear because you are good at your job. It grows because you take consistent action in the right direction.
This is where most advice splits in two camps.
One side pushes tactics.
Post more. Network harder. Call more referrers. Attend more events.
The other side talks about long term strategy.
Build your brand. Be helpful. Play the long game.
The truth is boring and powerful.
You need both.
Tactics without strategy burn you out
You can post on social media every day.
You can attend every networking event.
You can message every accountant and real estate agent in your postcode.
And still feel invisible.
Why?
Because activity without intention becomes noise.
If your content has no point of view, it is forgettable.
If your networking has no follow up, it is wasted.
If your conversations are about you, they do not build trust.
Tactics are multipliers.
They only work when there is something worth multiplying.
Strategy without action stays theoretical
On the other hand, many brokers love the idea of “building trust” and “being authentic”.
They read about it. They talk about it. They plan for it.
And then they wait.
Waiting is not a strategy.
Trust is built through small visible actions done repeatedly.
People cannot trust what they never see.
The middle ground is where real businesses are built
Here is a better way to think about lead generation.
Start with strategy. Then express it through tactics.
Ask yourself a few simple questions.
Who do I want to help?
What problem am I unusually good at solving?
What do people need to understand before they are ready to talk to a broker?
Now let the tactics serve those answers.
Post content that explains, not impresses.
Share stories from real client situations, without the jargon.
Talk about the mistakes people make before they come to you.
Network with the intent to learn, not to pitch.
Follow up with curiosity, not commission breath.
Be the broker who checks in even when there is no deal on the table.
Build referral relationships by being useful first.
Send value. Share insights. Make introductions.
Play the long game even when the short game is tempting.
Leads are a lagging indicator
The best brokers I know are not chasing leads.
They are showing up.
They are consistent.
They are generous with their knowledge.
Their phones ring not because they are louder, but because they are trusted.
If you are new, do the work.
If you are established, do it better.
If you feel stuck, simplify.
Pick a few practical activities you can sustain.
Anchor them to a clear point of view.
Repeat long enough for trust to compound.
Because in mortgage broking, just like in life, people do not refer the busiest broker.
They refer the one who made them feel understood.
And that is not a tactic.
It is a strategy, expressed daily through action.