Most new mortgage brokers don’t fail because they can’t write a loan.
They fail because they run out of time.
Reputation takes longer than motivation. Trust is built quietly, one conversation at a time. That’s why the first real requirement of this business isn’t technical knowledge. It’s runway.
Six to twelve months of financial support. Around $20k to $30k. Not to get comfortable, but to stay calm. To keep showing up when the phone isn’t ringing yet.
Many new brokers believe the hardest part is learning policy. It isn’t. You can learn policy. The real work is finding the right customers.
Not any customers. The right ones for you. The ones who value advice, who trust the process, who talk about you when you’re not in the room.
Here’s the line I repeat to every new broker:
It is not what you know, or who you know, but who knows you.
Being known takes intention. It takes patience. It takes choosing relationships over transactions.
Protect your runway. Choose your audience. Build trust before you chase volume.
Because in this business, being known beats knowing everything.