Finding mortgage solutions for prospective homeowners is no flash-in-the-pan job for Rick Broome, Business Development Manager and producing loan officer with Top Flite Financial, Inc., in Greenwood, South Carolina. “In our business, you have to operate with a ‘servant’s heart’ and you have to understand that you’re here to change people’s lives for the better,” says Rick. “Being in it for the income is a short-term mentality.” Rick believes that the more people’s lives he can change for the better, the better he will do. “If you can instill that in your employees to have a servant’s heart, that spreads.”

Rick, who entered the industry in 1999 and within a few years was running his own business, opened four branches of the first mortgage company he worked for within a few years of starting, later ranking in the top 1% of loan originators in the country. He chose mortgages back then after leaving a Richmond, Virginia, career as a vice president for a tractor trailer training company to move to North Carolina. “I also had some management experience in insurance and I saw how, with mortgages, success is based on your own skill set and the level of service you provide your clients.” Given his servant’s heart, Rick knew that this formula would translate to great personal success.

Ten years ago he made South Carolina his home, where he has been with Top Flite Financial, Inc., since March 2016. Rick’s current team includes has two processors is expected to grow soon. “With the great infrastructure of Top Flite Financial, Inc., we’re looking to add new branches to provide opportunities for people locally and across the Southeast,” says Rick. “The diversity of our products sets us apart; it’s one-stop shopping with us.” He adds that their rates are very competitive and that they think outside the box. Clients appreciate Rick for that creative thinking, with REALTORS® commending him for giving equal attention to people who aren’t yet ready to buy a home as he gives to borrowers and agents who come to him for seamless, on-time closings.

“If someone isn’t ready to purchase, we can put them on a track so that in a few months they can buy,” says Rick. This service helps a multitude of people, including the purchasers and the agents representing them. “It’s one way we help REALTORS® build their pipeline,” says Rick, who not surprisingly, receives well over 90% of his business from REALTOR® or client referrals and repeat clients. Rick loves watching people close and get into their home, whether first-time buyers or experienced buyers who finally found their dream home. “There is so much work behind the scenes, but that gratification of happy clients is better than anything.”

Also ranking up there is the confidence Rick has built with his REALTOR® referral network. “My REALTOR® partners know my phone’s always on and they can always reach me on my personal lines,” he explains, noting his customer service level helps build loyalty with agents. “They know when they call they’ll get an immediate response with definitive answers.” Beyond that availability, Rick believes in nurturing personal relationships, knowing what’s going on in his agents’ lives and taking the time to remain engaged. “The key to our business is having sincere interest in people.” An active and visible community member, Rick has been involved with Rotary and local chambers of commerce in addition to his affiliate membership with the Greenwood Association of REALTORS®. All of these networks combined with his “servant’s heart” have put him in position to open new Top Flite branches in the coming years, where he can hire like-minded, service-oriented professionals to serve the region. After all, Rick is a firm believer in the old adage that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. “That really holds true in mortgages.”

To learn more about Rick Broome, visit applynowwithrick.com, email jbroome@topflitefinancial.com or call 864.223.2880