Reverse Mortgage magazine Nov-Dec 2020

FinancingSeniors’Independence Serving Utah and Idaho for Over 20 Years We opened our doors in 1999 to provide local homeowners and those wishing to be homeowners good quality mortgage loans with no hidden surprises or costs. We pride ourselves on be- ing customer oriented and find loans that are tailor made for our clients. We added the reverse mortgage loan to our great line of product offerings and have been providing the people of Utah and Idaho this loan as another mortgage available to meet whatever financial need arises. We continue to remain committed to our clients’ mortgage financing needs, and our variety of all residential mortgage loan products makes us a great company to add to your network of professionals. FSI Mortgage Independence Square 111 East 5600 South • Suite 102 Murray, UT 84107 • NMLS #4398 www.fsimortgage.net 1-800-808-3066 Up Your Tech Game continued from page 24 The speed and efficiency of the new technologies are clear advantages, and more clients want to use the tools, agrees Timothy M. Kennedy, CRMP, who is director of business development with US Mortgage Corp. in Melville, NY. “Truth be told, as we age, the reverse mortgage con- sumer will be a more tech-savvy borrower,” he says. “One would be hard pressed to find a 55- to 60-year-old today without a mobile phone, laptop or some other mobile device. The technology is only going to become more secure and certainly more user-friendly.” Kennedy adapted quickly to the pandemic but expressed concerns early on that loan officers needed to be cognizant of the security of various platforms. While cybersecurity is a mandate for anyone doing reverse mort- gages, it also is a concern for clients. AARP found in its survey last year that only about one in ten of the respon- dents were confident that their smart phones would keep their information private. Kennedy says he has been trying to monitor the evo- lutions since the pandemic started and thinks that some of the companies have been resolving security issues. “I certainly am not an IT specialist, but Zoom, for example, has upgraded its system to a more authenticated encryption algorithm that provides more secure data integrity and confidentiality,” he says. “The more we can do to protect our clients’ personal information the better off we will be as we continue to move in this direction.” Even with the upgrades, he adds, he is staying on the safe side. “I continue to use Zoom as a platform to educate my borrowers and my referral partners, not so much as a tool to complete the reverse mortgage application with borrowers,” Kennedy says. Other Uses The tools are handy with referral partners, as well, Sless adds. Some of his business clients have “Zoom fatigue” or don’t want to be in front of a camera, so he often just picks up the phone. He also finds that the meetings are much more productive than coffee chats and happy hours. Over the years, such events became more social gatherings than business meetings. Now, the conversations are focused, he says, because they are set up with more specific reasons to meet. Sless adds that he does a lot of marketing through social media and seminars, which means he has increased those efforts digitally since the pandemic started. The technologies also have been great with keeping up team spirit among colleagues, says Sless, who acknowl- edges that he initially was concerned that working from home would destroy that energy. His team has been work- ing together for years. When someone would get a loan before the pandemic, they would get excited and let every- one in the office know. “I think, in the beginning, that was my biggest fear. I always have been a believer of having that office camara- derie,” he says. “I am a big believer in the energy and the enthusiasm of just being in the office every day.” After the technology issues of everyone working at home were ironed out, the team stayed engaged and focused and has nearly doubled production. “We are every bit as efficient if not more efficient now, working remotely, than we ever were in the office,” Sless says. “There is just no down time.” REVERSE MORTGAGE / NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020 25