In a business where transactions are traditionally conducted face-to-face, the COVID-19 pandemic made virtual meetings a necessity. That change opened the door to Gianoplus’ team serving all of North Carolina and beyond. “We’re very much a relationship lender, and we love the face-to-face interactions, but we’ve had to retool in the aftermath of COVID,” he says. “The whole world, including the customer, has learned to adapt.” Still, whenever possible, in-person meetings are best for eye contact and myth-busting regarding reverse mortgages. Reverse mortgage lenders must learn to distill their products into simple terms to avoid confusing clients and partners, he adds. Continuing education is essential to remain apprised of constant developments and trends. Gianoplus earned the CRMP credential before he joined Alpha Mortgage. Once again, he pursued specialization. “I wanted to be a Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional in a field of those who were not certified, to demonstrate to the borrowing public that I’m very serious about not just learning the complexities of the reverse business but willing to be held to higher standards of education and ethics,” he says. In time, he hopes to have a majority-CRMP team. To get there, he offers those who earn the CRMP designation an automatic, built-in increase in their earning rates. More importantly, the division has built a supportive culture focused on making the CRMP credential a desirable expectation. “The earnings incentive is pretty much the cherry on top,” he says. “It’s not the reason to go get the CRMP. The biggest reward is the professional gratification in setting oneself apart from the field of general practitioners.” Recently, a client died at age 92. For the first 25 years of their relationship, Gianoplus produced five or six conventional mortgages for him before doing a reverse mortgage on his home of 30 years. But that wasn’t the end of the story. At age 88, the client grew tired of his homeowners association and decided to sell. Using a HECM for Purchase and leveraging his advanced age and the low interest rates, he needed a down payment of only 35 percent for a luxury patio home in a beautiful golf community. That was pre-COVID. As home values inflated, Gianoplus—doing the annual checkup that he provides for all clients—suggested refinancing. The client extracted another $100,000 from the home, and by the time he died, he had only $50,000 invested in a $800,000 home. “Isn’t that wonderful?” Gianoplus says. “He didn’t tie up his funds, and he left a nice estate for his loved ones. I told him at nearly 90 years of age, by virtue of the fact that he was willing to pack up and move across town, it was a privilege to do that reverse purchase mortgage for him.” Gianoplus plans to stick around the reverse mortgage business and help it grow. And the training and opportunities he provided several hundred people have enabled them to care for their families and build satisfying careers. “I may not be able to guarantee lifetime employment for people, but I’ve been able to guarantee lifetime employability because of the skills they’ve learned, not just in learning the mortgage business but also in how to deliver mortgage solutions to market in a professional manner,” he says. On the client side, he believes that reverse mortgages “extend the retirement runway.” “Although our clients often do not realize it upfront, they’re just so thankful years later, and that’s been one of the most professionally gratifying aspects of my career.” CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table Tappable home equity is everywhere. You just need to know where to look! Automatically identify promising reverse mortgage prospects with Reverse Mortgage Alerts from Sales Boomerang. REVERSE MORTGAGE / SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2022 17
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ1MzY1