professionals as tops in their field. At a time when there were zero CRMPs in Texas, she felt the need to stand up for the designation. “The CRMP represents, to me, that you are the best at what you do,” she says. “It should not just be initials behind your name with no meaning. You should have the experience and the in-depth knowledge for what you do every day.” In 1994, after moving to San Antonio, Hipp spotted a newspaper notice about the formation of the Executive Women’s Golf Association, meant to give women a pathway for leveraging golf as a business tool. Three hundred other women joined the fledgling organization, and Hipp became a charter member of what is now the San Antonio chapter of the LPGA Amateurs. “We try to encourage more women into golf,” says Hipp. “It’s more difficult now because women have more opportunities. We accomplished our goal at the same time we diluted our membership.” From the beginning of her time in mortgages, Hipp’s methodical approach to building a business included significant outreach to real estate agents. In the ensuing years, her original contacts in real estate have been maturing along with their clients. That makes them today’s reverse mortgage ambassadors. “They see homeowners every day,” Hipp says. “They have people who rely on them for expert advice. They are constantly talking to their clients about situations at home or are taking listings from people who don’t want to move. If they’re talking to people who don’t want to sell their house and are doing it strictly for financial reasons, they can say, ‘Maybe there’s an alternative.’” Those real estate agents are among the many people Hipp strives to educate about reverse mortgages, from widows who never learned how to handle finances to members of the public who need some advice. No matter the circumstances, she tries to help. “It’s all about educating and communicating,” she says. “That’s all I can do in this world, just trying to be upfront and educate people as much as possible. I want the best for them. If they choose not to use me and go somewhere else, that’s fine. I hope they get just as well educated.” Hipp trains her team in providing a positive experience and educating customers to understand the process. She stresses viewing the procedure from the customer’s perspective, even if it means driving to a customer’s house just to see the concrete fountain in the front yard that has significant value to the homeowners. She also encourages her team members to obtain the CRMP because “there can be no better designation to have in our niche.” As a Mutual of Omaha area manager, Hipp is involved with planning and participating in the company’s intensive, eight-week training program—“like going to boot camp”—that trains carefully screened candidates on the intricacies of reverse mortgages and the art of communications and sales. She hopes this level of commitment will be her legacy—inspiring a new generation to get excited about the power of reverse mortgages. “For people who are looking for something where they can help others while they make money, a reverse mortgage is a great product, and it’s something they can do the rest of their lives, even after they retire,” she says. “I want the team to continue, and I want to see some younger folks take the ball and run with it.” CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table Help Your Borrowers Plan for What’s Ahead, Especially in Retirement. Every day, thousands of Americans turn 62, becoming eligible for a reverse mortgage and unlocking new ways to: ✓ Eliminate monthly mortgage payments ✓ Extend retirement savings ✓ Pay for long-term care insurance ✓ Buy a home Get Reverse Mortgage Alerts Don’t miss the chance to help borrowers manage expenses in retirement. REVERSE MORTGAGE / NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2022 17
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