platforms do you find most effective? If you could offer one piece of advice on how to properly use social media, what would that be? SS: LinkedIn has been amazing. I could not have built my personal brand or PRMI’s reverse mortgage presence without leveraging all the resources at our fingertips. We’ve made connections across the country. We get referrals every day. A lot of referrals come from folks whom I’ve never met personally, but they see us on LinkedIn, and they appreciate the content. We’re laser-focused on words. The way that you lay out your content matters and having a professional, polished presence. It’s important, especially in a leadership role within an industry that is often misunderstood, to have that professional presence and be able to tell a story through words and video. I’ve had the privilege of being a guest on many podcasts, internet TV shows and radio shows, that have been shared on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. We leverage them all, but LinkedIn is my top source for brand-building. As far as tips for using social media, be consistent, genuine and yourself. You should come off as a professional. These days, it’s pretty easy for somebody to go on any social media platform and unveil the skeletons in your closet that go back many years. Anything you put on social media, it’s there to stay. It can always be found, so be purposeful, intentional and consistent— those would be my three points of advice. RM: I know you’re especially proud to have earned the CLTC® or Certified Long-Term Care designation. What motivated you to pursue the CLTC® and how has it made you a better reverse mortgage professional? SS: The designation itself has been empowering and enlightening. I don’t sell insurance products. I don’t have a license to sell insurance products. But I was passionate about discovering more about long-term care. We’ve all seen the statistics about how few people are insured or protected against an extended-care incident and the astronomical costs associated with paying for long-term care. I wanted to learn more. I ended up taking the last CLTC® course in Washington, DC, prior to COVID. I still have great, long-standing relationships with all of the folks I met. I was the only reverse mortgage professional in a room of about 40 financial planners. They allowed me to get up and give an impromptu reverse mortgage presentation. At that time, there was only one paragraph about reverse mortgages in the CLTC® curriculum. I was invited to rewrite the curriculum and to offer an entire chapter about reverse mortgages that has been added to the 2023–2024 workbook—six pages instead From the Top continued from page 11 From the Top Financing Seniors’ Independence ServingUtah and Idaho for Over 20Years 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 being 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 12 REVERSE MORTGAGE / JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2023
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