"First let me start out by thanking you and Bryan for putting together such a great seminar. To have someone of Jim's caliber in such an intimate setting was really fantastic and very informative. One of the take a ways from the seminar of "having a plan and razor sharp focus" really cemented the path that I have been on over the last 5 months is the correct one. By that I mean really putting together a plan and coming up with my core values of how I want to run my branch and the people I want to work for me. Also being able to say no (which I have done quite a few times) which I don´t have to tell you in this market is a tough thing to do especially when you have a family to feed. I knew if I didn´t make a stance that I wouldn´t be able to grow as a person and as a branch, so when you and Jim talked about these points I really felt good and am very confident and enthusiastic about the future. I am a firm believer that it is the building trust and working with core values that set you apart from the competition, like you said at the seminar this market is the perfect opportunity for us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.

I want to applaud you and Benchmark with the tools you have provided for us (mortgage market guide, certified scripts, mortgage coach, etc) to really succeed. I for the first time feel I have a Profession not just a job which I felt before I came to Benchmark. I really like the way you and Bryan get involved personally in putting together opportunities for us like you did Friday with the seminar I should add not just putting them together (as that is what most bosses would do after all it is their company) but you guys actually roll up your sleeves and personally get involved and attend that is what I feel really sets you apart. I really like the passion you displayed at the seminar and not only for your self but how passionate you are about us being successful that in and of it self spoke volumes to me.

So keep up the excellent work and look forward to seeing you at the sales mastery in San Diego."

“I just realized in my crazy-busy days that I don´t take any time to give feedback to those working to help make everything I do on a daily basis possible.  Its definitely the case that every time I hear about something new available to me because I´m a Benchmark Branch Partner, it´s something that will help set me apart from everyone else I´m in competition with. 

The Lending Tree leads and training is already proving to be a nice new source of prospecting and we´ve only received about 12 leads total.  Out of that, 3 appraisals are ordered!

The new function in the Credit Center of Mortgage Dashboard that specifically tells our Clients how they could change their credit score for the better is an enormous tool for projecting the benefits of consolidation and will undoubtedly set us apart from ANY other company out there.

The Mortgage Market Guide, along with the Mortgage Coach has really allowed us to show our Clients we are true Mortgage Professionals and we really stick out because of this.  In a competitive business, that´s all you can ask for.

In conclusion, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone working on providing the Branch Partners with an edge on the competition.  Every new item just adds value to the partnership we have with Benchmark.  I know I don´t take enough time to say so, but we truly appreciate it.  We are as excited as ever to start the year and we plan on being the #1 branch for 2007. Thank you,”

“I hope I don’t sound redundant, but I too need to give praise where praise is due.  As a new branch office, open only 15 days from license receipt, I am blown away by how Benchmark can close loans.  Jeremiah Silverman is awesome!!! He has taken several of my loans and pushed and pulled to get them into the correct program with approvals. When there was a problem he came up with ideas on how to correct them. He knows the programs and knows what to watch out for. He is cool, calm and collected under pressure. He then has been working with underwriters Shawn Poe and Matthew Baker that have worked tirelessly to have the approvals out in record time, and then the gals in Docs (Lauren Pepher and Debbie Gay) have gotten the docs out and funded so fast that my title companies here in Casper were astounded. I promised I wouldn’t keep sending rushes to them but since my license was so delayed I really didn’t have much choice.  I was worried that I would need to double send packages to brokered lenders, but have realized that Benchmark can do almost anything!!  I am so thrilled that I made the change to Benchmark.  Thank you so much for having such great people working for us.”

“Bryan & Stewart, I just want you guys to know that I really appreciate who you are as people. I know I´m with Benchmark for a reason. I´ve known that since my first conversation with Gib Holloway. I believe that Benchmark is going to be successful and is headed in the right direction. I respect the way you are growing the company and the people you are associated with. I believe this is going to be a great year. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to work with Benchmark. I really like Keith Craft. He´s a great influence. Best Regards,”

"We are a happy BM Branch! We have been with you guys for over a year and we are convinced we made the right choice in partnering with your company. My Co-Manager, David Garcia, and I worked for a very large company for several years. And it is refreshing to now be in an environment where we are more than just one of the unwashed masses...We are fortunate to have an AE like Mark that is knowledgeable, passionate, and knows how to be blunt with us if need be. I appreciate having someone that understands and embraces the role of Mortgage Planner rather than Loan Salesguy. And even though he´s an Okie, we still love him (Hook´em!)...We are blown away with the amount of energy and resources that Benchmark has put into growing the team. The ´07 Blastoff Conference was as good as any sales rally I have ever attended. And the lineup of speakers was even better than anything I have paid to attend in the past. The Fiscal Literacy, DYK´, and daily quotes are a constant source of knowledge and inspiration. Lastly, the Regional Workshops are hugely beneficial. Thanks for all you do for us. Appreciatively,"

"Stewart & Bryan: I have to tell you that I got so much more than I expected at the Thursday and Friday Orientation training.  It really did not hit me until I was driving home on Saturday.  I would like to start by saying thank you for this opportunity.  Second I have to tell you both that I am 100% impressed with your approach, not only in the mortgage business, but also the way you approach people.  Starting Monday our Benchmark Branch is going to revamp some of the ways we do business and improve on other ideas.  It was so incredibly beneficial to me to be in the presence of all the people involved with the training, including the other individuals in training.  It was very successful in changing my paradigm.  Moving forward you will not only see great things out of this branch but you should expect it. Sincerely,"

“Dear Stewart and Bryan, I´m grateful for the energy you put into making this a life changing event. I have never before attended such a powerful, dynamic event such as Blast Off ´07. The speakers were all so excellent at communicating their knowledge and I feel empowered to make a real difference in the lives of others because of what I learned while listening to them. The core values of Benchmark were obviously displayed by your investment into your Branch partners. I´m more focused, inspired and more driven than ever before. I feel that all that was taught shared a lesson of integrity, balance and higher purpose. The event transcends our daily business activities; it will also improve all aspects of our lives if we apply the principles taught.

I never expected such a huge return on a small investment of airfare, hotel and a weekend.....I hope to thank you properly by being a stellar branch over the many years ahead with Benchmark.

I love what Ruben Gonzalez says about improving your life "through what you read, through the people you associate with and associate with people you respect." I respect the Benchmark team and philosophy and am proud to be a partner of such an incredible organization. As for the reading part of that quote...well, I think I had enough books recommended at the conference to last me at least a year or two!

Keith Craft (how could anyone forget this one!) "You can't hit it if you don't swing." (All things are possible!) I´m already teaching this one to my children! What a simple yet powerful statement. I´ll be swinging away and I bet a whole lot of Branch partners will be swinging with me!

“I gotta give another shout-out, to our underwriting team at home office: Matt Baker, Tabatha Westbrook, Patrice Johnson, and Jason Glater. They have really helped us this month with some solid solutions to potential problems that could have meant closing late or not closing at all.

It´s great to have a team that is dedicated to getting loans closed!  We appreciate all your hard work and sound advice to help us be a more productive branch.”  

“Stewart I wanted to let you and Bryan know about the CMPS training I went to last week.  This was some VERY deep and intense training. I learned a lot about the internal side of mortgage lending. Barry, Jim, and Doug shined a lot of light and understanding on some of the technical aspects of mortgages. It is amazing how sharp Barry Habib is. I truly feel there is nothing about mortgages he doesn’t know. He explains mortgage principles so that we can relate with them in our businesses. Jim McMahan is also very sharp especially on scripting and creating the WOW factor in presentations.  Doug shined new light on thinking perspectives related to mortgages.  Each of these speakers had the same thing in mind: Using mortgage instruments as financial tools, not just loans.  Todd Duncan also gave us a lot of interesting ideas on how to manage our time and get organized. CMPS is very well-rounded training and I recommend every branch partner take part in it… I have always seen that in any sales job the more you know the better you can serve your clients. Certainly this is true in originating loans. If one can truly blow the customers’ minds with knowledge and trusted advice it’s a lot easier to land the transaction. I hope you will suggest CMPS training to all the loan consultants in Benchmark because it will sete them apart from all the transactional “order takers” in our industry. I look forward to seeing you all again in Las Vegas at the Equity Summit!”

“I wanted to take a minute to thank you for again exhibiting the values of Benchmark.  We very often hear that a client is willing to pay a premium for a service or product when they know that the representative of that company has shown that they have the best interests of the client at heart.  The Benchmark family again and again shows that they really do have the best interests of their branch partners and customers at heart.  For the two of you to take the time and energy to devote to the success of our branches, as you did on Thursday is nothing short of awesome.  While the content of the meeting was outstanding and I highly recommend that ALL branch partners make it a point to attend these regional conferences, as it is the highest and best use of your time, I assure you, I wanted to write this note more to thank you for your commitment to my success and happiness as a person as much as a business person.  More and more I wake up every morning as a part of a great team and family.  I want Benchmark to succeed as much as I want myself to succeed and I am committed to both! Thank you again for being an inspiration.” 

"I cannot thank you enough for offering me the opportunity to partner with Benchmark Mortgage. After an extensive period of researching most of the net branch companies available, it became very clear that nothing else compared to the partnership offered by Benchmark Mortgage. My opinion was only strengthened after our initial meeting in Dallas; your team more than exceeded the expectations that I had.

As a relatively new Benchmark branch manager in Edwardsville, IL in 2004, I was highly appreciative of the ease with which my transaction into company occurred. Perhaps the most pleasant advantage of Benchmark is that my branch’s payroll is processed and paid with 5 business days with no hidden fees. I have received considerable product enhancements with Benchmark’s banking line as I now have over 500 loan products to chose from. Your optional rapid in-house processing adds tremendous power to my arsenal. It is a pleasure to speak with the team members at corporate as they always provide answers to my questions in a timely and courteous manner. What a team effort!!

Again, I want to thank you for the opportunity to partner with such a company. Its is evident that Benchmark Mortgage’s founding fathers have found the secret to success in this industry, and having met you three I know our branch partners could not be in better hands. As someone who has done his homework, I firmly believe that Benchmark Mortgage is the absolute finest branch partnership opportunity available and I know I have finally found my last home."

"With over 15 years in the mortgage industry, I wanted to align myself with a reputable company that not only got the job done, but got it done right! All the information I gathered in 2005 led me to one conclusion – Benchmark Mortgage was that company.

Benchmark offers me the array of products to grow my business, the support to handle accounting and payroll and the personnel to assist me with everything in between. Their “partnership” approach to the net branch allows me to make decisions that are right for me, my branch and my client without approval from 1000 miles away.

Benchmark wants my branch office to be successful and is willing to do what it takes to set me apart from my competition. While paying me 100% of commissions, corporate is still willing to invest in marketing services and products for me to utilize. Benchmark does it all. I’m even applying to open a second Branch now in Philadelphia. Thanks Benchmark!"

"My four year anniversary with Benchmark was in November 2005. My business has grown from my home office to a commercial office with three Assistants and two Loan Officers. Instrumental in the growth and success of my business is Benchmark’s mortgage banker status, large warehouse lines of credit, our aggressive service-oriented corporate staff and technology platform. These areas define our strength and distinguish us in the marketplace.

I know from experience, that no matter what the obstacle, help is a phone call away. Mortgage brokers cannot compete with the knowledge base and resources available to me within minutes.

Other mortgage bankers offering similar business models contact me regularly for recruiting purposes. None of them even match our compensation plan, autonomy and support tools.

I have grown professionally through my experience at Benchmark and look forward to the future."

"The commitment to success by our Benchmark principals is evident in every facet of our business. You have everything you need to succeed as a business partner with Benchmark Mortgage: Excellent service and support from all departments at the corporate office; competent and quick underwriting; a full array of mortgage products and programs; 100% commission structure; top notch technology; the ability to conduct business across the country; and the availability of sales and marketing assistance. These are just a few examples of why I have maintained my relationship as a partner with Benchmark for 5 and one half years."

“Stewart, we just wanted to drop you a short note and tell you what a fantastic team you have in Sue Fabrizius and Carol Coker.  They are totally responsible for helping us get a double amputee disabled American veteran into a new home.  They literally held our hand and walked us through this very difficult VA loan step by step.  The customer was in tears hugging us at the closing table when in fact he should have been hugging Sue and Carol. 

Now the dynamic duo is helping us with a displaced hurricane Katrina victim.  Once again Sue and Carol are pulling out all the stops to make sure this family gets a home to anchor their new life in the Metroplex.  Stewart we just cannot say enough about these two women.  We read the praise reports you send out but until it happens to you. you just can't understand the feeling.  Thanks for all ya´ll do! God bless,

"After evaluating several mortgage branch providers, I decided to join Benchmark Mortgage in 2006. The primary reasons for our decision: (1.) We were impressed with the number of loan products Benchmark has on it's banked line—and the great rates; (2.) The ease of getting quick loan approvals on Benchmark´s automated underwriting engine, "QuickQual;" (3.) Thirdly, we were very impressed with the number of investors in Benchmark´s broker portfolio. We not only have the freedom to either bank or broker loans, Benchmark assesses no up-charges if we broker out. (4.) Benchmark´s rapid payment of our commissions is also a great improvement over my previous broker. Benchmark pays virtually daily . . . the commissions are direct deposited to my branch account in record time if all the proper documentation is submitted.

In summary, my experience with Benchmark has been great so far. I feel Benchmark´s staff members are all very committed in supporting each branch to the maximum."

“Bryan and Stewart,I would like to say thank you for taking the time to come to California and help the branch managers out with their business and life planning. The things you do to not only help the quality of our business but the quality of our lives is far beyond my expectations. It was nice to be able to talk to you both in a small setting and also hear about your lending experiences.
Sincerely,”

“I read all the praise reports that you send out, and now it’s time for me to add one to the list. I want to thank Jeremiah Silverman for his help with my first closed Benchmark loan. Our branch has had the usual growing pains associated with opening up a new location, and Jeremiah has been a great resource for us in navigating through Benchmarks procedures. Although it was a FNMA conforming loan, there were a few employment & income issues to deal with, and Jeremiah helped me out as if it were his own deal. He provided us a very smooth first experience to say the least. Everyone we have consulted with at the home office has the same pitch in attitude. This just reinforces the fact that we made the right choice in partnering up with Benchmark. Thanks!”

“This is amazing!  We are closing our first loan tomorrow (!) and we are already able to…..not only review the HUD, but even send out a praise report 24 hours before the closing—at month’s end no less!

Please recognize Jeremiah for holding our hands and making this feel like it was not our first loan, but one of many to come.  Without being asked Jeremiah got his contact at Mortgage Dashboard to look over this “non-related co-borrower; business partners; with multiple investment properties; cashing out on an investment property loan (!) to make sure it would upload into QuickQual accurately.  Not the most straight forward scenario for our first loan, but it felt easy with his help!

Then our underwriter, Sue Fabrizius, simplified my submission so that we didn’t have to use tax returns all the while keeping the same rate and program. 

Nicole, the title closing agent with Surety Land Title has also asked that kudos be sent up the chain to express the wonderful experience she received from Vilma in the closing department.

This proactive initiative is so refreshing and executed with such a positive attitude that I cannot express how much I am looking forward to attending the closing tomorrow with everything already out of the way. This is how closing a loan is supposed to be done!  I am looking forward to the many more I know we will be submitting. Many Thanks!”