The Long-Lasting Power of Speed Networking

This success story comes from David A. Krebs, former Vice President of Miami, Florida chapter BNI Results, in which he holds the Residential Mortgages seat.

It only takes 60 minutes to plant the seeds for fruitful results

In July 2020, I took the plunge and attended my first ever BNI Speed Networking event. Impressed by the long attendee list, I was eager to learn more about my fellow BNI’ers, and I had my elevator pitch (“here’s what sets me apart from other residential mortgage brokers”) all ready to go.

Little did I know, attending the networking event that summer afternoon sparked a chain of events that led me to a client referral, Mateo.  I ended up closing, not one, but two mortgage loans for Mateo in January 2021 and August 2021.

However, it wasn’t just about the end results.  Along the way, I met a residential loan officer in another BNI chapter.  Ironically, despite being my counterpart and competitor, we hit it off, and he was the one who referred me to Mateo.

Attend a BNI Speed Networking event whenever you can.  The exciting twists and turns that come afterwards are well worth the 60 minutes.

What do a health consultant, mortgage loan officer, and an Argentinian green card holder have in common?

Since I joined BNI in 2017, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting people from all different walks of life.  It’s one of the things I love most about BNI.

The July 2020 Speed Networking event was no different. 

Even though the event took place via Zoom (due to COVID), the level of intensity and interaction was fierce.  Sitting in my home office in Miami and armed with just a glass of water by my keyboard, I stayed focused and thoroughly enjoyed the adrenaline rush from meeting so many different people in an hour.

“Hello, health consultant.”  In one of my sessions that day, I was paired with Andre, a health consultant and retired firefighter and paramedic based in Sarasota, Florida.  We had a nice conversation, and Andre recommended that I speak with Tom, the residential loan officer in his BNI chapter, to at least talk shop.

“Hello, fellow mortgage loan officer.”  Shortly after the Speed Networking Event, Andre introduced me to Tom via email: 

Tom and David — I have a feeling the two of you will be able to establish a good relationship. You have the best of traits in common.

And, boy, was Andre right!  During my 1-2-1 with Tom, it was clear that he was a veteran in the mortgage industry.  We started our careers around the same time and experienced the same high and low market swings. 

Then, our conversation became more granular.  We shared our respective shop’s sweet spots and weak spots.  Many do not like admitting weaknesses, but there is no shame in admitting, “We don’t do XX types of business well because of YY.” 

Tom had a client named Mateo looking for a loan.  Mateo was the brother-in-law of a strong real estate referral partner of Tom’s, so it was important to take good care of Mateo.  But, Tom did not have a loan program to fit Mateo’s situation (a non-U.S. citizen looking for a foreign national loan to purchase an investment property using little to no income verification). 

I told Tom, “That’s one of my specialty areas. Send him my way.”

“Hello, Argentinian green card holder.”  Later that same day, Tom sent my contact information to Mateo, and Mateo emailed me right away:

David — I was referred to you by Tom. I live part-time in Florida and part-time in Germany. I was born in Argentina and have a green card but my business where I earn most of my income is in Germany. I want to purchase an investment property on the West Coast of Florida.  Tom told me that you may be the guy to talk to with regard to less conventional loans, since I don’t have U.S. tax returns.

That August 2020 email from Mateo was the first of what would eventually be over 700 emails exchanged (with Mateo, the realtors, my team, the lender’s team) regarding his file.

Patience pays off

It took Mateo several months to find the right investment property.  When he finally went under contract to purchase a waterfront condo that allowed short-term rentals, I closed his loan quickly in January 2021.  The loan program I placed him under required no documentation of income and was relatively painless. 

I gave Tom the good news and put in a TYCFB to him.  Tom was pleased that I was able to make Mateo and his brother-in-law happy:

David — That’s fantastic news! Thank you for letting me know – and thanks for taking great care of them! Keep up the great work! 

Seven months later, in August 2021, I took the initiative to help Mateo show income through a profit-and-loss statement and I refinanced Mateo into a more conventional loan at a lower interest rate.  Again, I gave Tom the good news and put in another TYCFB to him.  Tom was pleasantly surprised:

Hi David — Thanks for reaching out – and for taking great care of Mateo!

Start your own Speed Networking journey today

What began with the click of a Zoom button to join a BNI Speed Networking event in July 2020, resulted in a happy client and a happy BNI referral partner.

But the journey doesn’t end here.  I’ll stay in touch with Mateo and help him whenever he’s ready to purchase his next investment property.  I’ll also continue having 1-2-1s with Tom to talk shop and trade new referrals with him.

When it comes to BNI, you never know what’s around the corner.  And you won’t ever know if you don’t venture out.  Take 60 minutes to try a session of BNI Speed Networking.  Small steps can lead to huge results.

To learn more about my loan programs, including foreign national loans, please visit: https://dakmortgage.com/

To connect with me via LinkedIn, please click here.

To schedule a 1-2-1 with me, please click here.