Overseeing two markets in South Florida and Chicago, Justin Lopatin has definitely been busy this past year. In 2021, he and his team funded nearly $170 million and helped almost 400 families purchase and refinance. They made the Scotsman Guide’s top 1% of loan originators, as well as Guaranteed Rate’s Chairman’s Circle. Lopatin, for his part, permanently relocated to South Florida, opening an office in Boca Raton to expand his footprint.
Lopatin says his focus is education and speed, and that experience is the best teacher. Early in his career he sought coaching and mentorship to help grow his business and learn new skills. Last year, he and his business partner started their own coaching company, and they feel fortunate to coach and mentor other loan officers across the country.
“I’m a system and process junkie,” he admits, describing his style as systematized, predictable and streamlined. However, he says he also loves to build relationships and to make people laugh, quipping, “Humor and money go well together, and this is a people business, so it’s important to be personable and to build rapport quickly.”
It’s the Realtors and builders that are Lopatin’s true clients. “Realtors are on the go and in their cars 24/7, so their lender partner needs to be extra organized in order to save them time and diffuse the inbound transaction inquiry,” he explains. His working relationships with these professionals earn him referrals, and in return, he has a variety of ways he reciprocates and adds value. He recently hired a director of business development to help his Realtor partners grow their respective businesses and to collaborate on events and marketing. “My ultimate goal is to save them time and make them more profitable,” Lopatin declares, “and that’s exactly what we do.”
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