One of the groups that strives to grow and support the mortgage industry is the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME). The association offers education through webinars, business development trainings, how-to tutorials and podcasts.
AIME also offers access to members-only tools and services, and it lobbies on behalf of the mortgage industry on legislative matters in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. Started four years ago this month, AIME works to bring together professionals in what is an extremely competitive industry, said Marc Summers, the association’s president.
“We are what’s best for the consumer. There should be no animosity here,” Summers said. “Let’s support each other. I can’t tell you how many people have created relationships through AIME that help each other grow their business.”
Summers spoke to Scotsman Guide about AIME’s mission and how it’s attempting to achieve its goals. He also talked about why brokers should support the group.
Why are brokers poised for success in the home-purchase season?
Rates have ticked up a little bit. It was a heavy, heavy refinance market. We’ve always tried warning brokers that you’ve got to focus on purchases. People are still making moves. They’re always going to be upgrading or downgrading depending on their family situation. We really have to focus on purchases from a broker standpoint for sustainability.
Can you talk about some of the initiatives that AIME is undertaking?
A lot of it’s just education to the brokers. I started in 2001. One thing that I’ve learned right away with this association is there’s not one proper way to conduct business. There’s not one right way, one golden ticket — there’s thousands of different ways. We’ve kind of pooled as much (knowledge) as we could to show people within the community, this is how to attack purchases. Here’s some tricks of the trade.
Why should brokers support AIME?
When the crash of ‘08 or ‘09 hit, the broker name was thrown under the bus. We were blamed for a lot of the things that happened when it was a collective, just-perfect storm that came through. With AIME, we are a voice now for the broker channel; it’s not just a two-man shop, three-man shop just waving their hands saying, ‘Hey, we didn’t do anything wrong.’”
There’s not one proper way to conduct business. There’s not one right way, one golden ticket — there’s thousands of different ways.
Have you been able to bring that message to legislative affairs?
We just sat down — and it was one of the best meetings I’ve ever had — with (Federal Housing Finance Agency director Sandra Thompson). She was completely supportive, completely receptive to some ideas that we had. We have a seat at the table. It’s more powerful to say I have 65,000 members instead of 45,000 members. That’s one reason why it’s extremely important to be a part of AIME.
How would you like to see AIME grow in the future?
If you want to talk about virtual resources, we’re getting bigger and better. At our last national event, we released the AIME Member Portal. We had a podcast over here. We had our training over here. And a support system over here. We put it all into one system. I’d love us to be the central location, that if a broker needs something, they can go to our member portal.
What else should the broker community know?
We’re going to have four events (in 2022); three of them are more regional. We announced that we will be doing our national conference called FUSE again this year in Vegas at a different location in (the Paris Las Vegas casino). We’re expecting an even a bigger and better turnout.
There’s just that different feel when you’re sitting in a room with some industry leaders like (United Wholesale Mortgage CEO) Mat Ishbia or our guest speakers — like last time we had Magic Johnson. You get to collaborate with your peers and really get a chance to get to know people that are within your industry that are fighting the same way you’re fighting for our consumers. ●
