Kristi Hardy - From Underestimation to Triumph in the Mortgage Industry
Apr 25, 2024
Alimond Studio
Ever faced a moment where someone underestimated you, and it propelled you to soar to new heights? Kristi Hardy from Atlantic Coast Mortgage turns a brush with condescension into a thriving career, ensuring no client feels belittled on her watch. Our conversation with Kristi is a tour through her inspiring journey, revealing the competitive advantages and client-centric philosophy that underpin her team's success. She peels back the curtain on her transition from Enterprise Rent-A-Car to finance manager, and finally to the mortgage industry, where rapid closings and strategic loan structuring have become her calling cards.
Life, as we navigate its twists and turns, often demands a delicate dance between career ambition and the joys of personal pursuits. Kristi embodies this, sharing how she juggles expanding her business footprint with the simple pleasures of parenting, pickleball, and Pilates. Her insights remind us that being a workaholic isn't a badge of honor, gently encouraging the art of setting boundaries. For those of us chasing our dreams while trying to stay grounded, Kristi offers a playbook for avoiding burnout and keeping the flame of passion alive in both our professional and private lives.
Closing our engaging exchange, Kristi highlights the power of positivity and gratitude, elements as crucial to her business as they are to her personal wellbeing. Her tales of recognizing faces from social media to her philosophy of hiring team members illuminate a culture that values connection and character. Kristi leaves us not just with strategies for navigating the competitive housing market, but also with a parting message that resonates far beyond business: gratitude is a guiding star, and when we let it lead the way, both our careers and our lives are richer for it. Join us for this heartfelt conversation that's as much about mortgages as it is about the mortgage of life's happiness.
Ever faced a moment where someone underestimated you, and it propelled you to soar to new heights? Kristi Hardy from Atlantic Coast Mortgage turns a brush with condescension into a thriving career, ensuring no client feels belittled on her watch. Our conversation with Kristi is a tour through her inspiring journey, revealing the competitive advantages and client-centric philosophy that underpin her team's success. She peels back the curtain on her transition from Enterprise Rent-A-Car to finance manager, and finally to the mortgage industry, where rapid closings and strategic loan structuring have become her calling cards.
Life, as we navigate its twists and turns, often demands a delicate dance between career ambition and the joys of personal pursuits. Kristi embodies this, sharing how she juggles expanding her business footprint with the simple pleasures of parenting, pickleball, and Pilates. Her insights remind us that being a workaholic isn't a badge of honor, gently encouraging the art of setting boundaries. For those of us chasing our dreams while trying to stay grounded, Kristi offers a playbook for avoiding burnout and keeping the flame of passion alive in both our professional and private lives.
Closing our engaging exchange, Kristi highlights the power of positivity and gratitude, elements as crucial to her business as they are to her personal wellbeing. Her tales of recognizing faces from social media to her philosophy of hiring team members illuminate a culture that values connection and character. Kristi leaves us not just with strategies for navigating the competitive housing market, but also with a parting message that resonates far beyond business: gratitude is a guiding star, and when we let it lead the way, both our careers and our lives are richer for it. Join us for this heartfelt conversation that's as much about mortgages as it is about the mortgage of life's happiness.
Speaker 1:
It's Christy Bain Hardy and I work for Atlantic Coast Mortgage and I manage the Christy Hardy team and our businesses mortgages. We help everyone residentially whoever's buying a residential house. We help them secure the financing for that.
Speaker 2:
Awesome, and now can you tell me a little bit about you working hand in hand with realtors and how that helps when you guys are together as a team and do you have anybody in house, or how does that work for your company?
Speaker 1:
So, absolutely, realtors are a key cornerstone to my business and I like to see myself as a part of their team, and I work with tons of realtors. They're all great.
Speaker 1:
I don't work with ones that aren't so only the good ones and they really see us as an asset and a teammate because we're going to help them get that house to close. Like if they're working with a buyer, they want to refer them to someone who's experienced, who has a lot of knowledge, who can help win the deal. It's a very competitive market right now and I see a lot of other loan officers that are not getting a lot of business right now because they don't know how to structure the loan and they don't know how to coach up their realtor partner to win the deal. So that's one of the strengths that we have on my team is that we can, you know, help structure it and meaning maybe waiving financing, waiving appraisal we can do an eight day closing. So the the realtor partners are extremely important to us and we're extremely important to them too. Awesome.
Speaker 2:
Love that little like a team camaraderie. It's definitely a team big time it has to be in this market, absolutely. And now can you tell me a little bit about your story, like, how did you end up in the loan mortgage industry?
Speaker 1:
Like who were you as a kid growing up and how?
Speaker 2:
did it lead you to?
Speaker 1:
this point? Oh okay, Well, I was just a normal kid. I was a cheerleader in high school. I went to school Virginia tech and most of my team actually are also Hokies.
Speaker 2:
Okay.
Speaker 1:
Most of us went to Virginia Tech. That's just by coincidence. That's funny.
Speaker 2:
I thought you were like.
Speaker 1:
Hokie, okay, hired.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean it does help.
Speaker 1:
But not all of us are Hokies. But so you know, and I moved to California afterwards I worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car and that was such a great experience, like as far as management training and sales marketing. I didn't do the rental cars for very long. I immediately after like three months, I didn't like it and after three months I went into the car sales division so I sold one-year-old cars. I sold them for six months and I was a finance manager, branch manager, regional manager, so I worked my way up doing that, which was great. It was just such a great way to learn, you know, all aspects of business.
Speaker 1:
And then I took a few years off and I traveled the world and just, you know, enjoyed life, I guess I should say.
Speaker 1:
And then, um, when I came back, you know, from traveling, I met my husband and we came to this area and bought a house, bought my first house, and I was pretty turned off by the loan officer. He was very condescending. I had a finance background and management and everything and I just thought he was only talking to my husband and just being very condescending when I was asking questions. So I thought, man, if this guy can do this job like I, you know there's there's a need. You know there's a need and honestly, it is a male dominated field, especially then that was, you know, 20 years ago. So I don't know, I just sort of um, I talked to a few other people who were in the business and it was just such a natural fit for me because, you know, I had a finance, marketing and sales background and that's what a loan officer does. You know, we have to to figure out a lot of stuff and it was just a good fit.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and now I want to go back a little bit to that experience that you had with your previous loan officer. Yes, in that moment did you feel like man, when I'm a loan officer, I want to make sure that I never do this. And like, do you for some of your team members that are working with you, do you maybe they aren't aware that that's happening, but do you let them know? Like guys, when you are working with clients, please be sure that you know you talk to both people that are in the room, not just one person. Like, do you kind of just use that moment and that situation that happened to make sure that your team is set to go and not do that.
Speaker 1:
So actually my team is so great like I don't ever have to have that conversation like they, like my God Great but yes, in that moment 20 years ago, I was like this guy is a moron, like you know what is he doing, like I was the one really, you know, buying the house really honestly.
Speaker 1:
So yeah, at that moment I was like man, he is missing out, he's missing the boat. This is never how I would operate and no, I've only surrounded myself with people who know better, so I've never even had to have that conversation.
Speaker 2:
Oh my God, that's good, okay, good, good. I didn't know if sometimes you have to have those conversations because they may not be aware, but that's awesome that your team is like With the times and like knows, like you know, common things.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, no, it's very. You know we care about every client. You know, whether they're buying a $90,000 house or a $900,000 house, like we, you know, put our heart and soul into everyone and it is really special to be able to help someone with the largest purchase of their life, like it really is so meaningful when we see like after closing, they'll send us a picture of them in front of their life, like it really is so meaningful. And we see like after closing, they'll send us a picture of them in front of their house and say thank you. And you know, and I look at those kids in the picture and I'm like you know what? We just gave them a leg up, because home ownership really does help people. I mean there's, it helps grow wealth generally, generational wealth, and it's just it's really cool to be able to help like that, absolutely yeah, that's a big uh moment in people's lives.
Speaker 2:
It is getting their first homes.
Speaker 1:
Like yeah, first home, second homes, it's it's just, it's amazing. I love it and, being in the business for 20 years, I've have so many repeat clients and that's always cool too, because I helped them you know, 20, 18, 15 years ago buy their first house and and then their second house. Now they're buying investment properties, second homes Like it's really cool.
Speaker 2:
I love that you have clients who you have relationships with, where they're coming back to you. It's not like, oh, she was great, but let me try another person. Not that there was anything wrong with her, but I'm just going to see what they're like.
Speaker 1:
I'm staying with Christy and her team. They are great. That's our goal with every client and also with our realtor partners. My goal is to that client to have such a great experience so they come back to use me and the realtor partner over and over. Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2:
And now can you tell me where you see you guys in the next five years? Are you going to expand the team? Maybe another location, go to another stay? What? Anything in the works?
Speaker 1:
Great question. So yes, I am expanding the team. One of my goals is to have 30 loan officers on the Christy Hardy team. How many do you have right now? Oh my gosh, we are. I think we're at five.
Speaker 2:
Oh wow, five. That's a nice number there.
Speaker 1:
I think in five years that's my end goal is about 30. So, yeah, that's what's happening right now and we already are on most of the East Coast. Okay, so we land on most of the East Coast. The company is licensed in 31 states, so we can also land all over, but my personal goal is really mostly the East Coast.
Speaker 2:
Okay, that's awesome. And mostly the East Coast Okay, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:
And you said 31 states. Okay, we have 50 states. So that's quite impressive. We're making some moves. Yes, you are Congratulations to that Good for you Now?
Speaker 2:
who are you outside of work? Like what do you like to do. Where do you like to travel?
Speaker 1:
Tell us yes, okay, so I am a bit of a workaholic, okay.
Speaker 1:
Okay so that's number one, but I mean it's not truly number one. My boys are number one, so I have two teenagers. They're great, good kids, so fun. They both do crew, which is, you know, rowing. Yeah, you can find me on the river on Saturdays watching their regattas. That's pretty exciting and, as far as you know, just any of their activities, I've always that's. Another great thing about being a loan officer is I have flexibility, so I've been able, all throughout their lives, to be the room mom and, to, you know, go to every single thing that they do. So that's what I do mostly, but I also enjoy traveling. I have a beach house in Avon, north Carolina.
Speaker 2:
Nice, so I love spending time down there.
Speaker 1:
It's very relaxing, very off-grid and it's very easy to just unwind there. But I do love traveling anywhere and everywhere. We're going to Japan this summer for a family vacation, so that's kind of exciting. I've never been there. My husband grew up in Okinawa.
Speaker 2:
Oh, my gosh Okay.
Speaker 1:
We're going to go see where he grew up and should be fun, yeah, so I love traveling. I'm recently pretty obsessed with pickleball and I love Pilates, so I've been doing. Pilates pretty much daily for like two years and I can see that just being a lifestyle for me forever. I love it.
Speaker 2:
That is amazing. Oh, my goodness, I like that. You still have like, despite saying like I'm a workaholic. You gave me a nice little like good information of what you also like to do, so I'm glad that you're taking time to be with your family and explore. Yeah for sure.
Speaker 1:
That keeps me pretty busy. I also have I'm in a book club, been in there for like I don't know 15 years, have a lot of friends, you know, just doing life.
Speaker 2:
I love that. I want to talk about you saying that you're a workaholic, because when I ask people sometimes like what do you do outside? They're like, just work. They won't tell me they're a workaholic, but to me it sounds like they're a workaholic and there's nothing wrong with that. But also take care of yourself. So can you tell me what boundaries do you put or what advice would you give to somebody who maybe they aren't taking time to like live their life because it's all about work and like that's great. That means that you're passionate about your job, but you also don't want to burn out and you want to still make sure that you're at your best capacity for your team members and for your clients.
Speaker 1:
So I think for me, I love working and that's why it's like a workaholic situation. But I think it's important to have those boundaries where, if there's something that you don't enjoy doing, find someone else to do it for you. So I have really determined if it's starting to irritate me or just, you know, not be a part of something that I enjoy, then I cut that slice out. So I think, like you know there's I don't mind taking call on nights or weekends. Right now that doesn't bother me, but at some point in my life if it does, then I'll hire someone else who can do that for me. So I think it's just about um, figuring out what you're okay with and setting your own personal boundaries. And but you know I love working. I find it. I mean it's really bad, but sometimes like I would rather be working than doing anything else. So I find it.
Speaker 2:
I mean it's really bad, but sometimes like I would rather be working than doing anything else, so I enjoy it, though you know yeah, I know some people like, who own their own businesses as well. They're like no, I want to do it Like it's okay and it's just like you know, like it's their baby.
Speaker 1:
Yes, that's a hard lesson, yes, but it works.
Speaker 2:
It works. I think that advice is good, that if they do feel like at any point, like oh, I don't want to do this, but I have to, like don't think that way, like it's okay to let things go a little bit and like take on other things and let other people shift, that, direction of work.
Speaker 1:
I say, if someone can do it 80% as well as you think you can do it, let them do it.
Speaker 2:
There you go For those of you who are workaholics and can't seem to let it go. You heard it here first. Yes, let it go. Yes.
Speaker 1:
Let it go.
Speaker 2:
And now for your company, when you guys hire, what kind of people are you looking for when it comes to like realtors or other mortgage loan officers?
Speaker 1:
So I would be looking to hire other mortgage loan officers, and three qualities that seem to be important. I would say someone who is likable, you know, has a good personality, someone who's competitive and someone who's smart, yes, so it's a hard job and it's not. You have to have a lot of grit because there's a lot of ups and downs and a lot of hard times and good times. So someone who's capable of you know, capable of those gritty, tough times, yeah, but really yeah, smart, creative.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, awesome. And now can you tell me some challenging things going on in your industry and how you and your team are working to make the best of it Okay.
Speaker 1:
So right now in our area and I'm not sure where this podcast goes everywhere DMV.
Speaker 2:
Loudoun County Perfect.
Speaker 1:
Okay. So in the DMV, which is my main territory, we are suffering a housing shortage so it's extremely competitive right now for your offer to get accepted. If it's a good looking house, it's priced right, there's going to be multiple offers. So my team, we're very strategic, so we will get that thing, that loan, that client, ready. We collect all the documents up front, we run through automated underwriting and we issue what's called an approval plus, which means it's as good as cash. So we are going to close that loan and then I also am doing eight day closings so that really helps the client and the realtor get their offer accepted, because then you can look at it as like same as cash. Yeah, we can close in eight days it takes the risk off the seller and and then wave. You know we can wave the financing contingencies a lot of times. We can wave the appraisal contingencies too.
Speaker 1:
Okay so we just help structure, help the Realtor structure it, so it's good. So that's one of the main things that we're doing is we're just, you know, question and I always call the listing agent and put in a good word for my client as well. I think that helps a little bit.
Speaker 2:
I'm sure that's awesome.
Speaker 1:
And they know, you know Atlantic Coast Mortgage. We have a great reputation. So almost every time the listing agent says oh my gosh, you're Atlantic Coast Mortgage, I know you're great. You don't even have to ask, and especially if we're up against a big bank or credit union that there's, you know, the loan officer maybe isn't available 24-7 and can't work nights and weekends. Well, my team is always available. So that sets us apart too.
Speaker 2:
Wow, and that's nice that you've got that quite that reputation there. Like it must feel so good, because I'm sure it took a while maybe to build, because you know Rome wasn't built in a day. Everybody's got to build their reputation when you first start. I think it's kind of rare to just come out like of the woodwork Not that I'm saying that you came out of the woodwork, but you know what?
Speaker 2:
I mean yeah it's true, and just having that reputation there you kind of have to like work and build and get people's trust. So that's amazing that you guys have been able to do that.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, my word is everything. I definitely take those approval letters seriously. Like I won't issue an approval letter unless I know we're going to close. So we get to do all of the hard work up front which I learned early in my business. The other that all the other loan officers around me were doing it the other way and they would have problems. Loan closings delayed, you know just suspended loans, denied loans, no, that just sucks up so much energy and it's so painful for everyone involved. So we, we don't let any of that happen. We take care of it all up front.
Speaker 2:
Okay, awesome, glad you have your little game plan.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, how it works for you guys, yeah, your systems.
Speaker 2:
And now um, how are you keeping up with the latest technology and trends that can help your business, like, what are you guys using, or what resources do you use?
Speaker 1:
So luckily, you know, I'm at a company that really does value technology and we are like, we're kind of like a I don't want to say like a mom and pop feel culture, but with extreme advanced technology. Like you know, rocket Mortgage or whatever came out with this. Like you know, instant approval. We've had that. We had that before they did.
Speaker 2:
Okay, so yeah like there's nothing.
Speaker 1:
There's nothing out there that we can't do. So we're very advanced. And it does involve a little bit of pain, because I don't really love changing technology when it comes on. But luckily, you know, the execs in my company do Perfect, so I have to get on board and change with the with the flow. So it's good because I have people in my company who make it happen and then I just learn it and do it Awesome.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, love that. And now with marketing for your business and for your team, like, how are you guys getting your name out there on social media? Are you active on Instagram, tiktok, even YouTube? Tell me about that, a little of each.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, a little of each. I've always been a Facebook fan. That's my age range, I guess you should say so. About two years ago actually about a year and a half ago I decided, okay, I'm going to try this Instagram thing, so, and TikTok and YouTube. So I've been making videos like educational videos, so to educate not only clients but also realtors and even other loan officers. So I was posting those like three times a week and now I've kind of burned myself out on the videos my own self, like I'm sick of seeing myself talk. So now I'm just going down to maybe one a week and then trying to alternate in other forms of media. But yeah, I love social media. I think it's the best way to build your brand. I think it's great for people to get to know you and to see your face and all that.
Speaker 2:
So I love social media.
Speaker 1:
I think it's the best way to build your brand. I think it's great for people to get to know you and to see your face and all that. So I love social media.
Speaker 2:
That's great. I'm glad you know and understand the importance of that Because I know sometimes it's a little bit hard Like do I really have to post? But in this day and age you absolutely do have to.
Speaker 1:
I agree.
Speaker 2:
It is everything Like if you don, you don't put yourself out there. You kind of fall under the cracks a little bit. You have to get yourself out there and people love to get to know you and see your videos and be like what's this person about? Would I mesh well with her personality? Okay, I love her.
Speaker 1:
She's funny.
Speaker 2:
That was a good tip that no one ever told me before, and she said it in such a cool way. I'm following her and I'm going to keep my eye on her for when I need her.
Speaker 1:
You know what I'm saying. Yes, it is really cool. I love watching other people's stuff, you know, and getting to know them too, and it is fun. You know, when I run into someone that I you know see on social media, I'm like, oh, I know you. You know, you do feel like you know them. Yeah, Even if you don't.
Speaker 2:
Like I saw your dog stuff. Yeah, and now for my final question. If you could leave a message for our listeners, it can be in regards to anything in life, anything in your heart in particular. What would that message be, or what would you like people to know?
Speaker 1:
Oh my gosh, that's a lot, that's a big question. And we did not rehearse any of this.
Speaker 2:
We did not. You're doing great, oh gosh.
Speaker 1:
I always like to think of the best piece of advice that I received when getting into the business, and I just think this is just such an important message in general is always be gracious, like if you're full of gratitude, everything's going to be okay, it'll all work out. So that doesn't really relate necessarily to the mortgage business, but I just think in life, just always have a good, positive attitude, it'll all work out, and be grateful for what you have absolutely no, that's great, and I love hearing all the different pieces of advice that people give me.
Speaker 2:
It's like so much, like worth gold, like putting in your pocket, like okay, yeah, gratitude she looks happy, yeah and she's like radiating positivity. I want to do that. So gratitude it is. Yeah, gratitude is attitude. That's right. Thank you so much for being on the podcast and for taking time out of your day to be with us. It was a pleasure. Thank you so much, absolutely.