CRE Mortgage Survey
Time Management and Deal Closing
Please take a moment and give us your opinion

   Please help us by participating in this national study to benefit sales professionals in the commercial real estate finance business. We ask that you assist us by completing the survey below. It is designed to help drive our research regarding time management and deal closing. The findings will be presented at the Mortgage Broker's Forum at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas on December 4th as well as in future industry periodicals.
   Those of us in the industry recognize the significance of time management and viability of deal closings. Thank you in advance for your time and effort to enable further valuable education in our trade.
1. Please tell us the percent of time you spend on the following activities:
Marketing material creation, preparation and delivery:
 %
Face to face meetings with prospective clients (borrowers):
 %
Outbound initial calls to prospective borrowers and lenders:
 %
Phone time with clients (borrowers) and originators/underwriters regarding deals in process:
 %
Non deal-related phone time with known clients/sources and lenders/originators:
 %
Attending to voice mail/correspondence/database management/admin:
 %

2. What do you consider to be your greatest time management challenge?


3. When your deals did not close in the past, tell us (as % of times) how often it was due to each of the following factors:
Did not pass underwriting standards:
 %
Last minute retreat or borrower change of heart:
 %
Poor lender follow-through and communication:
 %
Borrower hid true intention or had poor communication:
 %
Window of time closed before deal could be funded:
 %

4. Please tell us if you personally perform the following functions for your shop: (please rank each function in order from 1 to 4, with 1 being very likely and 4 being very unlikely):
Discover previous instances of debt against an asset:
Review and analyze borrowers' investment strategy and loan packages for a preliminary approval or denial:
Meet potential borrowers and inspect the asset(s) for requested financing:
Prepare current and historical income, expense analysis and lease summary/rent roll for each transaction:
Assemble all required documentation for processing and underwriting for each transaction:
Closely review/oversee the work of the underwriting, loan processing and appraisal departments:


5. What safeguards or litmus tests do you use to minimize time spent on challenging deals which are not likely to close on the borrower's terms?


6. Please place the following key areas IN A RANKING ORDER OF 1-5, determining if a deal is viable and will close. (1 is the most important, and 5 is the least important)
The borrower seems committed to the deal:
The deal fits my lender(s)' box:
The asset has an attractive cash flow:
The borrower has a viable investment plan for the asset:
There are no financial questions to hinder the lender(s)' decision:


7. What is your personal closing ratio? (defined as from financing request to deal funding):


8. Choose ONE of the following that represents your personal STRONGEST point:


9. Have you ever closed a deal (deals) in which your client (borrower) had better terms and rates offered from a competing source, but went with your recommended source due to their trust and confidence in your relationship?
Yes      No
If yes, how many times in a one-year period:


10. Please tell us about your broker/banker skills by answering yes or no to the following:
I do initial underwriting before engaging a lender:
Yes      No
I only originate regional deals:
Yes      No
I originate national deals:
Yes      No
I don't originate on raw land deals:
Yes      No
I am a member of an organized broker network:
Yes      No

Finally: What volume did you originate over the last 12 months?:


My First/Last Name is:
My e-mail address is: