On Tuesday morning, February 13, the Houston Mortgage Bankers Association gathered real estate industry professionals to hear a panel of four top-producing Realtors discuss their perspectives and answer audience questions about the realtor-side of residential real estate transactions.

Mortgage bankers, realtors, title company officers, and others assembled for the breakfast event, held in the conference room of Stewart Title’s offices at 1990 Post Oak Blvd. The morning’s panelists were Karen Karapasha, Real Living Realty; Mario Negron, ReMax Pioneers; Richard Ray, John Daugherty, Realtors; and Mary Wassef, Circa Real Estate, LLG. HMBA president Joe Thompson moderated the panel.

Each of the panelists agreed that having a comfort level with the mortgage banker in their client’s transaction was a must. They underscored the importance of a lender’s responsiveness and that the seller’s agent needs to know what’s happening with the buyer’s loan (within confidentiality restraints) just as much as the buyer’s agent does. Other major points of discussion included using local lenders that are accessible and responsive, their shared lack of time to schedule lunches or coffee meetings during the work week, and the priority of lender attendance at closing to handle any last-minute loan issues.

“Reach me by showing up at closing,” said Negron. “That’s the secret sauce. I don’t have time for lunches or coffee meetings.”

“Realtors and mortgage bankers serve the same client base and share a common goal: successful closings and happy clients,” said Thompson “This was a highly constructive and collegial meeting that has encouraged us all to work together in the spirit of cooperation, coordination, and, above all, communication for the benefit of our clients."