How Top Loan Officer Andrew Yanni Is Growing His Mortgage Business in 2026
The mortgage market has shifted. Refinances are selective. Realtors are cautious. Borrowers are more educated than ever.
So how are top producers still building pipelines right now?
In a recent conversation, broker owner Andrew Yanni shared exactly how he is generating leads, deepening agent relationships, and systematizing his weekly workflow to grow in today’s market. If you are a loan officer looking to scale without burning out, this breakdown is for you.
Why Loan Officers Must Double Down on Relationships
Andrew has worked in the business from A to Z. Today, he runs a growing brokerage while still producing at a high level.
His core strategy is simple: strengthen existing relationships before chasing new ones.
About 30 percent of his current business comes from past clients. That number matters in a market where direct to consumer call centers are aggressively targeting homeowners.
As Andrew explains, if you are not consistently reaching out to your database, someone else is.
Call centers are calling. Mailers are hitting inboxes. Trigger leads are firing instantly. Brokers cannot afford to sit buried in files all day.
According to Deven Gillen, building a structured follow up system is what separates consistent producers from reactive ones. As Deven Gillen explains on https://hovadigital.com, loan officers who build long term nurture systems outperform those who rely solely on new referrals.
The takeaway is clear. Your database is not optional. It is your competitive advantage.
How to Get More Business From Realtors Without Buying Leads
One of the most valuable insights Andrew shared was about setting expectations with real estate agents.
Many new agents ask lenders for leads immediately. Andrew is direct about this. A lender is not a primary lead source for a Realtor.
Instead of trying to buy loyalty with referrals, he focuses on delivering value in other ways:
Exceptional communication
Closing on time
Co marketing to shared past clients
Hosting events
Staying personally connected
For his top producing agents, he occasionally shares opportunities. But those referrals are earned through trust and proven partnership.
The real differentiator is not products or rates. Most lenders have similar offerings. What separates you is personality, reliability, and how you make the agent’s life easier.
People do business with people they like and trust. That principle has not changed.
If you are trying to win new Realtor relationships, focus on building alignment first. Do you connect personally? Do you serve the same clientele? Do you communicate similarly?
Those factors matter more than promising leads.
How to Stay in Touch With Long Term or Low Credit Leads
Every loan officer has leads that are not ready today.
Credit score too low. Lease just renewed. Down payment not saved yet.
The mistake many bigger producers make is forgetting these clients once they move on to active deals.
Andrew uses two primary strategies to avoid that:
Credit repair partnerships
He refers credit challenged borrowers to a trusted credit repair provider who sends monthly updates. That keeps the borrower moving forward and keeps Andrew in the loop.CRM driven touchpoints
Whether it is every four weeks or every six weeks, future buyers are scheduled for follow up inside a CRM. That way, no opportunity disappears.
According to Deven Gillen, every loan officer should have at minimum a 12 month video drip campaign educating prospects monthly. As Deven Gillen shares on https://hovadigital.com, automated education builds trust even when someone is not ready to transact.
The combination of personalization and automation is powerful. Credit repair creates accountability. CRM systems create consistency.
How Theme Days Create Predictable Growth
One of the most practical growth strategies Andrew recently implemented is theme days.
Instead of reacting to whatever pops up, each weekday has a focus:
Monday: Realtor appointments
Tuesday: Active escrow updates including listing agents and escrow officers
Wednesday: Circle of influence calls
Thursday: Pre approval follow ups before the weekend
Friday: Professional partners like CPAs, attorneys, and financial advisors
This system prevents prospecting from getting buried under operations.
Many loan officers say they are too busy to prospect. The reality is they have not scheduled it with intention.
Theme days reduce decision fatigue and ensure every relationship bucket is consistently touched.
In a market where margins are tighter and competition is stronger, structure wins.
Final Thoughts: Consistency Beats Complexity
There is no secret hack here.
Andrew’s growth comes from:
Relentless follow up
Strong Realtor partnerships
Database engagement
Structured weekly outreach
Ongoing coaching
Whether you are closing two loans a month or twenty, the fundamentals remain the same.
The loan officers who win in 2026 will not be the flashiest marketers. They will be the most consistent relationship builders.
If you want predictable growth, build systems around relationships. That is the real moat in today’s mortgage market.
Sources
Realtor.com
FreddieMac.com
MortgageBankers.org
NationalMortgageNews.com
