Executive Lending Group
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
PHOTOS BY NESTED TOURS | STORY BY DAVE DANIELSON
CARE AND COMMITMENT
The way you share your gifts with your clients makes all the difference in the world when it comes to them achieving their goals. By the same token, it means a lot when you are able to partner with someone who feels the same way about their bond with you.
That’s the type of care and commitment you experience when you partner with Executive Lending Group. Recently, we had the chance to talk with Branch Managers Mark & Keitha McEvers; as well as some of their team members; Mortgage Loan Originator Jordan Loruse; and Mortgage Loan Originator Amanda Ross. In the process, they shared their insights on the business and the drive they have to serve.
Mark McEvers
When you talk with Mark McEvers, it’s easy to see the immense pride he has in the way Executive Lending Group serves clients. “We enjoy working with our REALTOR® partners and we like to make sure it is a mutually beneficial partnership. We get a lot of walk-in business thanks to our store front location on I-35 in Edmond, as well as repeat business from our 22 years of closings. In turn, we refer business back to our referral partners. At the end of the day, it’s about the relationships we have and the way we treat the people around us”, Mark says.
When Mark thinks about the most rewarding aspects of the job, he emphasizes three categories that he truly feels privileged to serve, including veterans, first-time homebuyers and builders.
“With veterans, we work to help them lower their monthly costs and get them into a new home. With first-time homebuyers, people work 9 to 5 and they don’t always have time to talk with a lender during business hours. We pride ourselves on being available evenings and weekends. With builders, we love working with them throughout the entire construction process on these new homes, including unique properties like barndominiums. We have a great system in place to make that process much easier for everyone.”
Prior to getting into real estate, Mark was going through the process of purchasing a house. That loan officer at the time said, “You really should get into the mortgage business. You love working with people, and I think you would enjoy this tremendously,” Mark explains. “I thought long and hard about it and jumped into a job that pays straight commission. I jumped in, and 22 years later, I’m still loving it.”
Away from work, Mark treasures time with his family, including his wife, Keitha, and their children — Kierra, Miranda and Dillion.
In their free time, Mark and Keitha have a passion for helping those in need, traveling, along with horseback riding, fishing and spending time with great friends. They have a place at Grand Lake where they love spending time. Plus, he and Keitha are certified scuba divers.
At the end of the day, Mark is proud of the impact they have on others.
“I work hard to ensure that when clients come to us, we educate them on process, loan programs and answers to all of their questions. We try to push files forward quickly with a goal of always being a week or two ahead of schedule. We make sure clients understand what they are getting into and are comfortable with those results,” he says. “Clients know they are in good hands and often contact me after the closing regarding questions about their mortgage or even asking who to use for other services they may need. We love maintaining those relationships with them and their families.”
Jordan Loruse
Jordan Loruse clearly has a passion for connecting with people and enjoying the journey with them through the process.
She smiles as she talks about the detailed process that Executive Lending Group follows with a great attention to detail, making her loan process quick and smooth for everyone. “The backend process and excellent communication is amazing, which really helps the loan officers here to excel and grow their business,” she says. “It also makes me feel good to know that we’re doing deals that others can’t. Making sure we get to the closing table is the ultimate goal. We have a system in place that allows us to close early when requested and my referral partners really appreciate that. We aren’t stuck to banking hours. We will gladly work with clients evenings and weekends. Executive Lending Group offers a detailed training to help Mortgage Loan Originators truly understand the entire backend process that most loan officers don’t ever get trained on. This allows my knowledge base to truly show when working with and educating my clients. I believe that being highly educated in the business and offering mutually beneficial relationships to my referral partners sells my service in itself.”
Jordan remembers how she got into the business.
“I was dating Keitha and Marks’s next-door neighbor, my now husband, and got to know them. Keitha talked with me and said she thought I would be very good at this,” Jordan recalls. “Keitha had me to come to the office, showed me what they do, and taught me all about the business. I got my license and immediately fell in love with helping single moms and helping young people my age getting their first homes.”
Away from work, Jordan looks forward to time spent with her husband, Michael, and her daughter, Aspen. She enjoys playing Sudoku and likes shopping and wine-tasting.
Those who have the chance to work with Jordan appreciate her genuine care for their needs.
“That’s my hope … that they know I care about them, their lives and what’s going on in their lives,” she says with a smile. “I want to leave a positive impact that creates a longlasting friendship.”
Amanda Ross
Amanda first got into the business as a loan officer assistant. After a year and a half, she moved into work as a Loan Officer.
“That background is essential, and I got great experience because I was working with processors and underwriters,” Amanda says. “I saw the backend of the business, and that helps me be able to prepare for what information is needed and guidelines. I wanted to move to loan origination to have more control over working with buyers before they got under contract. When looking for the employer that was going to be a best fit for me, I was excited to find out my background is something Keitha and Mark McEvers look for when hiring loan officers.”
Prior to beginning her real estate journey, Amanda worked in marketing and had built a client base of more than 500 people.
“Being able to find that connection is important … working with people who don’t feel they can get a loan and giving them the confidence to make homeownership a reality,” she says. “I remember in 2006 when I bought my first house. I think back to my first meeting with a lender for over an hour. I had a headache. I don’t want to ever make someone feel the same way.”
Amanda has deep gratitude for working in a role that she loves.
“Everyone here is about personal relationships and not the transaction. In the course of working with clients, you find out about them, their kids and their motivation for financing a home. It becomes personal. If there is a hiccup, I do everything I can to overcome those hurdles,” Amanda says. “Maybe a borrower isn’t in the best position to buy. We give them a plan for how they can get there and then consistently follow up and see how the plan is going to see if they’ve run into any other obstacles or when they are ready to go forward, improving our client success rate. For those that are ready and do not yet have a REALTOR®, we love referring them to one of our referral partners. This is something Executive Lending Group has really taught us to focus on, building beneficial relationships with both clients and referral partners.”
Family enriches Amanda’s life. She cherishes time spent with her husband, Quincy, and their two daughters—8-year-old daughter, Avery; and 6-year-old daughter, Riley.
In her free time, Amanda enjoys supporting her children in their school and sports activities, along with family vacations, and staying involved in the community.
As she says, “I like being involved in the community. When you are involved, you can see more needs and what you can do to help.”
