10/21/2026
I keep hearing loan officers say it's a tough market.
And they're right.
But it's not our first tough market.
During the last major downturn, a young loan officer named Matt Branstrom walked into my office.
Fresh out of grad school. Full of enthusiasm. Very little experience.
He asked me how to get started.
"Go meet some real estate agents," I told him. "Get to know them. Set up a lunch and I'll pay for it."
He loved the idea.
A few days later, he came back.
"I set up a luncheon," he said. "And I might have told them you'd give an economic update."
Fortunately, I love economics.
"How many people are coming?"
"About 200."
Two hundred Realtors.
At the time, many of us were carrying the weight of the market on our shoulders. We expected less, reached out less, and brought less energy into the conversations we were having.
Matt didn't know enough to be discouraged.
He was simply excited to meet people and create opportunities.
That luncheon turned into real relationships and real business.
I've thought about that lesson often.
Markets change. People don't.
They still get married, have children, change jobs, retire, and need a place to call home.
They need someone who's engaged, accessible, and ready to help.
Managing your energy is part of the job. And when you lead a team, the energy you bring through the door affects everyone around you.
I offered to buy lunch.
Matt reminded all of us that the market may shape the opportunities in front of us, but our attitude determines whether we see them.
