A Homeownership Odyssey:

Credit Unions, Members

and the Real Estate Community

A Homeownership Odyssey: Credit Unions, Members and the Real Estate Community was written by:

Tonya Coon and Dan Green of Prime Alliance Solutions, Inc.

Illustrations by Ramez Hashlamon.

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Chapter I: Real Estate Services page 2

Chapter II:Credit Union Experiencepage 8

Chapter III: Realtor® Experience page 12

Chapter IV: The Member Experience page 16

Chapter I:

Real Estate ServicesLucas and Maya were excited about their meeting with Gaby Gerard from WAHFCU. They were eager to talk about their pre-approval and the next steps they would be taking toward the purchase of their first home. Their dream of owning a home was approaching rapidly, yet they were confused, confused about mortgage loans, confused, most of all, about Realtors®.

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What do they do? How do they work? How do we find one? How do we pick the right one? Who do they work for? Why do we need one at all? How much do we have to pay the Realtor®? Out visiting different open houses over the weekend had left them totally bewildered. The Realtor® they met during the first open house was too cold, too stiff.

He briefly handed them some information on the home, told them to look around and then went right back to looking at fiddling with his smart phone. Needless to say, Lucas and Maya did not feel they were very important, nor did they believe he would focus on their needs. The Realtor® hosting their second open house visit was overbearing. She seemed almost desperate for them to make an offer.

She followed them all around, asking them question after question. Before they could answer she started talking about all of the things she would do to the house to make it perfect. Perfect for her maybe, but not for Maya and Lucas. When they knew this house was not the house, she tried to stop them from leaving by asking even more questions, always answering them on her own before Maya and Lucas could utter a word. They were really hoping that Gaby would be able to offer them some type of solution in how to find just the right Realtor®.

They arrived at the credit union at 4:30 p.m. sharp, walking hand-in-hand. From her desk, Gaby could see the front door of the credit union. She knew Maya and

Lucas should be arriving any time, and when she saw a couple with the biggest smiles on their faces, she thought for sure that this was Maya and Lucas. She got up from her desk so she could meet them when they walked in.

Gaby walked towards the lobby smiling and greeted Lucas and Maya, “Welcome to WAHFCU. Can I assist you with something today?”

Lucas answered, “Yes, we have an appointment with Gaby Gerard.”

“Hi, I am Gaby. You must be Lucas and Maya. I am pleased to meet you.” They shook hands and Gaby walked them back into her office. “I have looked over your application and all of the requested documentation listed in your pre-approval letter. Thank you for sending this in so quickly. Are you currently working with a Realtor®?”

“No, not yet,” answered Lucas. “We went out to a few open houses over the weekend on our own, but we are confused on how we find the right agent for us.” “Well, I think I might have the perfect solution for you. Let me share with you some information about our Real Estate Services Program. Every one of our members who have used it tells us of the wonderful experience they had.”

“That sounds interesting,” said Maya. “Any help we can get on finding the right Realtor® would be

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extremely helpful. Even though we just met you on-line yesterday, you’ve been great to work with so far, Gaby, so we trust any advice that you can share with us.” Lucas smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

“I appreciate that Maya, and I do want you to know that I will always have your best interests in mind,” Gaby added. “Now let me tell you about our Real Estate Services Program.”

Gaby started, “All members who are buying and/or selling their home can take advantage of our Real Estate Services Program. It is free to our members and offers a variety of benefits. When you participate in the program you will work with one of their member advocates. The member advocate will work with you and match you up with a Realtor® who participates in the program through the credit union.”

“Wait Gaby,” Lucas interjected. “I thought we were working with you during this transaction?”

“You are Lucas. I am here to help you finance your home. I will be there every step of the way, but you need a Realtor® to help you find a home and to guide you through the purchase. This program helps you find that Realtor®, and then provides you with the member advocate who will monitor your purchase and ensure everything goes just the way it should,” Gaby shared. “I work very closely with the member advocates in the Real Estate Services Program, so I will be involved every step of the way. Think of

Top Reasons to Use PARESIncreased Purchase Volume. What comes first, the pre-approval or the Realtor®? Why take the chance of losing the loan to a Realtor’s preferred lender? Enrolling with Prime Alliance Real Estate Services ensures your pre-approved members work with a CU Certified Agent and keep the loan at your credit union. Through our program, you’ll see an 85% or better loan retention record. We will also manage your pre-approval pipeline to eansure less fallout—resulting in more closed loans for your credit union. Certified Credit Union Real Estate Agent. Through a nationwide network of relocation Realtors® , PARES will hand-selects professional, qualified Realtors® to work with your members. Each Realtor® is trained on the values and benefits of the Program, and the particulars of credit union member service.

Dedicated Member Advocate. Our knowledgeable member advocate guide your members every step of the way through the home-buying process. Their goal is to ensure your members an exceptional experience while buying or selling their real estate.

20% Cash Rebate. PARES has returned over $5.5 million to members since the company opened for business in 2003. Members receive a cash rebate within 30 days of closing, whether buying, selling or both. Cash after closing is welcome by all homebuyers, especially your first-timers.

- continued on page 23

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the member advocate as your personal concierge throughout the home-buying process. I am your personal concierge through the home financing process. We work together to make sure the buying and financing processes stay synchronized, so that on closing day all you need do is sign the closing documents then move in to your home.”

“Okay, that makes sense to me,” said Lucas. “I just wanted to make sure that we were still going to work with you. As Maya said earlier, you have been great, and we really trust you to show us the way. This is our first house, and we really do not know everything we should or should not be doing.”

“I completely understand, Lucas, and please know that I would only suggest this Program if I thought it was the right thing for you and Maya.”

“I have not even shared with you one of the greatest benefits of the Real Estate Services Program yet,” Gaby continued. She knew that Maya and Lucas would be ecstatic. “In addition to the member advocate, being matched with a Realtor® to work with, you also will receive a 20% cash rebate on your Realtor’s commission from the transaction. You receive this rebate approximately 30 days after closing.”

Maya and Lucas just sat in front of Gaby wide-eyed, jaws agape.

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“So isn’t that exciting?” She was looking for some sort of response, but Maya and Lucas just sat there stunned.

Finally, Lucas rubbed his ear to make sure that he was clearly hearing what Gaby was saying. He looked over at Maya, her face said it all. She was still in shock. Lucas finally found his voice and said, “Let me make sure we understand what you are saying. So if we use the credit union’s Real Estate Services Program, we work with a Realtor® in the Program that works with the credit union. We find the home of our dreams, work with you to complete our financing AND then we receive a check for 20% of our Realtor’s commission 30 days after we close.

Gaby grinned. “You have it exactly right. Do you think that you would want to sign up for the Real Estate Service program? I can get you signed up right away if you would like.”

“Well, yeah!” Maya exclaimed finally breaking her silence. “But tell us, please, what 20% of our Realtor’s commission means in dollars and cents. We don’t understand how Realtors® get paid, so we have no way of knowing how much of a rebate we’ll get.”

“My apologies, I should explain before I rush you into the Program. It’s just that it is such a good deal I get excited and get ahead of myself. First, Realtors®

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are paid by the seller of the home out of the sale proceeds. Typical commissions average 6% to 7% depending on individual arrangements. Commissions in our area are typically 6%. Next, there are typically two Realtors® involved in every transaction.

First is the listing agent, the one who is selling the home. Second is the selling agent, the one you’ll be working with. Listing agents and selling agents split the 6% commission in half, each getting 3%. Your rebate will be 20% of the 3% the selling agent receives. If you purchase a $200,000 home, your cash back reward will be $1,200,” explained Gaby.

Maya and Lucas were stunned yet again. Yet they knew that getting money back 30 days after closing would definitely come in handy. Off in her own little world, Maya began thinking about all the home decorating ideas she had seen on HGTV, so many of them she wanted to use once they owned their own home. Getting a check after closing would certainly make putting some of her ideas to work much easier. She also knew this would help Lucas relax, too. He had been and still was nervous about how much they were spending. Coming back to herself she heard Lucas talking with Gaby.

“Welcome back Maya,” smirked Lucas. “I agree with Maya. We definitely want to enroll in the Real Estate Services Program. Why wouldn’t we? Is there some sort of catch or something?”

“No catch,” said Gaby. “As a credit union we made the decision a few years ago that we needed to have a program like this in place that would be a benefit for our members. It is simply that, a member benefit.”

“Gaby, if you do not mind me asking, what made the credit union look at offering a program like this to their members?” Maya asked. “I have never heard of anything like this before.”

Gaby began, “Well, we tried for a long time to break into the real estate community and to build relationships. We were hoping that we could find Realtors® we could work with who would take good care of members, then in return would send back their clients to the credit union for their mortgage financing needs. We tried for a long time with no luck. We found Realtors® were happy to take care of our members when we sent them their way, yet they didn’t send customers to us. Those we did receive we couldn’t help as they did not qualify. We found out later that Realtors® were bringing us loans their primary lenders would not approve. It really put us between a rock and a hard place. We wanted the Realtors® to bring us business, but the loans that they ended up bringing us we just could not approve. We needed to find a different solution and thankfully we did when we found the Real Estate Services Program.”

“Yes, thank goodness you did find it,” Maya stated.

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“We can’t wait to get started. It seems like such a member benefit.”

“You are exactly right Maya,” Gaby said. “It is a great member benefit and that is what really drew us to the program in the first place. It was just another way to offer a credit union benefit to our members. Who would not love to get a check back 30 days after closing on their new home or selling their existing home?”

“I know!” Maya exclaimed. “I would have never imagined it possible. Believe me, though, I am so glad you have a Program like this. I already have BIG plans for our rebate check.”

Lucas rolled his eyes after hearing how in the last 10 minutes Maya had already come up with such big plans for their rebate check. They hadn’t even met with a Realtor® yet, found a house or closed on their loan, and Maya was already spending the money that they didn’t yet have. “Hold on there, Maya, one step at a time,” Lucas calmly said as he patted her leg urging her to be patient. Lucas knew that patience was not Maya’s strong suit. When she set her mind to something there was really no talking her out of it. Maybe this time would be different, but deep down he knew better. “Let’s find a Realtor® and a house first before you go spending that rebate money. Maybe instead of spending it right away we could save it for a rainy day,” Lucas suggested, as he knew that would

get her goat. She hated it when he said that to her.

Maya turned to Lucas and shot him a look that only he would understand. Then she smiled politely as she brushed his hand off her leg, “Yes dear. Maybe you are right. We can talk about it later.”

Maya gave Lucas his little victory, but she knew that in the end she would get her way and win the war.

What Members say about Real Estate Services

“My agent was fantastic! He was always available, very knowledgeable and helped me find the right house!

~ Grow Financial FCU Member

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Chapter II:

Credit Union Experience After Maya and Lucas left her office, Gaby starting thinking about the Real Estate Services Program and all it had accomplished for WAHFCU and their members. Her first thought was to why the credit union elected to implement the Program. The biggest reason was the Program gave the credit union member advocates. WAHFCU had not seen the best results with their purchase application pull-through rate prior to using the Real Estate Services Program.

Credit Union Best Practices

• Mention it on the Home Page of your website.• Detailed information in the Real Estate (mortgage) pages.• Make sure Real Estate Services is mentioned in any

website sections that deal with retirement planning .• Mention the Program on Membership Benefits page as

another valuable reason to purchase and finance a home with the Credit Union.

Employee and Board Training• Be sure Real Estate Services is mentioned in the new

employee orientation training.• Post information about Real Estate Services in the

employee lounges/break room, etc.• Mention Real Estate Services’ results and cash back at

quarterly all employee forums.• When Real Estate/Mortgage Staff members prepare their

monthly reports, make sure Real Estate Service figures are included. Facts make it easier for senior management and the Board to talk about the Program.

Use the following to make quick mention• On-hold message• ATM message• Statement messages• Lobby signs• Placing a sticker on outgoing mail• Newsletter articles • Use of wooden style for sale sign by Mortgage Originators

desks/cubicles, etc.

Member Education• Homebuyer seminars on selling as well as buying homes

in conjunction with the credit union certified agent we train to assist your members. You would be surprised at how many credit unions do not provide sellers any assistance!

Contests for Referrals for staff• Use inexpensive prizes like gift cards to reward employees

that encourage members to use Real Estate Services

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Often times they found that the member would find a Realtor® only to have the Realtor® convince the member to finance elsewhere, telling them their credit union was not a professional mortgage lender; that others would provide better pricing and service.

When the truth was quite the opposite. WAHFCU was a good mortgage lender, knew what they were doing and, in most cases, could offer the member a better rate and lower fees. Realtors®, though, build strong relationships with their clients and end up having significant influence over many aspects of the home-buying experience, including financing. By the time the credit union went to follow up with the member on their application and to see if they had found a house yet, the member was gone. They had made a decision to finance their new home with another lender. The credit union could not afford to keep losing these members in this way.

The Program’s member advocates, on the other hand, stay in touch with members while they are shopping with their agent, the entire time encouraging them to finance with their credit union. With the Program in place, WAHFCU closed many more pre-approvals than in the days before Real Estate Services.

The credit union mortgage staff worked well with the Realtors® in the program throughout the transaction.

They got to know individual agents, showing them

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the credit union understands mortgage lending, does it well and, in many cases, does it more affordably than all other lenders in the community. Even better, credit union staff demonstrated how well they communicated throughout the process. Program Realtors® absolutely loved how the credit union delivered closing packages to the title company and to the members days before closing, making for an easy, comfortable experience. Since there were no surprises or issues, the Realtors® found working with WAHFCU a great experience for them as well as for their clients. Word spread through the real estate community. Realtors® began referring their clients to the credit union. In turn, the credit union referred more members to the Program. Within a year, Realtors® were responsible for more than 15% of the WAHFCU’s mortgage business. WAHFCU was quickly becoming the most sought after mortgage lender in the Realtor® community.

Strategic marketing and promotion assistance was another reason the credit union implemented the Real Estate Services Program. WAHFCU worked with their member advocates to create strategies for reaching members and keeping them with the Program and with the credit union. Member advocates regularly provided best practice strategies used by other successful credit unions. Some of the best practices included promoting the program on the credit union’s website, allowing members to auto-enroll in the program when they apply for a mortgage, putting a

message on the credit union’s on-hold message and having Realtors® in the program attend the credit union’s homebuyer seminars.

In addition to the best practice strategies, WAHFCU also received a catalog of marketing collateral specifically designed to promote a better way to buy or sell a home. All marketing materials include the credit union’s logo and contact information so the pieces can be quickly personalize, then created for distribution. Ready-made marketing material meant it was quick and easy for the credit union’s marketing staff to begin the Real Estate Services campaign, Within days of having the material in the credit union branches, members were calling and asking for more information.

Gaby thought back to the main thing that really sold her on the Program: training. With five different branch locations, the credit union needed to make sure all of their staff was thoroughly educated about real estate and about Real Estate Services, how it worked and the real value it delivered to their members. Gaby could not have imagined managing all of that training herself. She had too many things already on her plate. If the training would have been left for her to do, she knew the Program would have taken a lot longer to get up and running.

Staff training was sometimes a challenge. The credit union only had full staff meetings once a quarter as

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What Credit Unions say about Real Estate Services

“Real Estate Services makes the Credit Union shine for its members. The member has not only their credit union loan officer and processor but also RES provides them with a member advocate. The Realtors® selected by RES have been knowledgeable. As a result we’ve had many new home purchase transactions successfully close.” Marge Mead Mortgage Dept Manager, Rivermark Credit Union

staff needed to travel to the main branch location. Some staff had to drive over 45 minutes. The meetings were only an hour and a half with over-full agendas. This would not leave a lot of time to train on a program like this that is so important to the credit union and the members.

Gaby remembered sharing with her CEO the reason the Program’s training was so valuable. It was customized to meet the credit union’s needs. The Real Estate Services Program trainer would come on site if they needed to train the credit union staff, or they could host and conduct training sessions over the web or staff could attend a recorded webinar that allowed staff to attend the training when it was most convenient for them.

The CEO bought in quickly to the training with one requirement. Each employee had to attend one training session, and then complete a ‘quiz’ about Real Estate Services once each year. Making sure staff understood the benefits to WAHFCU and its members was important to senior management and the Board. In addition, every year employees need to re-attend a training session ensuring they understand Real Estate Services, so they can continue to earn an incentive for their mortgage referrals. In the end, the credit union had found this to be very beneficial, since staff routinely began promoting the Program. Satisfaction had never been higher with WAHFCU’s real estate and mortgage programs.

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Chapter III:

Realtor ® ExperienceJennifer Sullivan had just finished a morning staff meeting with her real estate agents, all members of the Sullivan & Sullivan Realtor® Group, when she received a phone call from Laura Jacobs at Real Estate Services. Jennifer and Laura met previously at the National Association of Realtors® Convention.

Laura had been impressed with Jennifer’s company and had always thought if she had a credit union in her area sign up with Real Estate Services she was going to call Jennifer to have them participate in the Program. She knew Jennifer’s agency would be the right addition to the Program. Jennifer was a stickler. Her agents were expected to exceed client expectations with every home-buying or selling transaction, so much so that they were recognized as

a quickly rising star at the last National Association of Realtors® annual convention.

As Jennifer answered the phone she was pleasantly surprised to find it was Laura calling. Jennifer had remembered speaking with Laura and was intrigued by the Real Estate Services Program when they had spoken at the conference.

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“Jennifer, I always told you that when I had a credit union in your area ready to participate that I would be giving you a call,” Laura exclaimed. “Well, here I am, and I have a credit union who just signed with us. I am in the process of finding an agency in their market area to work with, and I wanted to call you first to see if you might be interested.”

“Thank you for thinking of us,” Jennifer responded. “I remember I was intrigued by your Program and knew it would be a good fit for our agency and some of our agents. It has been a while since our discussion.

Could you refresh my memory on the details of the Program?”

“Absolutely. The Real Estate Service Program works to find the right agency in the credit union’s market to participate in the Program. These agencies are hand-selected as they must be able to meet our service standards. This step is crucial, as credit unions are known for the exceptional service they provide their members. Members simply expect more. Real Estate Services is an extension of the credit union. Our standards must match or exceed theirs. We expect Realtors® in the program to meet these high service standards.”

“It sounds as though your service expectations match our own. I am confident my agents will deliver the quality service your credit union clients expect.”

Prime Alliance Real Estate Services Service Standards

• PARES always thinks ‘Member First’.

• All member advocates are program knowledge, and participate on-going training.

• Quick Response times. Members are contacted in less than 24 hours after Real Estate Services receives their information.

• Consistent communication between member advocates, members and Realtors® so that everyone is kept informed throughout the transaction.

• Guide and educate members through the real estate market and through their real estate transaction.

• Encourage members to finance with their credit union.

• Deliver an outstanding member experience. Always.

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“As I had shared with you previously, the Real Estate Service Program works similar to a relocation program. One of its benefits is that agents participating in the Program are introduced to members who are qualified and are ready to purchase or sell. This means your agents don’t spend their time or marketing dollars needlessly.”

“I can see how this is a benefit to agents, and I know a few who will find it very appealing.”

“I am glad. I do have to say we tend to look for certain characteristics in the Realtors® that participate in our Program. We want agents who have at least five years of experience, who are knowledgeable, patient, are good teachers and, of course, have a proven track record of providing a high level of service. Do you think you have agents on your team that may fit this profile?”

Jennifer did not hesitate, immediately responding yes. She had already been considering which agents from her team she would ask to participate. Laura and Jennifer finished going over what the next steps would be so that Sullivan & Sullivan could sign up to work with the Program. After they were done, Jennifer selected the agents she would invite to participate. One at a time Jennifer called them to share information and to get their agreement to participate. The conversations went as she thought they would. All of the agents she spoke to were very eager. Each

committed to meeting the rigid service standards.Susan Monk was excited as she drove into the office that day. When Jennifer had talked with her about participating with Real Estate Services and with WAHFCU, she jumped at the opportunity. She loved working with first-time homebuyers and knew participating would introduce her to meet many more than she otherwise would. Today was the day agents selected for the Program were going to complete their training session with the Real Estate Services Program director. Susan could not wait to learn all of the details and to get started. She was hoping her first lead would come in shortly. Jennifer had shared with her the service standards required through the program, and she knew she could exceed them. That was just how she was: detailed, thorough and a great communicator.

Training went well. All of the agents liked how the Program worked and were happy to know they would have a member advocate from Real Estate Services to work with. After the training was over, Susan took it upon herself to call her member advocate, Amber, to introduce herself. That was two and a half years ago and Susan and Amber had worked together helping many WAHFCU members buy and sell houses. Susan hadn’t talked with Amber in a couple of days and thought she would give her a call and check in with her to give her some updates on some other deals that she was working on for WAHFCU.

What Realtors® say about Real Estate Services

“To a realtor like me, Real Estate Services is invaluable, as its member advocates screen members and determine their needs before I get personally involved helping them sell and/or buy their homes. Together with the credit union’s service of financially qualif ying members with honesty and integrity, this entire process makes my job much easier in providing excellent service and the perfect experience for these members.”Krish Moodley Associate Broker - Prudential Northwest Realty

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“Susan, I am so glad that you called me today,” Amber said. “I actually received an enrollment this morning from a young couple who are members of WAHFCU. You’re a perfect match for them since first-time buyers are your specialty.”

“Are you kidding?” Susan said excitedly. “I would love to work with them. How soon can you give me their information? I can’t wait to call them.”

“I just received it. Let me call and welcome them, get some more information, then I’ll give you a call back with their contact information and an update on what I learned while talking with them. Does that sound okay with you?”

“Sounds perfect. I look forward to hearing back from you shortly.” Susan hung up the phone and wondered what her new potential clients would be like. She loved helping people find their dream home. It was such an important milestone in a couple’s life. She liked the look of joy on their faces when she was able to find the right home for them. She thought again how glad she was that Jennifer had invited her to participate in the Real Estate Services Program for WAHFCU a few years back. She knew then that this was going to be great for everyone involved and it definitely had been.

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Chapter IV:

The Member ExperienceLucas and Maya thanked Gaby again for her help, got up and left the credit union. They walked out as they had walked in, hand-in-hand, smiling, anxiously anticipating the call from their new Realtor®.

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That evening Lucas and Maya were just finishing dinner when the phone rang.

“Hello,” Lucas said.

“Hello, may I speak with Lucas or Maya please?” the voice on the other end of the phone asked.

“Speaking,” said Lucas.

“Lucas, this is Amber, one of the member advocates from WAHFCU’s Real Estate Service Program. I wanted to give you a quick call to introduce myself and see if you might have a minute to answer some questions for me?”

“Hi Amber. Thanks for calling so quickly. We are very excited about getting started with a Realtor®. I am happy to answer any questions that you have.”

“Wonderful.”

“Fire when you are ready.”

Amber started to go through her brief list of questions. She wanted to gather information on where they thought they might like to live, what type of home they were interested in, how many bedrooms and baths, were they a first-time homebuyer, or were they looking for a vacation home or investment property. The answers to these

questions would allow Amber to determine the best Realtor® for them to work with.

“I believe I have all of the information I need, Lucas. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me this evening. You will be receiving a call shortly from your new Realtor®, Susan Monk. She is great to work with, and I am sure you will like working with her.

“Great! We look forward to hearing from her. We are anxious to get started looking at houses.”

“I bet you are. Finding a new home is such an exciting time. Lucas, I want to make sure that you are aware I will be in touch with you and Maya consistently throughout this process. If you have any questions on anything as we go along, please feel free to let me know. I am here to help you and ensure that your home-buying experience is exceptional.”

“Thank you Amber,” Lucas said graciously. “This is our first home so we appreciate all of the help you can provide. Gaby at WAHFCU has already been a big help.”

“Gaby does a wonderful job for the credit union and her members. We will be working very closely to ensure you and Maya have all you need. I will call you in the next day or two just to follow up to see how your call went with Susan. If you need anything in the

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meantime, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thank you again, and I look forward to working with you.”

Lucas said his goodbye and hung up. He went into the small apartment kitchen where Maya was finishing up. He was excited to share with her the name of their new Realtor®. He knew she would be as excited to get Susan’s call as he was.

The next day Maya received a call from Susan Monk. They agreed to meet for coffee that evening at 7 p.m. at one of the local coffee houses right around the corner from their apartment. After hanging up the phone with Susan, Maya quickly called Lucas to let him know of their plans to meet her later that evening. Maya had a good feeling about Susan and really felt that she might be just the right Realtor® for them.

At 6:45 p.m., Maya and Lucas left their apartment and walked to the coffee shop as they did many evenings after dinner. They were eager to meet Susan in person. Maya could not stop talking about how nice she had been on the phone and how she just had a really good feeling they had found the right Realtor®. They arrived,, walked in and started looking around, wondering who might be Susan. As they stood there eagerly searching for their Realtor®, a friendly voice to the right of them asked, “Hello, are you Lucas and Maya?”

Both Maya and Lucas turned to see a friendly woman smiling at them as they said, “Yes, we are.”

“I am Susan Monk,” as she extended her hand out to each of them one at a time. “It is so nice to meet you in person. I have a table over in the corner where it is a bit quieter so we can talk. Can I get you a coffee or tea?”

“I would love a coffee. Although, I had better go with you to order as my drink order can be a bit complicated,” Maya said as she smiled. “Lucas just likes plain coffee so his is easy to remember.”

“I never seem to get Maya’s order quite right,” Lucas smirked. “I can never keep all the no whip, non-fat, half this, half that right. I finally just ended up having her type me a note in my phone with the correct order, so I don’t have to remember it anymore. All the baristas here know when I walk in to place an order all I have to do is show them my phone and they are good to go.”

Susan laughed quietly inside as seeing the two of them interact reminded her of her and her husband. She knew that she was going to like working with them and hoped that they would feel the same way. Susan and Maya went to get in line to place their drink orders as Lucas settled into the table. He watched as they chatted back and forth like they were long-time girlfriends. Looking at the two of

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them it was hard to believe they met just moments ago. Lucas thought that this was going to work out nicely since they were hitting it off so well. Then a moment of panic hit him. There it goes, he thought, any hope of help from Susan convincing Maya he needed space of his own in their new home was all but lost the closer the two of them became. They were hitting it off so well that Susan was sure to take Maya’s side. He just knew it. Lucas quickly removed the thoughts from his head and smiled as Maya and Susan headed back towards the table, coffee in hand.

The three of them sat and talked for a long time just getting to know each other. After a while, Susan felt she had a pretty good understanding of their style and what they were looking for in a new home. She had taken some good notes on their conversation and already had a few homes in mind to show them. She was eager to get back and look to see if they were still available and also search out some others that might be right up Lucas and Maya’s alley. They wrapped things up and agreed that Susan would follow up the next day with listings for them to review. If they liked them, she would schedule time to take Maya and Lucas to see them.

“Susan, thank you so much for meeting with us this evening. It was great to meet you, and we are looking forward to working with you,” Maya commented.

“Yes, we look forward to working with you,” said Lucas.

Susan smiled, “I am looking forward to working with you as well. I have a lot of good notes and can’t wait to start looking at listings for you to consider. In fact, I already have a few in mind, but I need to check to confirm they are still on the market. Houses in the price range you are looking for have started to go rather quickly. There are still plenty to choose from, so I am confident we will find the house you are looking for.”

Susan extended her hand to say goodbye to Lucas and Maya. As she did, she was a bit taken aback when Maya gave her a big hug instead. Susan loved working with first-time homebuyers. They always made her smile and were full of good surprises.

The next day, as promised, Susan emailed listings for Lucas and Maya to review. They each looked at them separately during the day and had made a date that evening to go look at them together after dinner.

Maya and Lucas conversed about each other’s day as they prepared dinner. They deliberately tried not to mention anything about the listings Susan sent over as they did not want to influence the other. As they finished dinner and were cleaning up, the phone rang. Maya went to answer it and was pleasantly surprised to know it was Amber from WAHFCU Real

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Estate Services calling to see how their meeting went with Susan the night before.

“How did you know that we met with Susan last night?” Maya asked.

“I am kept apprised of milestone events during your transaction,” Amber stated. “We, Susan, Gaby and I, work closely to ensure that your transaction goes smoothly and you are well taken care of. So how did your meeting with Susan go last night?”

“It was wonderful. Lucas and I really like her. She was pleasant, attentive and really listened to us to determine what we are looking for in a house. In fact, she sent over some listings today for us to look at. Lucas and I were just getting ready to sit down and go over them together.”

“Well I am glad things went well last night. I will let you get to looking at the listings she sent over. If it is okay with you, I will check back in with you later this week to see if you had any luck with the listings.”

“That would be great, Amber. We appreciate your calling and making sure things went well with Susan.”

Maya hung up the phone and went back to help Lucas finish cleaning up. Within minutes they were sitting down to look over the listings. They opened up the laptop at the kitchen table and sat down to

starting looking at houses hoping to find that perfect home.

Over the next couple of days Lucas and Maya exchanged calls and emails with Susan. They had found a few houses they wanted to see, so Susan scheduled their visits for Saturday. Lucas and Maya were getting very excited, and Susan had done a good job of finding homes for them to look at that really had most of what they were looking for. Amber had called to check in with Lucas and Maya and was glad to hear they were going to look at houses. They seemed to be moving right along, and she was sure they would be finding their new home shortly.

Saturday came and Maya and Lucas met Susan for coffee. While enjoying their coffee, Susan shared the day’s with them. Susan took Maya and Lucas off to look at the houses they had chosen. The day was long and it seemed hard to keep all of the houses straight, but as they reached the last house for the day, none of that really mattered. As soon as they drove up, Maya had a good feeling about it. Lucas tried to tell her not to get her hopes up, but as he walked through the front door he felt the same way as Maya.

The house had only been on the market a few short days, and the current owners were looking for a quick sale as they were moving out of state. The house had been remodeled over the past few years and was in better than move-in condition.

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“This house is as close to perfect as I can imagine,” Lucas said excitedly. “I’m not terribly handy, you know.”

“This is a house we can move in to and live in without having to do much,” Maya responded.

“Don’t I know it that you’re not very good with a hammer.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“Just agreeing with you.”

The current owners had very similar tastes and color preferences. They both loved the decor of the newly remodeled house and could not wait to be able to move in.

Lucas and Maya contacted Gaby to let her know they had found their house. They were pleasantly surprised to know that Gaby had already received a copy of the purchase agreement from Susan and that things were moving forward. They had found their new home and now all that was left was to work with Gaby on getting their financing completed and close on their loan.

The next few weeks flew by and suddenly the day had arrived when Lucas and Maya would close on their new home. Susan and Gaby were at the closing office to help support Lucas and Maya. They had been there all the way through the process, and there was now just one more milestone to complete in the transaction: the closing. Less than an hour later, after two electronic signatures, Maya and Lucas were proud new homeowners.

Paperless and Electronic LendingWAHFCU is a fully paperless, completely electronic mortgage lender. To learn more about the benefits to both the member and the credit union, download Prime Alliance’s White Paper, 2010: A Homeownership Odyssey, from their website at www.primealliancesolutions.com.

Maya and Lucas thanked Susan and Gaby for all of their hard work and support through this process.

They made it so simple and easy, and they could not have done it without them.

The moving van and friends were to be at their apartment in 30 minutes. They needed to get going as they could not get started until Maya and Lucas arrived. They had the keys to their new home and could not wait to get started moving in.

The move took only a couple of days. Maya and Lucas settled into their new home rather quickly, too. There was not much that needed to be done to the house to get it where they wanted it to be.

This did not stop Maya from watching HGTV and coming up with new ideas. Lucas knew that this was just something that he would have to get used to. He

Cash Back RewardsPrime Alliance Real Estate Services has given back more than $5.5 million to members since it opened for business in 2003. Learn how your members can participate in this important program by visiting www.primeallianceres.com

knew HGTV would be a staple in their new home for a long time to come.

One day after a long, trying day at work, Maya pulled in the driveway just happy to be home. Before going in the house she checked the mail. The pile was larger than usual, Maya thought, but then she remembered the holidays were only a few weeks away. She was sure that most of it was probably junk mail, but she flipped through it quickly just to make sure. As she was flipping she ran across an envelope from WAHFCU. She wasn’t sure why they would be getting a letter from WAHFCU. When they closed on their mortgage they had elected for automatic payments, so she was not sure what the letter would be about. She hoped there was no bad news enclosed in the envelope. She could not handle anything else bad today. Maya opened the envelope only to be pleasantly surprised. Enclosed in the envelope was a check for $1,200. It was the rebate

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from the Real Estate Services Program. Maya had forgotten all about it. Her bad day quickly melted away and a smile came across her face. It was exactly what she needed. Maya looked up from the pile of mail and stared at the house. She loved their new home. She thought of all the assistance that Gaby, Amber and Susan had given to them so they could have a wonderful home like this. She loved this house. She could not wait to go inside and show Lucas the check they just received.

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- continued from page 4

Top Reasons to Use PARESMarketing Support. “A Better Way to Buy and Sell a Home” is the message the free marketing campaign helps you promote to your members. PARES provides posters, direct mail options, postcards, and statement inserts. Use as is, or customize with your credit union’s name, logo and contact information. Real Estate Services helps grow your purchase-money business. Our marketing materials get the word out.

Staff Training. Your employees are key to the success of this program. That‘s why we work with you to provide details and benefits of the program to your staff so they can talk knowledgeably with your members. We also hold monthly webinars and host a training session for your staff at a convenient time for you.

Easy Enrollment. Enrollment is easy, with three options within the Prime Alliance platform: the Apply section, the Landing Zone and the Application.

Commitment to Service. Prime Alliance Real Estate Services earns your trust with our member-focused service, and we share your goal of helping members become homeowners. We are committed to the success and quality of this program—and the ultimate satisfaction of your members.

Complimentary Program. Prime Alliance Real Estate Services is a no-cost benefit for your credit union and for your members. Whether buying or selling a home, your members will have an amazing experience using Prime Alliance Real Estate Services.

Prime Alliance Real Estate Services forges relationships between credit unions and the real

estate community. Credit unions close more purchase-money mortgage loans. Real estate

agents work with members who are pre-qualified. Members receive cash-back rewards.

Interested? Contact us at 877.638.2817

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