In honor of being named to National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s Top 40 Mortgage Professionals Under 40 List, we sat down with Tom Gillis, SVP/Correspondent Western Division, to get his unique insight on how he got here and the exciting things in store for TMS.

Q: What’s your favorite quote/motto to live by?

A: “You cannot control everything that happens to you; you can only control the way you respond to what happens. In your response is your power.”

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of from 2018 in your career?

A: Looking back over 2018, I am most proud of joining TMS to run the West Sales team. I’ve had a blast helping build out our correspondent platform to become one of the top investors in the market. And now, I am excited to say that all the product roll outs we’ve had over the last 6 months have positioned us as the go-to-renovation investor!

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is a new mortgage banker?

A: I’d start by saying keep your cost structure as variable as possible and focus on products like government loans since the profit margins are better. It’s no surprise that our industry is one of the most difficult to staff because interest rates and volume are hard to predict. But, don’t let this stop you from capturing the wealth of market share that’s out there!

Q: What tips would you give to Correspondent Lenders who are working with TMS and want to grow their business?

A: Educate yourself on the product offerings out there. Do you want to help grow homeownership, close more loans, and recruit loan officers? Product offerings will help you do all three of these things. Start taking advantage of TMS’s wide product menu and guidelines.

Q: What’s one thing our partners don’t know about TMS Correspondent that they should?

A: We’re not your competition! We no longer have a retail or wholesale channel to compete with our partners. Instead, we try to go the extra mile to help our partners and offer co-branding to give customers back to correspondent partners. This really separates us out from other investors who have aggressive retail solicitation practices that undermine the relationships lenders have with borrowers. We are championing our client’s success.

Q: What exciting things can people watch for from TMS over the next year?

A: Our partners are at the center of every decision we make, and this next year will be no exception to that. Throughout the year, we will continue to announce new products and add partners to our co-branding program. Our clients make big investments and work hard to create and build relationships with their borrowers. Why would they want to lose that after they sell off the loan? At TMS, we want to help our clients retain those hard-earned borrower relationships. And we have a lot more comings, so be sure to stay tuned to not miss any of this exciting news!