How Julie Johnson Builds a High-Performing Mortgage Team

Brian: Welcome to CCM Talks. I am Brian Covey, and I am here today with regional vice president Julie Johnson.  So Julie, welcome to the show.  

Julie: Thank you, Brian. Nice to meet you today for the first time, too.  

Brian: I know it feels pretty cool. I’ve done enough research and I was looking at all the things you’ve done. And you know, what stood out to me is you lead one of the best female-led leadership teams. Not just female, but you’re producing at a high level $170 million. I think you said earlier and you’re leading a team. So talk to me a little bit about your leadership style and what it’s like working on your team.  

Julie: Well, thank you so much. Well, first of all, the female aspect of it is really important to me. Most of our people are all women, which is kind of fun. And they’re, they’re really driven and they’re strong and, they’re just, you know, you’re nothing without your team. And so I just want to give kudos to them first.  

Brian: Well, I can tell. As you listen and you talked about your team and I’ve heard you talk about them there. I think it probably starts with you being a producer and then you’re able to coach people. So if you think about this is what is it like when you work on that team of producers thinking, okay, Julie could be my leader. What’s different about a female predominant team then, then not? 

Julie: No offense, but we get things done quickly, too. So we, we make decisions quickly and we implement. There’s no overanalyzing, not that, that men are like that. I want to make sure that that’s not the case. But the group of women that, that work with us, we’re very decisive and we move very quickly. So, I think whether that’s in sales or the operations piece of our business, I think you need that in both, in both sides for sure.  

Brian: You work in a very tech predominant market. We were talking about this in Seattle. What are majority of your buyers you work with? First-time homebuyers, move-up buyers. What do they look like really? 

Julie: Really 80% first-time homebuyers. These first-time homebuyers are buying homes you know $1 million plus. So I’m in the Seattle market. So my clients are mostly software engineers, scientists, lawyers. I’m right there in the tech hub, where across the street’s Meta, to the left is Amazon, behind me is Google. I’ve been there for about almost 13 years now. So those are my clients. Those are the right shoppers that will, you know, go online and find the best rate possible. And, you know, we don’t succumb to that, you know necessarily. 

But we do things in our process where we’re really adding value. So that client just, you know, I don’t want to be a commodity to anybody. I want to be a value that’s really, really important. So educating those first-time homebuyers is what, those are my first-time homebuyers, that’s what they need.  

Brian: Yeah, I love that. And when you said first-time homebuyer and the price point that’s there, I’m sure people listening are going, okay, I’d love to have those. But then you also said they’re also savvy and they’re shopping you. And so you get a little bit of both.  

Julie: Yes, yes. So, my mentor told me a long time ago that batting 300 is amazing. So what does that mean? That means if you have ten leads and you’re closing three of those, you are killing it. So just like baseball, batting 300 is amazing. So I know that perspective. And I’m I’m not going to get down on myself if I can’t, you know, if I’m not for everybody. And that’s okay.  

We pride ourselves in being, you know, a really like, small boutique type, you know, team where we’re really trying to add value, educate people. We do things in our process that, you know, bring joy to the experience. And when you have fans from, you know, real estate agents who refer us, they are very they do a great job of convincing their clients, hey, you need to talk to Julie and The Johnson Team because they have an amazing process. So they don’t say you have an amazing rate rate. They say you have an amazing process. So I really believe that you can build that even in a town like where I live. 

Brian: I love that. For people listening, I think they’re going to see that wherever they are, they can start to build it. And part of this has come from, I know you’ve been part of The Core 13, 14 years? 

Julie: Actually ten years in The Core and coach for seven years.  

Brian: Okay, so that was it. So now a coach there, talk to me a little bit about that experience of moving from student then all the way through now and coach. 

Julie: Yes. So, I’ve been in the industry for over 25 years, so keep that in mind. And when I, you know, when I met, when I was actually first introduced to The Core, I was my, my mind was just exploding. I was sitting in, you know, a big conference room and just saying, wow, this is exactly what I needed. Because I think that when you, well, anyway, when I grew up into the mortgage industry and no one said, you know, you got to do this, you got to do that.  

So The Core has provided me with tactics like real tactics, not just woowoo stuff like, you can do it. It’s like if you actually do this on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, you could build a business, you know? So tactically we know what to do. But then on top of that, you know, in our industry, when somebody says, you know, you should be the branch manager because you’re producing all of this business, well, you don’t become a good leader because you’re a top producer, right? So I have stumbled throughout the years burning and churning through great people learning how to do that. 

And what The Core’s taught me is that, you know, that’s part of the process and it’s okay. And don’t give up and just learn from every person that leaves you. Learn from every person that advances with you. And that’s really what The Core’s taught me. It’s really taught me how to build a business and structure and kind of like be the CEO of my own business. 

Brian: Yes, I love that. We could, we could jam on that for a while. But I do want to, people that are listening, that are producing leaders, what’s that lesson you wish you had known sooner and that journey of doing both roles? Because I think you’re talking to something that a lot of people struggle with. I struggled with that transition. 

Julie: Yes. The best line is that you’ve never made it. It’s not when you think you’ve made it, you’re, you’re in trouble, you know. So it’s always about getting better. Every day I think about getting better. Not about getting bigger. But guess what happens when you get better? You get bigger, then you hire and then you’re, you’re learning and you’re growing. 

And I just want to be a better leader, not just for my family, but also for the team members. Right? I want them to have great lives and I want to get them to that point. So to me, it’s more today it’s about, you know, investing in my team more where before my first five years in The Core, it was about building my, my own business. 

Brian: Yeah, yeah. So pick up, you’ve got a lot of great energy, positive energy and all that. And your enthusiasm. I would imagine keeping that high, leading a team in your own production. What do you do to maintain that?  

Julie: So I’m naturally a positive person. I’m not going to lie. And I can be annoying. I know I’m annoying to some other people. However, I have bad days, I have bad days that I wake up and I’m like, oh, do I want to go into the office today? But I, I make sure that in my process, whether that’s talking to clients or having the, when the client actually goes under contract and is actually closing with us, we implement a lot of joyous things in the process. 

So it is very much strategic that you have to put that in your business all the way from the beginning to the end. So, and if anybody wants to know what that is, let me know. I’ll let them know. I have actually a sheet on it. But you can implement joy in the journey for your clients. And it and it’s infectious and it makes you more upbeat and makes you feel like, wow, they’re happy. It makes me happy. I’m adding value and we’re all happy now. Not everything is like that, but the majority of the clients are.  

Brian: I love it with that intent and it’s a good value add. Which kind of leads me to social media because you’re sharing a lot of things on there. Heard you talk about your building your brand. I saw that. Talk to me a little bit about what that journey has been like and the intentionality of building your brand on social? 

Julie: Right. So, three and a half years ago, I made the decision that, wow, if I don’t start getting on social media, I’m going to be really far behind. I think in my space, three and a half years ago, the real estate agents were doing a better job. And they still are today, to be honest.  

But, you know, I know that as a lender and social media, I’m not looking for like clients to find me online and say, hey, I want a loan from you. Like that does happen and it’s wonderful. But what I’m really looking for is my brand. It’s my resume. So when somebody does get introduced to me, they can Google me, they can find me on social and they, oh, she knows what she’s doing. 

And so what I’m trying to do when I look in the camera, if you look at my content, it’s very intentional. I’m talking to a first-time homebuyer. I’m not talking about anything crazy about this product that we have that has 29 guidelines. I’m talking about, you know, what you need to do to get pre-approved.  

It’s very simple. You have to dumb it down. I’m talking at a third grade level because even though I have scientists and doctors and, you know, engineers, they don’t know our, you know, our language. So it’s really important that you, you’re always speaking to your client when you’re on camera. Yeah.  

Brian: What advice would you give somebody that maybe is hesitated or hasn’t gone more all in like you have? 

Julie: Yes, yes. It’s scary. I’m not kidding. I you know, I just jumped in it and I just said, I’m going to make a decision. I’m just going to do it. I’m going to be consistent. So when I started off, I posted two Reels a week. A year later, I was like, okay, I’m going to do, you know, four Reels. And then today we post everyday something. 

And it doesn’t take a lot of time for me to do that today, because when I started, it did, it took me a long time to to to batch content, ten Reels. But today I can sit and do ten in like 20 minutes with a few different short changes. Right? So it does it really, people say, you know, it takes a lot of time. That’s not true. If you’re intentional and you make the decision, it’s not going to take too much time. So, so social media is very important in my in my business. 

Brian: I can tell you did a great job with it.  

Julie: Thank you.  

Brian: So I love to ask this question. This is always what you know, I look for is beyond the numbers. All the success you’ve had top producer, top female led team, all these things you’re driving, you’ve got these results. How do you make sure and how do you define success outside of that?  

Julie: Right. Success for me is, you know, the money’s wonderful. I’m not going to lie. It gives a lot of freedom for us. If I need to help a family member, if I need to, you know, leave a legacy, which I’m going to be leaving a legacy for my for my children, my children’s children. You know, it’s it’s so freeing. It’s just, you know, and I’ve always been driven. I’ve always wanted to do really well financially. So that has been wonderful.  

But it’s it’s making sure that, you know, what I’ve learned from The Core too is, you know, relationships are deliberate. So whether that’s with your real estate agent, with your clients, you need to build relationships. So it’s really about relationships. So something that’s, you know, I’m a grandma right now, I have four grandkids and they’re from the ages of ten months to four years. And because of the freedom that I have today, every Friday morning from 8 a.m. to noon, I’m able to spend time with them. And then I go to the office after. 

But, you know, I can’t do that unless, you know, unless I’m intentional. So everything I’ve learned, you have to be intentional with your family, too.  

Brian: Yeah. Amen. Okay, last question. If you’re going to give yourself advice in that journey, spending time with the grandkids now and the kids and all that, things you love to do outside of work, what would be one thing you wish you would knew sooner to do that? 

Julie: Sorry, are you talking about family?  

Brian: Family, yeah. Spend more time so you’re not just strapped to the office and work and always working. 

Julie: Exactly. Well, you know what? I have, two of my kids work for me, which is great. And, you know, I have four kids. Not all of them can work in the industry, but these two can. But I make sure that they know that, well, first of all, they have to work harder than everybody else, you know, so that they’re really wonderful and great. But my daughter, she’s been with me for 12 years, she’s my team captain, and I’ve just, you know, she keeps me in check, too, which is wonderful. But that is actually intentional because I can spend time with her. 

And then my son, who started, gosh, two years ago right out of college, he, you know, I get to watch him become a man. And so that is just for me is wonderful. And then my my other team members are all like under the age of 32. So they’re all young and they keep me young. And it’s really just all about relationships. 

Just make sure you build those relationships and it has to be intentional to make your life fulfilled.  

Brian: Yeah, I love it. Julie, this has been amazing. I could talk to you forever.  

Julie: Oh thank you, Brian. 

Brian: I know people are going to love to hear this, your journey and what you’re doing and inspiring that next generation and also leaders that they want to actually have some meaning and purpose and then building their brand and all these things that you’re doing. 

Julie: I’m still learning, trust me.  

Brian: Aren’t we all? Aren’t we all? Well, guys, it’s been another episode of CCM Talks. If you’re interested in learning more about CrossCountry Mortgage, make sure you reach out to us and find out what working for Julie would look like, or anywhere else in the country with one of our teams.