New NAMB growth officer provides tools to help mortgage brokers engage local community
It has been a challenging few months for mortgage brokers, who have been working with clients to overcome the impact of elevated interest rates and affordability challenges. The new growth officer at the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) aims to provide the support necessary to help brokers navigate this challenging time.
Ginger Bell (pictured top), NAMB’s new growth officer, stresses to members of the organization that building those local relationships will help brokers navigate this time of headwinds. She cited businessman Gary Vaynerchuk’s theory about becoming the “digital mayor of your town.”
“I think an important topic, especially for brokers, would be that local influence,” Bell told Mortgage Professional America. “Gary Vaynerchuk always talked about being the mayor of your own town. And so I think, what does that look like, and how can you do that?”
Bell recently spoke at a realtor event in Atlanta where she explained why that philosophy was so crucial for mortgage professionals.
“We were talking about building that local presence with businesses in your community,” Bell said. “Because they all have people that they know and they have an influence on. So I think a lot of that is leaning into what your influence is and how to expand on that.”
Staying up to date on technology
One of the ways she tried to empower brokers during a challenging stretch is by helping to educate them on new technology that can help streamline their workflow.
While brokers cannot directly influence rates or address macroeconomic affordability issues, new tools can help reduce costs and alleviate some of the job's stress.
“I think that a lot of the education is helping brokers know what tools to use,” Bell said. “There’s so many advances now in AI, and that’s a lot of my focus, and what I do in my business outside of what I do with NAMB. They’ve asked me to help them build in their growth for NAMB. What are those tools? How can you use them?”
Bell is launching a podcast this month that will keep mortgage professionals informed about the latest technology developments.
“The technology is changing every day, and it’s advancing so quickly that it is hard to keep up with,” she said. “I just started a podcast that will talk to vendors in the mortgage space to provide those tools for AI and understanding them. You’re running a business, taking loan applications, growing your business, marketing your business, and doing your mortgage call reports. Having a quick, easy resource to be able to go in and look for a tool that can help.
“To be able to have a place where you can go and quickly ask a question and get an answer, it’s very important to be able to have that for support.”
As part of her new position, she is working to develop educational content in the organization’s new Hive, a hub for NAMB members to connect with other brokers, learn new topics, and stay informed about industry trends.
“Understanding that we have a new technology we’re looking at brings a lot to the table that will help brokers to streamline other processes,” she said. “The thing is finding that in one place, instead of having to go look here or there. It’s having that, being able to ask questions and have those connections.”
Focus on your craft
Bell understands the stress that mortgage professionals have faced in the current market conditions. It makes her job of helping find new ways to make a broker’s job easier even more critical.
“You can kind of feel like you’re in a silo,” Bell said. “Especially, we have so many things that have compounded everything. Whatever is going on in the industry, between originators coming into the mortgage space, maybe working independently, but haven’t worked independently for a little while. And then, figuring out the business side of it and the collaboration side of it.
“I’m really excited to have a place where loan officers can go collaborate, to type in questions and get them answered, or connections to be made, not just once, when we see each other at a national conference once a year.”
Mark Munson of CapSource and Eric Panecki of Brick City Capital shared insights on building local, relationship-based mortgage businesses. They stress that presence sets brokers apart in a competitive market. https://t.co/Se4D4tf5PL
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) July 1, 2025
She loves the collaborative nature of the mortgage broker industry and believes the helpful nature of brokers can help lift colleagues during challenging stretches. Bell also believes it’s a critical time to cultivate a positive mindset, rather than focusing on things out of your control.
“Hang around with people that are going to elevate you, not sit and complain,” she said. “There’s nothing we can do about what the rates are right now anyway, so there’s no sense in complaining about it. Focus on your craft. Get better at your craft.
“If somebody wants to build their business, find out how to be better at marketing. How to be better at connecting. How to be better at building those relationships. How to do a podcast. Those are the kinds of things that will help activate your business.”
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