Nicholas Framarini says brokers are winning trust through consistency, clarity, and conversations that don’t end after closing
Big lenders dominate the airwaves. Their names line stadiums, billboards, and banner ads. But as broker Nicholas Framarini sees it, that visibility doesn’t always translate into value. “They can buy your attention,” he said. “But they can’t buy your trust.”
Framarini, a co-founder of MortgageStar independent brokerage in Washington, DC, doesn’t have a national marketing budget. What he does have is a methodical approach to building relationships – and keeping them long after the deal closes. “We win by being consistent, staying in front of people with real value and not noise,” he said.
Post-close planning as a strategic edge
That consistency begins after the loan funds. “Anyone can quote a rate or issue a pre-approval,” Framarini said. “But the folks who stick around, the brokers and lenders who every year we're checking in with our client, we’re checking in after closing, making sure things are okay with the first payment.”
Follow-up isn’t just goodwill – it’s positioning. “We'll have a call with them [to say] ‘your rate’s at this, what’s the rate that we want to be at,’” he said. “When rates come down, we’ve already done the math. We’re not scrambling.” In a volatile market, being ready to act is the difference between catching the window – or missing it. “You can’t call and pitch 40 people in a day,” he said. “You’ve got to know ahead of time who’s ready and why.”
Education, not automation, builds trust
First-time buyers often arrive with more questions than answers – and a lot of online noise. “A client said, ‘I went on ChatGPT and it told me the closing time is 30 to 60 days,’” Framarini recalled. “I told them, that’s true – but the national average includes 180-day new construction. Your agent needs 21 days. That’s the real deadline.”
That’s why he insists on starting with a real conversation. “You can’t replace the first conversation,” he said. “That’s the one thing we emphasize.”
Rather than send a link and wait, Framarini walks buyers through options, process, and differences between brokers and direct lenders: “All of the things they need to make a real decision,” he said.
Tech supports, but humans deliver
His workflow includes 11 automated touchpoints, but they exist to support – not replace – human contact. “We still call,” he said. “The system sends reminders, but we follow up with the conversation. That’s what prevents things from slipping.”
The technology stack is smart but intentional. “We use Calendly to schedule, Otter AI to transcribe. Then, if someone’s self-employed, the system prompts them to upload tax returns. If they own property, it asks for mortgage statements,” he said. “We don’t send a blanket list of 22 documents.”
A voice in policy – and in the market
Framarini’s view of automation is also shaped by lender relationships. He described one wholesale lender whose aggressive pricing is offset by a fully automated model. “All of their stuff is automated... their underwriting is automated,” he said. “You can’t call anybody; you have to put in a help ticket.” Even for an experienced broker, it’s a strain. “If I can't handle that type of service and I’ve been doing this for 10 years, can you imagine a consumer who knows absolutely nothing?”
That kind of friction drives him to the policy front as part of the Brokers Action Coalition, where he advocates directly with lawmakers on issues like trigger leads. “Every single time I pull [a client’s] credit, I get, ‘I can't believe I’m getting blown up with all these calls,’” he said. “They think I sold their info. I didn’t – the credit bureaus did.”
He sees that as more than a nuisance – it’s a breach of trust. “It’s a terrible practice,” he said. “We’re working with Congress to get it done, [so we can say] ‘here’s a link – send it to your congressman’.”
Unlike traditional lobbyists, Framarini arrives at meetings in the middle of active closings. “I tell them: I just talked to a borrower before this meeting,” he said. “We are your local resource to understand what the constituents are feeling.”
Relationships, not reach, build market share
“We’re not bankers in 16th floor buildings sending in government affairs staff,” he said. “We’re the ones sponsoring T-ball teams.”
And while national lenders may flood the market with brand recognition, Framarini says brokers are steadily gaining ground. “After 2008, brokers were down to 8% market share. Now we’re at 25%,” he said. “We’re growing – and we’re earning it.”
The deals that stick, he noted, aren’t always the smooth ones. “It cracks me up,” he said. “Most of the partner agents that I’ve gotten over time… it wasn’t the deals that went smoothly. It was the ones where something completely chaotic happened. We fixed it. We closed. And they remembered that.”
Framarini’s advice to borrowers is direct – and to the point. “If you don’t like me, go find another mortgage broker,” he said. “You’ll still get better pricing and service than from a big-name lender.”
That, he says, is not about branding – it’s about showing up. And in today’s market, that wins more than any billboard.
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