Mortgage advisor shares secrets on persuading hesitant buyers off the sidelines
Despite some recent good news about improved affordability in the housing market, it is still challenging in many areas of the country for first-time homebuyers to get into a home.
The affordability challenges, combined with the daunting nature of making a major purchase like a home, are leaving many potential buyers too afraid to finalize a deal. For mortgage brokers, the challenge is to help those first-time buyers overcome their fear.
Ross Sykes (pictured top), a mortgage advisor with Homefront Lending LLC, believes that the process of reducing fear in buyers starts with building a strong relationship.
“I think one of the biggest things is creating a really solid relationship from the beginning and asking what's their why,” Sykes told Mortgage Professional America. “What is their goal? What are they looking to do?”
For some potential first-time buyers, part of the initial process of building trust may involve telling them that they’re not quite ready to buy.
“You have someone who has a 70% debt-to-income ratio, they don't need to buy right now, or maybe they don't need to buy this much house,” Sykes said. “They might not want to hear it, but we're here to advise and get the truth. And I feel that if you're straightforward and truthful with people, they tend to come back.”
Reassuring the anxious buyer
For brokers working with first-time homebuyers, the process often requires extra hand-holding, as the buyers are going through it for the first time. That doesn’t just include informing them of the steps along the way, but being there to assure them that they’re making the right decision.
“I had a conversation this morning with a first-time homebuyer,” Sykes said. “They've been anxious the whole process. I’ve been holding their hand, advising them, and encouraging them, and we're nearing the end. I had a conversation with him this morning. I said, ‘Is there anything you're anxious about?’ He said, ‘Really, it's not anxious. It's just we want to make sure we're making the right decision.’
“I said, ‘Okay, let's open up that envelope a little bit more. I would not have given you a pre-approval if you couldn't afford this home. And on your current liabilities, your assets and your monthly income, you have more than enough residual income to still live your life, to still take vacations and do things.’”
He said that all of those conversations were integral not only in reassuring the buyer but also in building trust in him throughout the process. He said some of the things they were anxious about, he didn’t even realize at the time, until he asked them about it. He said it is critical to have that ongoing dialogue.
“Just connecting with them, letting them know it's going to be okay, and letting them know it's okay to feel that way, so I understand what they’re going through,” Sykes said. “Having somebody they can trust and is going to be there for them, and not just be there for them for the transaction. When the loan closes, they're still going to hear from me.”
Unwrapping fear
When working with first-time buyers, sometimes they don’t qualify for the mortgage they want. Sykes said it’s essential not just to tell those buyers no, but to guide them and provide a path for them to eventually get the house they want. It just might take a little longer than the buyers had hoped.
“I say no quick,” he said. “Part of saying no quickly is when you're working with clients, some people need to hear no. Some people have never heard no in their lifetime, but it's important for them to hear no. What you say behind that makes a difference. It’s not, ‘No. I can't help you.’ It is, ‘No, but it doesn’t mean no forever.’
“It means no, right now, let's get you on a path, so we can put you in a position where that no turns to yes. I have people all the time that I've given denials to who come back and qualify. If you have people that you advised, and three or four months down the road, you're following up with them once a month, and they're still not doing it. Are they going to do it? Probably not.”
Kristi Hardy of Atlantic Coast Mortgage says uncertainty around federal job security could cause buyers to pause, but DC’s housing shortage and resilience remain steady. Her message: stay calm, guide clients, and remind them this too shall pass.https://t.co/ZP5HnL874f
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) October 2, 2025
Even for those who didn’t follow through with Sykes’ advice, he still follows up with them. He said it might just take one more conversation with them for things to change. It's another chance for him to remove the element of fear and get them on the right path.
“Eventually, one conversation, one word, is going to shift everything,” he said. “I say, ‘What's going on for you to be in this no situation? What's holding you back?’ It's fear. Okay, let's unwrap fear. What's that fear? ‘Well, I'm just scared because I've had family members buy houses and they've had foreclosures.’ I tell them to learn from others' mistakes. Let's put the actions in place so they can live the American Dream.”
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