In this conversation with HousingWire’s Allison LaForgia, Ryan Barrus, National Director of Sales at Acra Lending, reflected on the transformation of the non-QM lending market, the importance of trust-based broker relationships and why loan officers who think proactively are finding success with today’s increasingly complex borrowers.
Barrus began by sharing his path into the industry and the lessons that shaped his leadership philosophy. “When I started, it was a much different landscape. Non-QM had not been really well established. Most people hadn’t heard of it. There were a lot of skeptics,” he said.
He credited mentors who taught him that leadership starts with earning trust. “They gave me the guidance of, ‘you really need to lead from the front and establish a followship’. Nobody’s going to follow you if you’re not doing things that are enviable or noteworthy.”
After speaking with thousands of loan officers over the years, Barrus said one theme consistently stood out. “The recurring theme that I always got from them is trust. They need to trust their lender. It’s not so much about rate or program. It’s ‘Can I trust you?’ This is an important relationship with my realtor partner.”
