CRMP: Across the Kitchen Table Kiel knew she could do better, so in 1996, she and her husband, Dan, founded Kiel Mortgage. By around 2004, some of her loan officers were doing reverse mortgages. She recognized their benefit for customers and started working on them herself. Soon, she switched her work model. The Kiels’ daughter, Michaela Eulberg, took over the forward mortgage side of the business while her parents focused exclusively on reverse mortgages. When Kiel entered the industry, mortgage brokers didn’t need a license to do business in the state of Washington. Though it didn’t make her “beloved in the industry,” she served on the Washington State Mortgage Broker Commission from 2004 to 2007, helping lead the enactment of a consumer protection package that included licensing requirements. To her, it was common sense. “I felt it was utter stupidity that you could do the most important transaction of your life on a home with someone who had no licensing of any kind at all—no background check, no anything—but you couldn’t get your hair cut or your fingernails painted unless that person had a license,” she says. “It seemed ridiculous to me.” Kiel earned her CRMP around 2017. “You don’t accidentally maintain the CRMP,” she says. “You have to be proactive and take the continuing education courses.” The CRMP means something to people, Kiel adds. “It means that you cared enough to become the best you can be,” she says. “They feel like they’re in good hands.” The CRMP teaches not only the technical skills needed to work in reverse mortgages but also the soft skills of customer service, which boil down to “communication, communication, communication, communication.” “Be available,” she says. “I tell my customers that I’m available 24/7. I don’t care if it’s 1 o’clock in the morning. If you have a question, I do not want you to worry. That’s my job. I don’t want you worrying about something that takes me 30 seconds to answer.” She built the business through advertising and lunch-and-learns. Those methods waned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, her office gets calls from those who hear of Kiel Mortgage through word-ofmouth and referrals. Across the Kitchen Table continued from page 13 Precise Control. Expert Execution. ASSET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS Five Brothers’ reputation for integrity, accuracy, and reliability has been built upon a relentless drive towards customer satisfaction. For over 55 years our expertise in nationwide field services, advanced technologies, and unrivaled Reverse/HECM/FHA expertise continues to build value for our customers, while improving communities across the country. Experience the Five Brothers difference… stronger results from the ground up.™ www.fivebrms.com • 855.552.8020 Inspections • Property Preservation • Violation Resolution Utility Management • Registration Services • Hazard Claim Repairs REO Asset Management and Disposition Safe. Sound. Secure. 14 REVERSE MORTGAGE / JULY–AUGUST 2023
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ1MzY1