Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Cook.
Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When people ask me how I became a mortgage banker, I often say “by accident”. When I was 21 years old (1998 – do the math) I was a bartender at the Tabernacle music venue. I had recently dropped out of art school because I realized that there was no way I wanted to do ART for a living and I was making money by tending bar. I wanted so badly to have a “REAL” job, like in an office (why? I have no idea -but my young mind seemed to think that’s what I was missing in my life), so I ended up getting a day job at this little “shitty” mortgage company off of memorial drive (the hood side). I don’t think I was making more than $15k per year at this job. I started as the receptionist and remember being bored out of my mind. I was still bartending two shows per week at the tabernacle and making more money doing that than I was working 40 hours a week at the mortgage company. But I persisted and eventually, the owner of the company began giving me more work to do.
Before I knew it, I was handling all their post-closing documents. I basically re-organized the entire department because the way they were doing things was archaic. Once I finished that project, I wanted more. I eventually was put in a position to process loans. They taught me exactly nothing and basically threw me to the wolves, but it was okay because as it turns out, that is the best way to learn the mortgage business. This was at a time when the government had rolled out all of those stated income, stated assets, no documentation, just gotta have a pulse type mortgages. They were giving people 100% loans and some spending money at the closing table. Even at 21 with a brain that wasn’t fully developed yet, I knew that was not going to end well… but I processed the loans day in and day out. Keep in mind that the loans I was working on were the worst of the worst. Any financial or credit problem a person could have, my clients had layers upon layers of them… But I didn’t know any better because that is literally the only thing that ever crossed my desk. At this time, we would also broker some loans out. So, the account reps for these brokered loans would come and pay us a visit from time to time and I got to know them. It wasn’t long before they were like “what are you doing working in this hell hole?” that question had honestly never occurred to me.
Several of them suggested that I interview to work for their company. So with the urging from a friend, I decided that I was going to interview at 5 Atlanta mortgage companies all in one week. I had four interviews lined up for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but still didn’t have one for Friday. Thats when I got a call from a girl friend of mine who had no idea that I even had this plan and she said that there was a family that she had been nannying for and the husband just started working for a mortgage company and they were in need of a processor, she said “isn’t that what you do?” I was like ‘Can they interview me on Friday and just like that, I have my fifth interview lined up. The next week I began the interview process and was overwhelmed by the amount of money these companies were offering me and they all offered me the position on the spot. I held out until I completed my final interview on Friday. Spoiler alert – I took the job with the Friday interview. But not before I made three of the companies battle it out over the highest salary. Truth is, I wanted to work at the Friday interview company because I had a big office with a door on the 15th floor in a Buckhead high rise and I would have done it for less, WAY LESS. I nearly doubled my salary in accepting this job.
I had a moment of panic before I started my new job because I was not even sure that I was qualified for the job. I trained on their operating system in their Alpharetta location for about a week. I noticed that the average age of the processors with this company was somewhere around 50. I found that odd. I was like a little baby to them and I caught a lot of sideways glances when they were told I was the new processor for the Buckhead office. And then, once again, I was thrown to the wolves. But these wolves were more like cute puppy dogs. I had never seen loan files so clean in my life. W2 borrowers with perfect credit. I actually didn’t know such a thing existed. I was cranking out loans faster than any other processor in the company. In my first year, I was the top-producing processor. n the whole company. As it turns out, that crappy company on Memorial Drive was the launch pad for a career that I have now been doing for 25 years. And the man who hired me still works as the regional operations manager for the company I am with now. He has basically watched me grow up.
Over the past 25 years, I have worked in nearly every department of the mortgage business. By 2009, I had hit a ceiling as it pertained to the amount of money the bank could pay me in an operations position, and this bothered me. I was 32 years old and I was not about to be a 50-year-old processor making the same amount of money until my retirement. So, I decide to get into sales and became a loan office… right after the mortgage crash… when lots of loan officers were bowing out of the game. By some stroke of luck, the timing ended up being perfect. I took on a commission-only position and I never regretted it a day in my life. I was at an age where all of my friends were starting to have families and buying houses. It just grew from there.
Here I am 14 years later, a leading sales person in my industry, about to send my son to College and I love the life I live. I have flexibility and freedom and the financial means to enjoy the life I have created. Most importantly, I love connecting with my clients and helping them through the process of buying their homes.
I don’t know how much additional details you want, but I am happy to elaborate on the times in between because it has been a crazy ride.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, the mortgage business is ever-changing. I think that is why I like it. Once you feel like you know everything, everything changes. The market fluctuates and the products change with the economic waves like seasons. It is feast or famine… never a dull moment. High-interest rates can be a challenge, like right now, but we are coming off of a two-year stretch of unicorn rates that no one ever expected. Truth is, I love the challenging nature of this job. If it was not challenging, I would probably be bored to tears. My job is basically to fix problems, so I think obstacles and challenges are my area of expertise.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ameris Bank?
With over 25 years of banking experience, I apply my knowledge of financing options and advanced technology to make your loan application experience positive and effortless. Extensive industry knowledge, experience, and a commitment to outstanding customer service are keys to my tremendous success as a residential mortgage loan originator. I believe that a mortgage should be a relationship, not a transaction, so I work with each client to help them build a mortgage financing program that best meets their individual financial needs and equity objectives. Whether you are building the home of your dreams, buying your first home or refinancing an existing loan, I have the experience, service and expertise you need. Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases most of us make. I’ve seen it all. And I understand how you feel. Once you finally find the perfect home, let me help you quickly find the perfect mortgage.
Ameris Bank is a Local Bank started in Georgia but has expanded to the entire Southeast. I have the ability to lend in 42 states and I have loan products for everyone from first-time home buyers who need down payment assistance to self-employed borrowers with complicated tax returns. Ameris Bank is one of the leading Lenders in the state of Georgia for mortgages and it is an amazing company to work for. It is a BIG bank with a small bank vibe. You will always get a live person on the phone and we take customer service very seriously.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Although I dropped out of Art school way back when I still have a deep desire to be creative and I still paint when ever given the chance. I think my artist’s brain actually comes in handy when sorting through complex financial puzzles. So that art school was also a stepping stone in my journey that was not wasted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bankers.amerisbank.com/ga/atlanta/emily-cook-545281
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyCookMortgageBanker
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-cook-57897715/
- Twitter: Emily Cook – FMLS #545281 @LOANSforATLANTA
