Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Coulibaly.
Ben, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
While I was a senior at Bates College (2017), I thought I would further my education and pursue a law degree, but I later decided that was something I didn’t want to do because I had a burning desire to pursue real estate. My initial intent was to take classes to get my real estate license so I could become a realtor, but I met a mentor of mine at Bates who informed me that there were so many more sectors in the real estate industry that I should look into like financing. I had no idea what financing real estate entailed but my mentor informed me at the time that there was a huge demand for a new younger mortgage professionals in the industry. I had no idea what a mortgage real was and what the process even was to finance a mortgage let alone the process of become a mortgage banker. He encouraged me to look into it and I did exactly that and became in awe with the idea of tapping into a sector in the industry that would allow me to fully comprehend the financial details needed to help others obtain homeownership.
I began my banking career at JG Wentworth Home Lending where they paid college graduates to take mortgage lending courses and take the test to become licensed bankers. I spent about 8 months at JG Wentworth working on the call center side of mortgage lending and I hated it. I didn’t like being in a cubical for 8 to 10 hours cold calling people that didn’t want to be on the phone with me. I nearly left the industry because of how much I hated it, but an associate banker & friend of mine told me that I should try retail mortgage lending where it was more relationship base style of lending and less transactional. I loved the idea of being able to network with different people every day and have more control over my career, so I left JG Wentworth and started work for KeyBank to begin my new journey as a retail mortgage banker and for the first two years I struggled a lot only making about 40,000 annually. I sticked with the understanding there were other mortgages professional around me make well over six figures some even making half a million. At the time I was living in Philadelphia, PA and wanted a change for myself and my career hoping it would take me to the next level and decided that I would take a leap of faith and move to Atlanta, Ga to continue my mortgage lending career.
I took an offer I received from PNC Bank and moved to Atlanta GA, May of 2019 and that was truly the beginning of my mortgage career real shaping to form to what it is today. I’ve been able to assist countless number of people from different demographics and financial backgrounds to become homeowners. I am also very blessed to say at age 27 I made my first six figures as a mortgage banker and it has been more blessings and opportunities since then. I realized my true passion is being able to educate others and being able to empower them in through the wealth of knowledge. Now at age 29, I realize the more I continue to educate and empower others the more lives I positively change and in turn, my income reflects it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all my biggest struggle in the mortgage industry was finding the right mortgage company what fit exactly what I wanted to do with my career. In my six years in the industry, I have been with 7 different lenders some good and some bad but all of them showing me how I preferred to shape my mortgage career.
Another struggle experienced in the beginning was wanting to savior for everybody without knowing enough to be able to. I know homeownership is a part of the American dream for most Americans especially minorities and being a Black African American Banker in a white-dominated industry most people see you as the light of hope for them and their goal towards homeownership. I wanted to be that hope for them even when I didn’t know enough to be able to and I realized quickly that without true experience in the field I really couldn’t provide much direction which in turn made me feel like a slight failure in my first two years in the industry.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a mortgage banker, I assist people in the home-buying process by negotiating, structuring and financing their homes. I specialize in first-time home buyers having financed Conventional, FHA, VA & USDA programs. What I am most proud of and what set me apart is how I am truly passionate about educating people who may not know anything at all about the home-buying process or homeownership. I take pride in being that light of hope for people who may be the first in their family to ever own a home because of the knowledge I am about to share.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the diversity of Atlanta Ga. One of the main reasons why I decided to move here was because in Philadelphia, Pa seeing black professionals and minority business owners that were thriving isn’t really common but here in Atlanta, it is. I saw myself becoming a part of that when I decide to move here, and I’ve been blessed to see that happen for me.
I also love the food here in Atlanta and all the options to choose from. I can have a high qualify steak and the steak market and if I am craving African food I can go to little Lagos and eat there. Atlanta pretty much has it all when it comes to food.
I dislike the traffic!!! That’s it
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benthebanker_/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/benthebanker__
