The Referral Partner You Never Saw Coming | Alex DiGioia & Pedro Lopez | GBB Ep. 136 - UWM HOLDINGS CORP

When you see opportunity present itself and you see someone who's wanting to grow and someone who is like-minded like you are, you are going to continue to feed into that. And so that's what I've done. He's included me in a lot of this stuff. And again, that's how we become this team. And you see the hats, you seethe logo, yousee the name. We're trying to develop a brand in our markets and really just take over the entire state of Florida. That's our goal. Welcome back to Good Better Broker as we bring in Alex DeGioia and Pedro Lopez. Alex, you are a senior loan originator with the A-Team, powered by Premier Lending Group out of Fort Lauderdale. And Pedro, you are with 210 Homebuyers Warranty out of Jacksonville. First of all, thank you both for being here. Thank you. Thank You for having us. And congratulations to you, Alex, because today you took home the Dominate shirt. Yes, I did. Yeah, it was quite the surprise, But we came up here with 20 agents ready to crush it, and it was obviously a good experience for them to see the hard work being put in. Well, this is a unique opportunity for us to sit down with one of our clients and one of their top referral partners because we talk about this a lot on Good Better Broker, about the importance of having those strong referral partners. And you two have teamed up. You guys refer to yourselves as the real estate big leaguers. We're going to get more into why that is what you guys call yourselves. But Alex, first of all, describe the way that referral partner relationships have impacted your business over the years. Yeah. So, I mean, I call it the lifeline of my business, right? And so 98% of my clientele are real estate agents, right. And so what I tell my partners in this industry is that they are my clients, right, my realtor referral partners are my clients. The borrowers are the conduit to our relationship, right? And so my goal is to provide them with as much value as I possibly can in different formats and ways. And so, I mean, again, without them, we wouldn't have a business that we would be striving in. And again, it goes back to some of the values that we bring to the table and what I perceive as who my direct client is, which is the real estate agent, right, so. Pedro, what about you? You work in a different line of the business, but how do relationships with your referral partners impact the success of your business? Well, I think it's the lifeline of the growth of my business. And I think at its core, real estate is a relationship building business. So the partnerships you establish along the way really can help fuel the growth OF your business in a very healthy way, right? Like for example, when Alex and I first met, we realized that we are very like-minded when it comes to doing business, establishing good, trustworthy relationships along the way. And we understand how to leverage each other's networks in order to be able to kind of collaborate and bring growth to both of our businesses, right? It's like, if I'm asked about, do you know somebody that can help me navigate through this deal because I'm having challenges finding the right loan officer to actually bring some sort of creativity and a strategy to help get this deal closed and they can't find somebody, I mean, top of mind, I refer them to Alex and vice versa, right? If there's somebody I hope that is in need of understanding the value of a home warranty and how that can protect their home's most important assets, right, and make home ownership easy, I think Alex is confident enough to say, hey, call Pedro. All right, so let's talk about that. How did this relationship begin? Because both of you are after the same thing. You're after relationships with real estate agents. So Alex, walk us through how the two of you started working together. Yeah. So I got in contact with a real estate agent up in Jacksonville and they had provided us an opportunity to sponsor their holiday party, which Pedro had already had an existing relationship with that brokerage. And so we sponsored the holiday party. And part of that agreement with sponsorship was getting the opportunity to do a buyer seminar or you know um some sort of class that they would you know market for us and get agents there so in january uh i put together a buyer seminar and pedro we got in contact with pedro um through the brokerage that we did the um the holiday party for and pedo sponsored uh the seminar with us he helped sponsor the food and um that's originally how we met was through that opportunity where we sponsored the holiday party. And then by sponsoring the holiday party, that gave us an opportunity to get in front of that brokerage's agents during doing a buyer seminar. And we kind of grew that from there. So that was January of this year, January 2026. So the relationship that we've been able to cultivate over the last nine months has just really grown. But that's originally how we met. And I think Pedro can tell you what he took from that, but it was something that I didn't have any thought of in the sense of building this together with him at the time. But as we continued to talk and as we continue to brainstorm and he sponsored a couple more buyer seminars with me, it just started growing into something where like, hey, we can do this together as a team and then started developing other opportunities where we sponsored other events and stuff like that together. And it's just kind of taken off from there. Yeah. I want to ask you, Pedro, Alex referenced that buyer seminar that he put in or put on. What was your impression of what he was delivering when you first heard him speak? I was very impressed. And I mean this in a very humble way. I'm not very impressed with a lot of people that speak in real estate. I've been in real estate since 2002 at all different capacities from loan officer to real estate agent to primarily investing the majority of my time in the tech space, right, of my career journey in real estate. And what really impressed me about Alex was his knowledge about certain aspects of the loan business, right? Like first time home buyer credits, down payment options and stuff like that, stuff that I've never heard before, not because I wasn't inside of that space in real estate at the time, right? Coming from technology, lead generation, software development, you're the rainmaker for a lot of these people. So you don't hear a lot OF the products that are available, a lot Of the options that are out there for first-time homebuyers. So for me, that's what really sparked an interest in wanting to partner up with Alex and his team was his level of knowledge, understanding, and the fact that he's there to educate. He's not really a pushy salesperson, right? He's demanding things out of the individuals that are attending a lot of the Lunch and Learns. It was more like, hey, let's take a leadership role here in educating this community because there's a dire need for education here. And we realized that pretty quickly. So from this initial meeting and you two start to get talking and start to know a little but more about each other. At what point, Alex, did you think to yourself that this could be a real business opportunity for us to join forces? Yeah. I mean, I, I think what it really came down to is the fact that we just continued our communication and then, uh, you know, transparently like Pedro has always been the one with the, um, you Know, with the want to do these events. Right. And like the one pushing to do more and more events as we continue to map out the year. and so i was just at the point where it's like listen like i see a opportunity in that market to really expand my business and i have a guy here that wants me to be a part of it and so why not just you know why don't we come together as a team and put these on and then the events that pedro and me would have conversations on i was like man like that is a true value opportunity for these agents um and so I was like yeah I'm down and like we just kind of mapped out you know, by four or five months of events that we were wanting to put on. And I relied on Pedro to obviously plan the events, partner with the events get the agents to show up there. And then I would show up There and provide, you know my value as a lender at these events. And so you know obviously originally it wasn't something that I thought was going to you know what it's going to turn into like it is now. But as we continue to have these conversations and Ike understood his business he understood where my business we just took that and just grew this and um and through the help of you know his creative mind and some of the events that we were putting on which we have more events coming up to end the year which i think is going to really turn this industry upside down 100 percent um it just started taking off and i i'm forever grateful about it and uh yeah it's just like we have 20 agents from the jacksonville market here right now like and then it's you know we've been doing this for nine months now right from all different brokers from all different brokerages in the in the jacksonville market and in leadership at that yeah there's a couple leadership opportunities here that came with us as well so it wasn't something again that i originally when we had the the conversation through our group text in january that it would get us to where we're at here in october um but as we continue to have these talks i was like man like this is a this is really really great opportunity to really go into of this market and dominate. And I think he sees the work ethic that I'm willing to put in. I see the work ethics that he's doing. And when you have two like-minded individuals with one goal in mind, it's really just taken off. It's something that's pretty insane to see. And I brought it up at the loan officer advisory board, which I know we talked about. And yeah, when you hear lenders, they always talk about partnering with title or an insurance company or something like that it's never been in my opinion a home warranty company and so that's where i think we kind of missed the boat a little bit on that as lenders and um yeah again i just and coming from the fact that i know who he is he knows who i am he knows my family now i know his family now it's grown into a true friend i talked to him more than i talked with some of my friends that i've grown up with you know but it's because we are we are so like-minded we're so hungry to grow. And it's just taken off from there. It's pretty incredible. 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He's come down to South Florida a couple of times as well. But yeah, I mean, again, it's not close at all. It's a lot of commitment and dedication to that market that we're putting in. But again, when you see opportunity present itself and you see someone who's wanting to grow and someone who is like-minded like you are, you are going to continue to feed into that. And so that's what I've done. He has included me a lot of this stuff um and again that's how we become this team and you see the hats you see the logo you see that the name um we're trying to develop um a brand and and in our markets and really just take over the entire state of florida that's our goal well defining what what a true meaning of a network right a communal network of like-minded individuals that have one goal in mind and that is how do we make ownership home ownership easy and how do we kept keep the homeowner as our top priority. Right. And I think what really sparked all these events was the home warranty world was completely new to me. One thing I knew was true is the fact that I knew real estate. I knew nothing about home warranty. So I had to humble myself again and start as a beginner. Right? So over a 12 month period, as I spent time out on the field, getting to know who the key players were, brokers, top agents, and so forth, I felt like over a 12-month period, it was time for me to give back to those individuals that were in my book of business that supported me and so fourth. So that's what sparked the whole entire Jumbo Shrimp events that we started doing. It was basically a token of gratitude, right? Saying, hey, thank you so much for supporting us. And we were very strategic about how we did the event. we first went after our, or at least I went after my marquee brokerages that I felt had been really supportive. And then we just went down the list, right? All the top brokers. And I said, hey, Alex, I'm getting ready to do this event. You're more than welcome to come join. I'll introduce you to some of the agents. I feel like some of these agents are definitely in dire need of some additional support. There's a lot of complacency in the Jacksonville market. And And what I mean by that is people have gotten accustomed to doing the routine like, you know, business, right? It's like my relationship with this person gets me this, gets me, this gets me. This nobody wants to be out there hustling, working. So I felt like there was a lot of opportunity for us to come in there and penetrate and put pressure into a market and create a little bit of discomfort, right. In a positive way, just understanding what agents were really in need of technology, technology support, education, just understanding that there's a lot of other things happening without outside of that Jacksonville bubble. All right. So, so you mentioned the jumbo shrimp and for people that aren't aware, we're not talking about food. We're talking about, we're talking About minor league baseball. And we're going to get to that in a moment, because that really is, is the setting for much of what you guys have built with your networking events. Before we talk about that though, I want to ask both of you, from your own perspectives, why are events such a valuable resource for attracting real estate agents? I mean, the events that we put on, we kind of double side the events in the sense of like some events that мы put on is more of the training, learning type events that WE put on. And then the other events that We put on are more of The relationship building. You can come out, have a couple of drinks, you know, let your guard down. We're not going to talk business. You know, a lot of the relationships that I've built into Jacksonville market pertain to like my family and like agents that lived in South Florida that now live in Jacksonville, that live in that Duval County area or doing business in that area. So a lot, you Know, we've kind of gotten to this point where we'll do the learning. We'll do The Buyer Seminars and things like that because we do have valuable information to bring to the agents and a sense of growing. but then we're also tying that with you know a mix and mingle type setting where you know with the jumbo shrimp we do like a little mix and Mingle before and then we go to the game and it's just a way to connect and just bring your guard down there's a couple drinks involved so it opens people up a little bit and it gets them to start talking about their kids their husband their their spouse or whoever the case may be I could talk about my wife and my kids and you know you start building a true relationship with these with the agents where it's not about referrals it's not about long you know getting leads so one i never talk about getting a transaction in these settings it's all about getting to know each other all about how can i help you grow and then and that's how we've sort of gotten this thing to where it's at today where it'S like we're not these pushy people that are expecting something out of it we're more about i want to build a true relationship with you and bring true value to your business and that's How we that's That's how we both approach our different areas of expertise, so to speak. I think you absolutely have to lead with education because there's a huge room and there's a huge gap in the Jacksonville market where agents are just at a loss. Poor leadership in brokerages. Brokers that don't really understand how to support their agents or will bring on an agent and just sell them short on the opportunity, which I find it to be extremely unfair for that agent, right? Where now they're jumping from one brokerage to the other. But I think for me, the reason why I specifically prefer to do the networking events is because I have those agents in a controlled environment and that environment belongs to us, right. And it gives us the opportunity to build those relationships. Not to say that lunch and learns and all the other stuff that comes along with the business aren't valuable, But I'm not going to be the warranty dude that's bringing soggy sandwiches to a lunch and learn to have the mediocre agent sitting there eating my food, not really paying attention to what I got to say. And again, I feel like I've had the opportunity over the years to be able to understand that the ones that are making decisions are the leaders. So I want to go talk to the leaders, I want To go find out how I can help their business or brokerage, not just solely being the warranty guy. but what other value can i bring to your business smart yeah no i think it's i think it's such a smart smart play um and and you know this this opportunity that you guys have there with this minor league baseball team um i want you to explain it to our to our listeners to our viewers because you guys are really capitalizing on a unique setting and it's also one that's affordable because minor league basketball as far as going to watch a live sporting event goes it's pretty affordable right yeah 100 percent uh i mean the the the stadium is super nice uh i mean what was for me what was super encouraging about this season was the fact that the jumbo shrimp were national champions last year so they did win the whole shebang although this year they didn't perform at the level that they needed to but i mean that was super engaging um and i think just the energy right um walking into the stadium you know it's it's baseball you know It's a summertime type of, you know, American pastime. Who doesn't want to be at a baseball game, you know, during the summer? I think the backdrop of the location for the Jumbo Shrimp Stadium says it all. You're in downtown in the heart of Jacksonville. Good energy, good vibes. We caught rain a couple times, but, I mean, it didn't stop us from doing what we needed to do. But I think every single event, we were able to understand that hey agents really do appreciate this they do want to be part of something different right they don't want to do the traditional things that have been going on over and over and again as a matter of fact i was just speaking to one of the agents that came here with us today and i just i asked her i was like have you ever had a warranty rep ever do anything like this you know like we like alex and i did in the past or what we're getting ready to do? She said, Pedro, never. So that to me is super encouraging. And it goes to show that there's a lot of room for us to come in to Jacksonville and dominate that market, because that's our vision. I want to dominate things. I wanna take control of things that I know that there're good opportunities to do so. And at the same time, delivering value for our community, our real estate community, right? And keeping in mind the number one priority, which is the homeowner. You know, how can we encourage homeowners to want to continue to purchase home, invest in real estate, first-time homebuyers? How can we help that first-term homebuyer get into a home? So we all play different roles in the ecosystem. And as long as we understand what roles we play, I think we can all grow together and win. Well said. And especially, too, thinking about what you do for a living, when you really do put the homeowner first. And as a mortgage broker, that's what you're all about. when you buy a home, especially as a first-time home buyer, you're thinking about every single penny because of this major purchase you just made. And so much of your concern is about the big ticket items, such as appliances. And that's where the home warranty comes in. So I think there's a lot of symmetry here. And I think it's great that you guys are doing this because I feel like when more of our clients hear about this partnership, they're going to try to reach out to a home warranty person in their market, too. Of course. And I think one thing that's happened in the industry is the messaging about home warranties has been diluted, right? Because now you have real estate agents that are trying to sell a home guarantee. Like, everybody needs to stay in their own lane, right. I don't go try to sell Alex's loans. He doesn't go and try to tell me my policies, but we understand the core of our business, right, and at the end of the day, if you're going to purchase a home and you're not keeping into consideration the fact that you need to protect your home's most important assets, your systems and appliances, right? And then all of a sudden you go into that home and that real estate professional or that real state agent that just sold you that house didn't even discuss a home warranty with you. That's a liability to them, but that's also doing you a disservice. You really weren't dealing with a real estate profesional. All you were dealing with was somebody that had commission breadth that wanted to take, you know, they wanted a paycheck into their bank account, not really caring about the future or the livelihood of their business that relies extremely on referrals. And you, Alex, are now taking this to the next level because you are gifting your borrowers a home warranty, courtesy of Pedro. How is this working out? Yeah. I mean, the buyers are super excited about it. And I think it's an awesome gift to give someone, especially considering the fact that what Pedro had mentioned, protecting their assets. And this is more of a long-term play with the relationship situation there. I'm not trying to dog the cutting board. The cutting board is undefeated always. But we can also give the cuttingboard and also a home warranty at the same time. So it's a little bit of a cost to us, but as mortgage brokers, we're anticipating, especially in the environment that we're in right now, is to maintain that client long-terms. And if you're providing them with something that they will have to keep long- term or should keep long term, they're going to think of you because you're the one that provided to it and i you know i give an example where um i told you guys i met pedro in january in february i had sponsored a customer appreciation event and i for a agent team that i work with and one of the clients that i did their transaction for i saw them there and i was asking him how you know how home ownership was all you know was going for him he's like oh you know it's going great outside the fact that you know a month into owning the home, my laundry, my washer and dryer went and I said, okay, so, um, did you have a home warranty? Now at the time I didn't know the product. I didn'T know anything like that. I just knew that he offered a home warranty and what it covered. Cause I hear him in the, you know, we would give him some time in the buyer seminar to discuss his products. Um, so I would pick up on that and he goes, Oh, the guy goes, the buyer goes,the homeowner goes, um I thought that was all a scam. And I go, well, no, it's not. Um but you probably should have had a home warranty because you may have been able to get... So again, I didn't understand the product. I didn't understanding what the services that Pedro at the time was providing. But as I brought that attention to him and I gave him that scenario, he was then educating me on how that would have helped that buyer. So I'm like, well, I remember when I bought my house, I had to go buy a new washer and dryer four months into it. So, I'm okay, well this is something where I think I can provide this as a tool, as a gift, so to speak, but also as a resource, as a tool to also keep that relationship with that buyer as well. So when the time comes and we refinance, there's a relationship there that we have already established, but it's also helping them, right? And so, yeah, I mean, it's just something that nowadays we, now I put it on, you know, you purchase a home with me, I do the transaction, we add a home warranty on there, and then we're working on different setups between our management teams to really extend that even more in the partnership with Pedro and 210 Home Warranty. And so we're looking forward to getting that solidified and this will just continue to grow our partnership and our team together. But yeah, it's just something where, again, back in February, I had no clue, but now it's like I am a little bit more educated to talk on it and then also see the value in it because now I have a home warranty on my house. I've used the warranty already. And so, um, and Pedro helped me out with that. So now being a customer, I have more, um. Ability to, to talk about it and offer it and say, this is a great opportunity for you as a home buyer to have this, um... To protect, again, your biggest asset, right? Because when you're, you know, it's a lot of money that we just spend to buy homes. 100%. I mean, I think, uh, cost becomes an issue in the absence of value, right. People will buy things and are not afraid to spend the money if they see the value right there's no value people are hesitant to do it so i mean if you were getting ready to buy a home justin and you bought a home and your loan officer showed up with the cut code seven knives right um and then a week later your hvac went out and your realtor told you nothing about a home warranty wouldn't you be pissed off and be like hey man i what do i need this knife for i actually need a home warranty to repair my ac house right so absolutely things like that into perspective and i mean would you rather pay an 89 service fee to have a contractor come out there assess the situation in the home tell you whether it needs to be replaced or it needs or could be repaired or would you rather have a contract to show up and right off the bat tell you you needed five thousand dollars because you need to replace this unit what would you do i think smart home ownership starts at the beginning by having a real estate professional lead the process of a transaction. And that's everybody involved in the ecosystem from the LO to the real estate, to the broker, to even the insurance dude or the title rep, right? We all play an important role in making that home ownership transaction seamless. It just depends on who your players on that team are. The real estate big leaguer season two coming soon. You guys have already accomplished so much. So it's going to be fun to see how this continues to evolve. Many thanks to both of you for joining us. This has been a lot of fun. Alex DiGioia and Pedro Lopez, thank you both for being here. Thank you. Thank you for having us. Appreciate it. That was fun, man. Thank You for watching Good Better Broker and helping us support independent mortgage brokers everywhere. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new videos, as well as your preferred podcast platform for a new episode every other Tuesday.