{"id":5118,"date":"2026-10-07T11:27:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T15:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.800.com\/blog\/?p=5118"},"modified":"2026-10-07T11:27:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T15:27:21","slug":"loan-officers-january-buyers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.800.com\/blog\/loan-officers-january-buyers\/","title":{"rendered":"Loan Officers: January Buyers Are Shopping Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A lot of first-time buyers decide over the holidays and start calling in January. The loan officer they already know gets that call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Who’s thinking about buying right now<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Start with the people whose plans could put them in a home by spring. A renter with a lease ending then has a useful reason to call now. Ask when they need to move before you talk about the loan process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Couples making plans for the new year may still be deciding whether buying fits their lives. Give them room to explain what they want. Someone expecting a year-end bonus may need help understanding how that money fits into a purchase plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Past clients need a different call. Ask what’s changed since you last talked: a raise, a new baby, a home that suddenly feels small. If a refinance review makes sense, it’ll come up naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write down each person’s reason to call. “I offer mortgages” isn’t a reason. “Your lease ends in April” is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Run a “pre-approval before the new year” offer<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Offer a free pre-approval review call in November and December. Tell people exactly what you’ll cover: where they stand, what lenders will look at, and what to do before spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reserve time on your calendar before you promote the offer. Ask buyers to bring their questions about getting ready for a spring purchase. Let them know how to provide any requested documents through your normal secure process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the call, find out what they’ve already done and where they’re unsure. A buyer who hasn’t spoken with an agent needs different guidance from someone attending open houses. Keep the discussion tied to their situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afterward, send a simple purchase plan. One next step, one date you’ll talk again. If an application comes next, say so plainly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Get in front of buyers through partners<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ask your realtor partners about their holiday client events and open houses. Offer to come answer financing questions. Agree on your role up front, then show up as the friendly expert in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bring the free review-call offer into conversations where it fits. Someone who says their lease ends in spring has given you a reason to discuss timing. Let the person decide whether they want an appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For builders, pitch a co-branded flyer that tells buyers who to call with financing questions. Get the wording approved before it prints, and make your number big enough to read from across the model home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partners taking time off? Send them the holiday call coverage guide for real estate agents<\/a>, and agree on who answers when either office is closed. Every buyer should reach a person on the first try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blue<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Make your number easy to find and remember<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Put your phone number where a buyer can see it without searching the flyer. Use the same care with open-house signs and mailers. Look at the finished design at its actual printed size before approving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vanity number from 800.com<\/a> uses a memorable word or phrase for those offline materials. With a separate number for each realtor partner, 800.com call tracking<\/a> shows which partner sends calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep a record of which number belongs to each partner. Give each realtor the correct version of the flyer, and test the number before they distribute it. A useful source report starts with materials that match the number you assigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stuck on the message? Borrow from these holiday phone campaign ideas<\/a> and tie each one to a buyer’s next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"AAnswer every buyer call, even at 8pm on a Saturday.<\/span>Get My AI Agent<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Answer when buyers call<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Buyers call when they finally have a minute: after work, after the kids are down, Saturday night. Decide now who picks up while you’re with another client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An 800.com AI agent can take those calls. It asks about timing and price range, answers your go-to first-time buyer questions, and books a call on your calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teach it what you’d tell a buyer on day one: how pre-approval works, what documents to start gathering, how long the process takes. When someone asks about rates, it books them a call with you, where that conversation belongs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then call it yourself. Ask for a rate before anything else. Read the booking notes like you’re prepping for the appointment. If you’d need to ask the buyer to repeat themselves, tighten the questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Follow up the first week of January<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Make a list of everyone who called during the holiday period. Include the next step you agreed on, rather than sending the same message to every person. Someone with an appointment needs a different follow-up from someone who postponed a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Jan 1, 2027, text callers who agreed to that contact with a clear next step. Refer to the conversation they had with you. Ask whether they’re ready to book the review or continue the task you discussed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep texts short and friendly, and move documents through your secure process. If someone’s timing changed, update your notes so the next call picks up where you left off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Start this week<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n