Good post. Made me take my own personal inventory and think about ways that I can better serve my own customers.

My partner, Jacob Planton, always runs into this sort of problem, except more on the flip side. Jake works for Rose City Mortgage, and often has to compete with bank lenders. Problem is, banks will tell just about anything you want to hear to get your business, and you often have to give up the one-on-one service you might expect because of sheer customer volume. I’ve watched client after client leave Jake for “better” rates, and later come back and say they should have just stayed with him from the start.
It’s important to remember that banks are limited to what their corporate rules and rates are, vs. the broker side which has the wholesale values you mentioned. Finding an excellent loan officer who knows their stuff, looks out for the interest of the client, works past 5pm on weekdays, and does everything in a timely fashion, is rare indeed. It’s my policy to look for local lenders if you want to feel more like a person than a number, and be more educated on the whole home buying process.
Great article!