It’s No Secret: Why the Best Brokers with the Best AEs Make the Most Money
Your AE should be more than someone who quotes rates and answers calls. They should be a growth partner who protects your reputation, fights for your deals, and helps you win.
In wholesale, relationships aren’t just helpful “nice to haves,” they’re pretty freaking critical.
Every mortgage broker has experienced it at some point: a deal is moving forward, everything seems smooth, and suddenly something unexpected pops up. Maybe it’s an underwriting issue. Maybe a documentation challenge. Maybe the timeline gets tight.
That’s the moment when the quality of your relationship with your Account Executive (AE) becomes the difference between chaos and clarity.
On a recent episode of The Broker Journey, I sat down with someone I consider one of the best AEs in the industry, Kerry Cole, to talk about the role AEs play in helping brokers grow their businesses, close more loans, and build stronger partnerships with lenders.
The conversation uncovered something many brokers overlook:
A great AE isn’t just a vendor contact. They’re a growth partner.
Let’s break down why that matters and how brokers can leverage that relationship to win more often.
Why the AE–Broker Relationship Is So Powerful in Wholesale
Loan officers are the face of the transaction to borrowers and real estate agents, and in the wholesale channel, that is even more true.
But behind the scenes, there’s another critical role: the Account Executive representing the lender.
That AE becomes the bridge between:
The broker
The lender’s internal teams
Underwriting
Operations
Product and pricing support
When that partnership works well, deals move smoother, communication improves, and brokers gain an advantage.
But when the relationship breaks down, even strong deals can become unnecessarily difficult.
Kerry puts it simply:
“When a loan officer brings in a loan, that’s a vote of confidence. They trust that you’re going to deliver and help get that family to the closing table.”
That vote of confidence is something great AEs take seriously.
What Makes a Great Account Executive?
Most brokers assume the basics are what matter most.
Things like:
Fast responses
Competitive pricing
Product knowledge
Turn times
Those are important, but I would argue that they’re also the minimum expectations.
According to Kerry, the best AEs go far beyond those basics.
Here’s what truly separates great AEs from average ones.
1. Responsiveness and Real Communication
One of the biggest complaints in broker communities is simple:
“My AE never calls me back.”
Responsiveness matters because the mortgage business moves fast.
Questions pop up constantly:
Scenario clarification
Product fit
Documentation requirements
Structuring deals
If communication breaks down, everything slows down.
Kerry emphasizes that real conversations, not just emails, are where deals get solved.
Phone calls. Collaboration. Problem solving.
That’s how business gets done.
2. Being a True Advocate for the Broker
A great AE doesn’t just pass files along to underwriting.
They protect the broker’s reputation internally.
That means:
Reviewing scenarios before submission
Helping structure files correctly
Communicating urgency to operations teams
Fighting for deals when challenges arise
When a broker hands off a loan, the AE becomes the internal champion for that file.
The best AEs take that responsibility personally.
3. Showing Up When Things Get Difficult
Trust isn’t built when deals go perfectly.
Trust is built when problems appear.
Kerry shared a perfect example: a broker calling her on a Sunday morning because they encountered a scenario they’d never handled before.
Instead of ignoring the call, she jumped on with the broker and the Realtor to solve the issue.
That’s the difference between:
A transactional AE
A true business partner
The Broker’s Side of the Relationship (Where Many Go Wrong)
The AE–broker relationship is a partnership.
That means it’s a two-way street.
And while great AEs show up for brokers, brokers also need to show up for their lender partners.
One of the biggest mistakes brokers make is forgetting that.
Here are three of the most common issues that damage lender relationships.
1. Poor Communication
Many problems start with missing context.
For example:
A deal that must close in 15 days
A first-time Realtor relationship
A borrower with a complex financial story
If the AE doesn’t know the backstory, they can’t properly position the file internally.
Great partnerships involve sharing the full picture, not just submitting a file and hoping for the best.
2. Last-Minute Deal Submissions
Another common issue:
Submitting a deal Tuesday that must close…well, Wednesday (You get the point).
While lenders will always try to help, these situations create unnecessary pressure on underwriting and operations.
The earlier an AE can prepare for a file, the better they can prioritize it internally.
Planning ahead benefits everyone.
3. The “Throw It Into Underwriting” Strategy
This might be the biggest mistake of all.
Some brokers submit files hoping underwriting will figure it out.
Kerry calls this out directly.
Instead of submitting questionable files, brokers should collaborate with their AE beforehand.
Ask questions like:
Does this scenario fit guidelines?
Should this be structured differently?
Are there documentation issues upfront?
This improves submission quality, which helps everyone.
How Bad Submissions Hurt the Entire System
Something many brokers don’t realize is that poor submissions don’t just hurt their own files.
They impact everyone’s turn times.
Every time a lender receives a file that has no chance of approval:
Underwriters spend time reviewing it
That slows down review queues
Other deals wait longer
As Kerry explains:
“A ‘no’ upfront is better than a maybe.”
If a deal won’t work today, it’s better to know early.
Sometimes the right answer is:
Not now
Fix this issue
Revisit in six months
That’s a better strategy than submitting a deal that will never close.
How Brokers Can Leverage AEs as Growth Partners
When brokers use their AE relationships correctly, something powerful happens.
The AE becomes a strategic partner in business growth.
Here’s how brokers can leverage that relationship more effectively.
Share the Story Behind the Borrower
When AEs understand the borrower’s journey, they become more invested.
Maybe the borrower:
Spent years fixing credit
Is a first-time buyer
Is trying to close before a major life event
Those details matter.
They give internal teams motivation to help solve problems.
Ask for Scenario Guidance Early
Instead of submitting uncertain deals, brokers should run scenarios with their AE first.
This helps:
Prevent avoidable denials
Improve submission quality
Speed up approvals
The best deals are structured before underwriting ever sees them.
Treat AEs Like Business Partners
Many brokers treat lenders like interchangeable vendors.
But great brokers understand something different.
They build long-term partnerships.
Because the right AE relationship creates:
Better support
Faster solutions
More confidence in difficult deals
And over time, that leads to more closings.
The Future of Wholesale: Relationships Matter More Than Ever
As the mortgage industry evolves, one thing is becoming clear.
Relationships matter more than ever.
Technology, automation, and AI will continue improving systems and processes.
But the human side of lending, the collaboration between brokers and AEs, will remain critical.
Because at the end of the day, the goal is simple.
Helping families get to the closing table.
As Kerry puts it:
“Nobody cares what you know until they know how much you care.”
That mindset is what separates average partnerships from great ones.
The Wrap
The best takeaway from this conversation might be this simple idea:
We should expect more from each other.
Brokers should expect responsiveness, advocacy, and expertise from their AEs.
AEs should expect preparation, communication, and professionalism from brokers.
When both sides deliver, the result is powerful.
More efficient deals.
Stronger partnerships.
And ultimately, more homeowners getting the keys to their new homes.
If you want to learn more about working with Kerry Cole and MLB Wholesale, you can connect with her directly here: kcole@mlbmortgage.com
And if you have a story, system, or strategy that could help other brokers grow, you may even be a future guest on The Broker Journey.
Because the best lessons in this industry come from the people in the trenches doing the work every day. If that’s you, send me a message!