For as long as he can remember, Ben Chenault, Jr. has been surrounded by a family of REALTORS®. His own family members were inspirations that guided him into what he now refers to as “his calling.” Ben majored in Finance at UAB with plans to become a financial planner. However, while a student he worked part-time for a mortgage company. “By the time I had graduated,” he says, “I had fallen in love with mortgage lending—the perfect marriage of real estate and financial planning.”
That love affair led him into a job as a Senior Loan Officer with a real estate owned lender. “When our company was purchased by a large bank, I felt it was time for me to venture out. I wanted to be the best, and I realized there was nobody in Birmingham doing what I wanted to do,” the 33-year-old entrepreneur said.
A month later, Ben started his own business, MortgageBanc LLC. “I knew I wanted my company to stand apart from other mortgage lenders. I not only wanted to be my clients’ go-to lender, but their mortgage planner as well and ask the questions other people don’t ask. I learned early that, if you take care of others, you have nothing to worry about. They more than take care of you. I set out to create long term relationships with my clients, not just close their loans and get them out the door.”
Ben stays in touch with all his clients by sending them items like personalized mail outs, informative magazines, Annual Mortgage Reviews and even periodic gifts. Ben lets his clients know that, even though their loan may be closed, he is still their mortgage lender and he appreciates their business. “I have found that you can never do too much for your clients,” he says.
A key factor that sets MortgageBanc apart from other lenders is that Ben works closely with his network of REALTORS®. Ben has found that REALTORS® are looking for lenders they can rely on. “I’m not the donut guy. I’m not the refinance guy or the debt consolidator. I am the go-to guy if you’re a REALTOR® or client who wants straight talk about financing a home and a smooth closing. I think it’s extremely important to provide a trust factor with my REALTORS®.”
When asked how he extends his values to his partners and co-workers, he answers confidently, “I hire employees who share my views on client nurturing.” Required reading for all new hires is Ken Blanchard’s Raving Fans, a short motivational story about customer service. “Too many lenders merely settle for satisfied customers. In my opinion, a satisfied customer just isn’t good enough. I want to go beyond the satisfied client and, as Blanchard says, create raving fans out of them.”
“My goal is to be known as the best mortgage lender in Birmingham. I want to extend my networks and keep building lasting relationships with my clients, my REALTORS® and my community. I am so thankful to have found my niche, and I keep working every day to become better at what I do.”
As husband and father of two little girls, Ben Chenault, Jr. is learning to balance work and family. He even fits in a game of golf now and then. If he continues to create raving fans, he’s well on his way to becoming the best lender in Birmingham.
MortgageBanc LLC
3000 Riverchase Galleria, Ste. 755Birmingham, AL 35244
Phone: 205/986-4220
Fax: 205/986-4221
bchenault@mortgagebancllc.com
