How to Close 100 Loans a Year With Katie Stockert

Most originators look at top producers and assume their success is the result of natural talent or getting lucky with the right real estate agents. But the truth is much simpler: elite growth comes from obsession, conviction, and a willingness to do the hard work that everyone else avoids.

In a recent episode of The Mortgage Rainmaker Podcast, I sat down with Katie Stockert, a loan officer on Team Shayla at Guild Mortgage. In just four short years, Katie went from closing 25 deals in her first year to 71, then to over 110. Today, she is on pace for $40 million in production.

If you want to know how to close 100 loans a year, Katie’s journey is the ultimate blueprint. We broke down exactly how she structures her team meetings, how she leverages unique referral partners, and how she built an unforgettable brand.

Why is Closing 100 Loans a Year a Rainmaker-Approved Goal?

In the mortgage industry, hitting the 100-unit mark is a massive plateau to break through. It is the benchmark where you transition from simply being a successful mortgage loan officer who hustles 24/7 to a true business operator who must rely on systems, boundaries, and team delegation to survive.

Closing 100 loans a year proves that you have mastered your sales conversion, built a loyal base of referral partners, and established a reputation for closing on time. But to get there—and to handle that volume without completely burning out—you have to change how you operate.

How to Stand Out as a Loan Officer: Do the Hard Things

When Katie started, the market was tight. There weren’t enough leads to go around. Instead of complaining, she asked herself how to stand out as a loan officer. Her answer? Do the things that other lenders think are “too hard” or “not worth the time.”

Katie grew up without financial privilege. She remembers what it was like to stress over $50 a month, while other people in banking would roll their eyes at buyers who were worried about small payment differences. She channeled that frustration into her competitive edge.

She took the hard bond loans. She counseled clients on how to remove $1,200 collections from their credit reports. She eagerly drove across town to track down an 84-year-old HOA president just to get a condo approved.

“I built my career on hard loans. I don’t expect this to be easy. It never has been. So I will work for it and work for you to get this stuff done.”

— Katie Stockert

When you are willing to fight for a client when everyone else says “no,” you don’t just win a deal—you create a raving fan for life. People buy your enthusiasm and your conviction long before they buy your mortgage products.

How to Close 100 Loans a Year Framework

To scale to 100+ loans without losing her mind, Katie had to fix her operational bottlenecks. When buyers were getting into contract, the handoff to her Loan Officer Assistant (LOA) was clunky, causing friction and confusion.

To fix this, she implemented a strict 3-meeting rule:

1. The Pre-Approval Meeting

Katie does a quick 5-minute intake call, asks the client to fill out the application so she can “run it through all the different programs,” and then books a formal pre-approval consultation. She irons out all the tricky income documents before she hands out a letter, ensuring the pre-approval is bulletproof.

2. The Initial Disclosure Meeting (The Handoff)

This is where the magic happens. As soon as a client goes under contract, Katie does not quote rates via text or email. She books an “Initial Disclosure Meeting” on Zoom. During this meeting, she goes line-by-line through the Loan Estimate.

Crucially, she brings her LOA onto this call. This puts a face to a name, establishing her assistant as a deeply knowledgeable co-pilot. Learning to hire the right loan officer assistant is important, but knowing how to effectively introduce them to your clients is what actually buys you your time back. Since implementing this meeting, Katie has only lost one client to rate shopping.

3. Capitalizing on Closing Day

Katie physically goes to her closings. Mortgage is a tough job, and closing day is where you get to experience the smiles, the hugs, and the gratitude that make it all worth it. Furthermore, the title company lobby is the easiest place for the agent you are working with to introduce you to the agent on the other side of the transaction.

How Can Financial Advisor Referrals Help You Reach Your 100 Loan Goal?

Most loan officers spend 100% of their prospecting time chasing real estate agents. But if you want to know how to get referrals from financial advisors, you have to realize they are an incredibly untapped goldmine.

Last year, 7% of Katie’s business came from a single financial advisor she met in a local BNI networking group. Because Katie spent time educating that group on how clients get screwed over by hidden points and rate-shopping traps, the financial advisor explicitly tells his clients: “Don’t shop around. Go to Katie.”

Financial advisors are highly protective of their clients’ wealth. If you want them to refer business to you, you have to offer solutions that make them look like heroes.

Pitching Asset Utilization Loans (Non-QM)

Show them how high-net-worth clients who might be retired or lack traditional W2 income can use their existing assets to qualify for a home without liquidating their portfolios.

Pitching Fixed-Rate HELOCs for Debt Consolidation

Explain how home equity lines of credit can be used as a strategic debt-management tool to consolidate high-interest consumer debt.

Pitching Bank Statement Loans for Self-Employed Clients

Educate them on how their self-employed clients, who write off heavy expenses to save on taxes, can still qualify to buy real estate using business bank statements.

Another Tip for the Road: Asking Real Estate Agents for Raw Feedback

You will never grow if you are too fragile to hear the truth. One of the best loan officer tips Katie shared was her willingness to ask top-producing agents for raw, unfiltered feedback.

She tells her referral partners: “If I ever do something that annoys you or pisses you off, and you just go to another lender without talking to me, that would devastate me. Please give me the opportunity to change it.”

Because she creates a safe space for honesty, her top agents feel comfortable calling her up and saying, “Hey, you need to take it down a few notches for this client.” Check your ego at the door, invite constructive criticism, and adapt.

Stop Making Excuses and Start Creating Momentum

Closing 100 loans per year isn’t luck. Going from 25 deals to a $40 million pace in four years isn’t luck, either. It takes an obsession with the client experience, relentless communication, and the conviction to do the hard things most loan officers avoid.

Stop complaining about the market. Stop avoiding difficult files. Start building the habits, relationships, and systems that separate top producers from everyone else.

If you’re ready to elevate your business, keep learning from the best in the industry. Subscribe to The Mortgage Rainmaker Podcast for weekly conversations with top-performing loan officers and mortgage leaders, packed with practical strategies you can implement right away.

Are you ready to make it rain? Let’s do this.