In this episode of CMB Connect, we analyze how Ruoff Mortgage achieved significant year-over-year growth in the Michigan market during 2024, defying the industry trend of stagnation in a high-rate environment.
Host Val Buresch, CMB, sits down with David Jackson, CMB, to deconstruct the strategy behind this lift. The conversation reveals that success wasn’t driven by a specific niche product or builder strategy, but rather by a "back-to-basics" approach to sales consistency, a high-touch management style, and a unique culture that turns former employees into "boomerang" hires.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: David Jackson & The Michigan Market
01:44 - Strategy: Accepting the "Higher for Longer" Rate Environment
03:00 - Management Philosophy: The Manager as a Resource
05:51 - The Boomerang Effect: Why Loan Officers Leave and Come Back
08:40 - Protecting Operations: Balancing Recruiting with Support Capacity
10:11 - The Truth About Sign-On Bonuses & Aggressive Poaching
12:34 - Recruiting Strategy: Experienced LOs vs. The Junior Model
14:48 - IMBs vs. Banks
18:30 - Speed & Execution in a Competitive Market
20:00 - 2026 Outlook: Playing the Long Game in Recruiting
About the Guest
David Jackson, CMB is the Area Manager SVP at Ruoff Mortgage, covering the Michigan market. With over 30 years in the industry, David recently earned his Certified Mortgage Banker (CMB) designation. He specializes in building high-performing sales teams. LinkedIn Profile
About the Host
Val Buresch, CMB, CMCP, AMP is the founder of Polygon Research—The Shape of Mortgage Intelligence. Polygon unlocks open data sets with mortgage market analytics at the loan level. Val served as the 2024 CMB Society Chairman. LinkedIn Profile