Some people ask us why we think Guardian Mortgage is such a great company. There are lots of reasons, but it’s hard to articulate them when you haven’t worked as closely with the entire staff as Brian McCary has. It actually took leaving for another company for McCary to see what makes Guardian so great, and it was a pleasure to hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
This month’s Guardian Angel started his career in the mortgage industry at Guardian only to leave the company and then return. It’s that varied experience and Guardian’s company culture that shows why this mortgage business is able to attract top talent all over the Dallas-Fort Worth region and beyond.
Read on for more about Brian McCary, a family man and dedicated mortgage professional at Guardian Mortgage.
daltxrealestate.com: We’ve heard you’re the “Comeback Kid” at Guardian Mortgage Company – that you left in 2010 after five years with the company only to come back a few years later. Can you tell us about that experience, as well as why you decided to come back?
Brian McCary: It was a very difficult decision to leave Guardian, but I knew I needed to at that time in my career to explore new opportunities within the mortgage industry. The time away has made me a much more educated mortgage professional. Deep down I knew I would make my way back to Guardian, and when the opportunity became available I did not hesitate to take advantage of going back to a truly great mortgage company, and I feel as if I’m an even better asset to the company.
CD: What made Guardian stand out to you, when compared with your previous employers? Was there something that made you miss it while you were away?
McCary: I missed the people and my co-workers, I missed how Guardian approached the business and how they treated their customers. We see a lot of customers get caught up in the lowest rate/ lowest fee game, and overlook the importance of a true mortgage company that has the ability to service the mortgage from start to finish. To have one of your largest assets serviced by a great company is a large value add that a lot of people forget about, and Guardian has been doing it for 50 years and has perfected it. I have seen the awful servicing companies out there and have spoken with their clients who would have opted for a higher rate to have a great servicing company service their mortgage if they would have known then what they know now.
CD: What’s your mantra as a loan officer? Is there a key to delivering a great experience to your buyers?
McCary: I don’t know if there is necessarily a “mantra” I go by, but I have learned and believe that by setting the right expectations, and by keeping all parties informed throughout the process, will help in making the mortgage process much better and smoother for all parties involved and ultimately keep your customers coming back to you. This is a very difficult industry, full of change and confusion. Customers want to know what is happening, and by simply communicating that their loan has been approved or even that we have no news today, is sometimes the difference between a repeat customer that refers their friends and family, and a customer who looks elsewhere on their next transaction.
CD: Tell us about your kids. We hear they’re great swimmers.
McCary: Georgia (9) and Jett (7) are both amazing kids that take part in just about every activity available. When they were 3 years old they would spend their summers playing in a pool and learned how to swim on their own at a very young age. They never had any formal lessons until they made the swim team, they just loved the pool and took to the water immediately. Both of them recently qualified for the state finals in a few events and were able to travel to the state championships in College Station. It was a great experience for the kids at a young age.
CD: Do they get their swimming talents from you or your wife?
McCary: Considering I was the athlete in the family and their mom never really competed as an athlete, I’m going to say me. As a matter of a fact I think they are both stronger swimmers than their mom. It is very common on summer vacations at the ocean that Georgia will go out with me into the ocean and dive for sand dollars in about 10-15 feet deep water, and she can dive to the bottom and grab sand dollars off the bottom. Jett is also a very strong ocean swimmer.
CD: What do you like to do as a family, when you’re not out at meets cheering on the kids?
McCary: There is not one single thing we like to do more than another. We do and try just about anything out there; keeping the kids busy is important. It is very typical that there is not a weekend that goes by that is not full of some social activity, or physical activity from biking to museums, we like to try it all.
