Meet Todd Bitter | Mortgage Broker & Public Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Todd Bitter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Todd, what is the most important factor behind your success?
My success boils down to these simple points: staying on message, communication, hard work and a love of what I’m doing. I pride myself on communication and availability for my Realtor partners. My brand/motto is “Answer your damn phone” This has become my branding nationally amongst the Mortgage Broker community. When I speak to crowds of loan officers I always end every speech with “Answer your damn phone” this came out of 100s of Realtor interviews I did after the 2008 housing crash. I wanted to know what the #1 pet peeve agents had toward loan officers..almost every single agent said they wish loan officers answered their calls more regularly

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
JKS Mortgage, LLC in Scottsdale, AZ – Senior Vice President. We are a small independent mortgage broker serving the state of Arizona. We have achieved success through developing Realtor relationships by giving very personalized service no other company can compete with. I literally make myself available to agents 24/7/365. By staying small with very low overhead, it allows us to offer loans with zero lender cost saving buyers thousands of dollars on average. In 2008/2009 the housing crash almost wiped me out after years of success. It got so bad one day my wife and I rolled change to get groceries and gas. I have never forgot what rock bottom felt like. To this day I have a roll of quarters in my bathroom draw next to my toothpaste so it’s the first thing I see every morning, another roll in my desk drawer, a roll in my car console and anytime you see me on stage speaking I have a special roll signed by some very special people. These quarters remind me no matter how much I make today, no matter how many people are in an audience watching me or no matter how fancy of a car I drive it can all go away if I take it for granted. I think being humble is the most bad ass thing you can be. Showing off when others might be rolling change to eat is gross and bad karma.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love some of the beautiful hiking trails in greater Phoenix. The desert mountains offer a very unique landscape to outsiders. Of course most want to see the Grand Canyon and Sedona which are breathtaking. I’m not much of a drinker so cannot speak of our nightlife but we have some excellent places to dine. Mastros, Steak 44 and STK are great steakhouses. Tia Rosa’s and the Salty Senorita are two of my favorite Mexican places. Being a child of the Midwest I was so excited when we got a White Castle since it brought back my teenage and early 20s memories of White Castle stops at 3am after leaving the clubs. We also have some great sports teams in the Suns and Cardinals. Overall there is always something to do in Phoenix. If shopping for great fashion is your thing I have to give a shout out to Lily and Brody at Neiman Marcus who are by far the best in the city to style you for an event.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife of course. It takes a very special spouse to handle a successful Mortgage Broker. There are times where I have worked 18hr days for months in a row without a single off day. Phones calls all hours of the day, night and weekends. Being the guy know for “Answer your damn phone” I have to always be “on” this means calls during dinner and holidays. Evie gets it. She knows it’s not only setting us up for a very comfortable financial life but it’s also helping others achieve the American Dream of owning a home. Without her support I could never have achieved the success in my business but also the many speaking engagements around the country I do helping others in the mortgage industry. Also I have to give a nod to AIME which is the mortgage brokers association in the US. They have supported me and believed in me enough to put me on stages throughout the country while promoting my brand.

Website: https://www.jksmortgage.com/todd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todd.bitter.1

Image Credits
These are all photos I have taken and own. The guy with me in White is Anthony Casa who founded AIME and is a close friend. The female is my wife Evie Shumway and she is the one wearing the Answer your damn phone shirt