With extensive knowledge and experience, Sam Sharp can navigate any lending scenario and provide his clients with comprehensive advice and attainable solutions, regardless of the obstacles that may stand in their way. Specializing in jumbo loans and self-employed borrowers who rely on their assets as their stated income, the executive vice president of mortgage lending at Guaranteed Rate in North Ravenswood promises efficiency and transparency throughout the process. “We’re known for our ease of doing business and our speed,” Sharp says of his team.
A professional drummer, Sharp joined the real estate industry 18 years ago, applying his people skills and analytical mind to the mortgage business. “Drumming and lending are both mathematical,” Sharp says, adding that to succeed in either career, you need to be reliable and congenial, not just talented. “If you’re open, honest and a nice person, and you do good work and put your clients’ interests first, people will want to work with you and refer you business,” he explains. “They know you will represent them well and take care of them.”
A member of Guaranteed Rate’s Chairman’s Circle for nine years in a row, Sharp consistently ranks among the top originators in the company and has an 88% referral-based business. “There’s no bigger compliment than having a past customer or someone you know entrusting you with a loved one,” he says. “That means a lot to me, and I take it very seriously.”
Known for forging lasting relationships, Sharp and his team actively follow up with their past clients, letting them know about lower rates and money-saving solutions when new opportunities arise. “If we find a way to lower your rate after you’ve closed, we will let you know,” he says. “That goes back to my No. 1 promise: We always put our clients’ best interests first.”
Sharp owes a great deal to his family for their support. His wife, Carrie Bertsos-Sharp, was a successful loan officer prior to taking a break from the industry to take care of their children, Elias and Chloe.
Guaranteed Rate Inc. is a private corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware. It has no affiliation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or any other government agency.
