It was 15 years ago when Daniel Chookaszian, senior home lending advisor at Chase, first got his start, helping his best friend open a mortgage company in Chicago’s River West neighborhood. Chookaszian’s experience doing business in a wide variety of market types has enabled him to relate to first-time buyers, as well as those making nerve-wracking moves, and provide solutions for any challenge they may face.

“Clients trust me and get to work directly with me,” Chookaszian says. “My team supports the process, but clients know that they can always reach me, and they love that availability from start to finish of the process.” In the past year, he and the team have addressed the demand brought on by record-low rates while staying focused on closing purchases both in Illinois and across the country. “Our purchase closing percentage relative to overall volume is something I’m really grateful for,” he shares.

One area in which Chookaszian has been able to create a smoother process for his internal team has been automation through templates. “This creates a predictable, consistent process that works well for my team and the clients we serve,” he says. “I provide clients a high-level overview of the closing process and break down everything from the time an offer has been accepted all the way through the day of closing and beyond. By breaking this down into two steps, people can understand it and know what to expect.”

With three colleagues alongside him helping keep each “lane” of unique focus going, Chookaszian and his team are able to keep on track — earning them over 100 five-star reviews from clients and building a business based on referrals and past clients. This summer, he received the President’s Club award from Chase for being a top-three loan officer at Chase in the Midwest. “The first few years, I made 250 to 300 outbound calls a day,” he remembers. “These days, the calls are primarily inbound.”