Some bartenders take advice rather than give it. “I was between careers and bartending,” Joe Burke recalls. “I thought I was going to go back to school. One of my regulars encouraged me to check out his mortgage company. I finally agreed, and the rest is history.” As a home-purchase expert with 20 years of experience, Burke knows how to remain calm in the face of adversity and how to find solutions to complex problems.
Burke’s personable style wins clients over. “I treat every customer like someone I want to get to know,” he says. Follow-up is the foundation of his business, and clients are consistently impressed when he picks up the phone or returns calls promptly. Since his business comes entirely from referrals, past clients and networking, Burke believes the worst thing he hears about in the industry is the lack of a callback or poor communication. “Our brand IS communication. My brand is that you will hear from me or a team member immediately.” That’s why he rises above the competition.
All these characteristics served Burke well during the pandemic, enabling him “to increase volume in what was overall a down year.” His expertise has earned him numerous professional accolades, including Scotsman Guide’s Top 1% of Mortgage Professionals, Proper Rate’s President’s Club ($30 million+) and their Chairman’s Club ($100 million+). He’s also a member of the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce and has served on the board of the Guaranteed Rate Foundation since its inception. Burke says in his free time he’s an “awful guitar player and an above-average cook” who enjoys hiking with his family.
Proper Rate, LLC; NMLS #1901699; 1800 W. Larchmont Ave., Suite 301, Chicago, IL 60613; 866-755-0679. For licensing information visit nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Conditions may apply. • AZ: One South Church Ave, Suite 1200, Office 1248, Tucson, Arizona 85701, Mortgage Banker License #1010230 • CA: Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act • CO: Regulated by the Division of Real Estate • GA: Residential Mortgage Licensee #69357 • OH: MB 804550.
