Tom Kerr’s greatest skill in lending is his ability to listen with empathy. Kerr, vice president of mortgage lending at Rate, crafts loans for clients based on their situation. He considers why they chose a particular home at this time and where they want to be personally and financially before he puts together a solution to help them get there.
“I see my clients as extended family who I am going to work with for life,” says Kerr, a member of Rate’s 2025 Presidents Club. “My goal is that they learn enough about me, and I learn as much as I can about them, so they know they are not a number. They are a personal relationship I look to foster for a lifetime if possible.”
His 26 years of experience in the industry have taught him how to thrive in difficult markets and recognize all the opportunities available for each client.
Kerr switched to a career in lending after teaching for five years at Milwaukee Public Schools and a short stint in personal finance. “I watched my father impact families by teaching 6th grade and then pursuing administration, only to find out his calling was in the classroom,” Kerr says. “With his model in front of me, I noticed that we teach kids calculus in school, but we don’t teach credit and personal finance.” On a mission to fill the void, as a lender, he educates clients by breaking down a complex process into smaller, easy-to-understand parts, so as to help them make informed decisions.
Carefully guiding clients through the process, while keeping them constantly updated and positioning them to win in multiple-offer situations, are among the areas in which Kerr and his team believe they outshine the competition.
