Why We Told a Prospective Student NOT to Enroll

We see it all the time: someone gets stars in their eyes over a monster commission. They need to get started RIGHT NOW because the deal is hot!

But once you’ve been around the block ten times, you learn that one deal (no matter how big) will not create lasting success.
So today, I want to show you a real text conversation with a prospective enrollee at our Institute. This shows we actually talk with brokers, and how we help them develop the right mindset for long term success.

As background, prior to this text exchange, our team had held multiple calls with this aspiring broker, helping her to explore whether this industry was a good fit and she wanted to start her own commercial loan brokerage.

The Question That Revealed Everything

Here’s the actual text we received:

“What would be the commission on 8 million and 25 million?”

On the surface, it’s a smart question. She was considering investing $19k into one of our commercial loan broker launch programs.  And she already had leads on two potential deals.  So if she was going to make back more than she invested, she figured it would be a good ROI.

But underneath? We saw a potential red flag, and a big one.

From training hundreds of loan brokers, we’ve learned to pay attention to every red flag we see.  Anything that signals the wrong mindset should be addressed as early as possible to create the thought patterns that pave the way for success.

Our Response: Surprising Advice

Here’s what we fired back:

“The commission varies based on the loan product, lender, and client negotiation. For acquisitions, commissions typically range from one to two points. On an $8 million loan, the commission would be between $80k and $160k. On a $25 million loan, the commission would be between $250k and $500k. Do NOT enroll in the program for just one loan.”

That’s right. We told her NOT to enroll based on the opportunity of making $500,000.

Why?

Because we wanted to make sure that she had the right mindset from day one.

Developing your lender network is one component of creating your commercial loan brokerage from the ground up.

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The Real Numbers (And Why They Don’t Matter If Your Mindset Is Wrong)

Let’s get something straight: Yes, in this industry commissions can be huge. One to two points on an acquisition deal is standard. And yes, she could make $250k – $500k in closing just one of her two leads.  Yes, that would be a 12,000% to 24,000% return on her investment to enroll in the program she was considering.

But that number is nowhere near as important as developing the right mindset.

The biggest winners in this business aren’t the ones who chase a single payday (no matter how big).  The biggest winners are the ones who build a pipeline and treat every deal as one of many, not the only shot they’ll ever get.  And if this aspiring broker could learn that lesson now, she could 100x her production over the first years of her new brokerage.

The Pipeline Mindset: What Separates Winners from Losers

Getting emotionally attached to a single deal is one of the surest paths to slow brokerage growth. When you “need” a deal to close, you start making desperate decisions. You ignore red flags. You waste time on dead ends. And when it falls apart, you’re left with nothing.

The winning formula is to hunt volume, not lottery tickets.

One deal? That’s a lottery ticket. Twenty deals? That’s a business.

The logic is simple: The more quality deals you have in your pipeline, the less emotionally tied you are to any single one. That’s when you start making smart, calculated decisions, and that’s when the big money actually shows up.

This is what we went on to explain in the text.

Building a Real Business: The Long Game

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The Art of Triage: Working Smart in Commercial Lending

The best brokers are ruthless about where they spend their energy. They evaluate deals fast. Discard the bad ones. Double down on the promising ones.

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With multiple programs and many ways to joining our network, there’s an opportunity in the loan broker landscape for you.

Invest Saved Time Into Creating More Deals

The time you save by ruthlessly triaging bad deals isn’t a reward. It’s your seed capital. Most rookies, after tossing a dud, take a breather. The winners? They double down.

You take that reclaimed hour and you put it to work. You pick up the phone and reconnect with a business owner you met last quarter. You shoot a quick message to a real estate agent who’s always got her ear to the ground. You scroll through your contacts and realize you haven’t checked in with that accountant who always seems to know someone looking for capital.

This isn’t busywork. This is the engine of your business. Every outreach, every follow-up, every new connection is another ticket in the opportunity lottery. But here’s the twist: you’re not hoping to hit the jackpot. You’re building a system that churns out quality leads, week after week.

The cycle is simple, but powerful. You network. You market. You generate a flood of loan opportunities. Then you run them through your triage process, and you do it fast. Most won’t make the cut, and that’s exactly the point. You’re not looking for “maybe.” You’re hunting for “hell yes.” The goal? A short list of high-quality, fundable deals that actually deserve your time.

This is how you build a pipeline that never runs dry. Not by waiting for the phone to ring, but by making sure you’re always the one dialing.

Work the Good Deals Like a Beast

This is where you go all in. You don’t just “work” these deals. You attack them. You become the broker who’s always a step ahead. You’re anticipating lender questions, prepping documents before they’re even requested, following up so consistently that your clients wonder if you ever sleep.

You know every detail. You know the borrower’s story, the property’s quirks, the lender’s hot buttons. You’re not just moving paper; you’re quarterbacking the entire process. You’re the reason deals get done.
And here’s the payoff: when you pour your energy into the right deals, you start to see real, repeatable results. Deals close. Clients come back. Referrals start rolling in. Your reputation grows, not because you got lucky, but because you built a system that works.

This is the difference between being busy and being productive. Between hoping and knowing. Between being a broker who survives and one who dominates.

There Is Still Place for the Big Deals

I want to be 100% clear. I am NOT saying you should run from the big deals. Far from it. There’s nothing wrong with chasing a $25 million transaction. In fact, those monster deals are part of what makes this business so exciting.

But here’s the catch: you can’t let any one deal (no matter how big) become your entire world. The moment you start counting that commission before it’s in your account, you’ve lost your edge. You get desperate. You start ignoring red flags. You neglect the rest of your pipeline. And if that deal falls apart (and trust us, sometimes they do), you’re left with nothing but regret.

The pros treat big deals like dessert, not the main course. They work them hard, but they never get emotionally attached. They know that their real security comes from a steady stream of solid, fundable deals – big, small, and everywhere in between – that keeps the lights on and the business growing.

What I Hope for This Aspiring Broker

I truly hope that the broker I was texting enters the industry. I hope that these two loans both turned out to be quality deals. I hope that she gets 2 points on each and, in her first 60 days, earns over $600,000 in commission. That’s what I love about this industry – it has such an immense potential to change lives rapidly.

But, even more, I hope that she enters the industry with the right mindset.

Because if she does, she will make way more than $600,000.

If those first two deals turn out to be duds, or if they both fund, she will win over the long run. She will have a profitable business based on sound principles and bring in good money year after year.

This business isn’t about luck. If you want to win, you need to invest your time where it multiplies. Fill your pipeline with quality. Work the right deals like your reputation depends on it (because it does). And never, ever let one deal (no matter how big) be your only shot.

Ready to build your own deal machine?

If you want the frameworks, tools, and coaching that top brokers use to create real, repeatable success, check out our programs at Commercial Loan Broker Institute.

The long game starts now.