Content can help a prospect recognize you, but it does not replace starting a conversation. In this Settling Scores episode, cohosts Abdel Khawatmi of PRMG Got Mortgages and Eric Levin, cofounder of Model Match, welcome Michelle Mikel to discuss outbound prospecting, personal branding and AI. Michelle’s central recommendation is practical: use social platforms to initiate genuine contact, and give recipients a profile that supports the introduction.
Episode originally published June 9, 2026. Archive recap added October 24, 2026.
Key takeaways: visibility needs a next action
- Michelle distinguishes posting content from actively sourcing opportunities through messages.
- A relevant message and a credible personal profile work together; neither excuses neglecting the other.
- Corporate marketing materials can support a business without expressing every originator’s individual voice.
- Abdel describes technology alongside frequent calls, individualized updates and face-to-face service.
- Eric asks professionals to evaluate what tools support, rather than expecting tools to eliminate the work.
- Michelle’s closing challenge is one thoughtful message daily to someone new, using authentic relationship context rather than empty name-dropping.
Michelle’s example: recognition does not eliminate prospecting
Michelle explains that a visible speaking schedule does not mean opportunities simply arrive. She still prospects for speaking engagements and specifically describes pursuing her appearance at Originator Connect. That example makes her argument more useful than a general instruction to post consistently: even someone whose work is publicly visible still needs to initiate business conversations.
Eric highlights the mistaken assumption that a recognizable professional must have a continuously ringing phone and people arranging every opportunity. Michelle’s account challenges that assumption. Recognition can make an introduction easier, but the professional still has to identify the right person, explain the relevance and ask for a conversation.
For originators, the equivalent distinction is between an agent recognizing a video and that agent deciding to discuss a referral relationship. Those are separate events. A publishing calendar can address the first without doing anything deliberate about the second.
Social platforms are a vehicle for outreach
Michelle describes sending messages through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Her platform choice follows the audience. At the time of the conversation, she says LinkedIn is especially relevant because she is focused on executives at larger companies. The lesson is not that every professional should prioritize the same network; it is that the intended recipient should shape the channel.
She illustrates the relationship between outreach and content with a hypothetical message to Abdel. Even a well-written introduction may lead him to check her profile. If that profile is inactive or filled only with interchangeable company materials, it may not reinforce the message. Content therefore remains important, but as support for a real introduction rather than a substitute for one.
This distinction also changes what deserves attention during a workday. Scheduling a post completes a publishing task. Finding someone relevant, understanding why a conversation could be useful and sending an appropriate message completes a prospecting task. Calling both activities “social media” can conceal the fact that only one is happening.
Personal branding is not a rejection of company support
Eric asks Michelle to make her content criticism concrete. Is the problem poor lighting, weak audio or a failure to deliver a groundbreaking idea? Her answer focuses instead on generic, in-house materials that do not communicate the individual professional’s identity.
Michelle acknowledges the value of marketing teams and the necessary work they perform. Her concern is the difficulty of building a distinct personal brand for many different originators through shared resources alone. A graphic can communicate a program while doing little to explain who the loan officer is, how that person thinks or what working together would feel like.
Abdel adds his own distinction between enterprise, branch and individual marketing. He describes keeping standardized material on a team page while approaching his personal presence differently. These are complementary jobs: a company needs consistent information, while an individual needs recognizable communication. The useful question is which job each piece of content is supposed to perform.
A detailed example: outsourced posting without participation
Michelle recounts a sales conversation with a professional whose feed consisted largely of templates. The professional had been paying an assistant about $500 monthly to help produce content but reported no business from the effort. Michelle then asked whether the person was identifying relevant people and sending messages.
The answer revealed the larger gap: the professional did not even have the social apps on her phone and viewed participation as the assistant’s responsibility. Michelle’s criticism was not simply that the graphics needed improvement. The professional had outsourced posting while leaving relationship initiation unaddressed.
The eventual decision to rely on existing in-house support does not establish that outside coaching is always necessary. It does expose an operating question that any arrangement must answer: who actually starts and continues the conversations? Replacing a vendor or redesigning a template will not, by itself, assign that responsibility.
Abdel’s example: technology with deliberate human contact
Abdel says he is talking with people by phone and in person more than ever, despite using technology extensively. He describes a referral-partner rhythm of individualized email updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with phone conversations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. His explanation emphasizes that each file is different, so meaningful updates require attention to the actual situation.
He also describes preferring live introductions when an agent already has a prospective borrower on the phone. For him, an immediate connection is more useful than merely passing along contact information. This is an account of his preferred workflow, not a guarantee that every introduction must use the same channel.
Abdel outlines a broader sequence of connecting socially, calling, texting and emailing. The consistent theme is willingness to communicate rather than hiding behind the easiest automated touch. A team adapting that approach should still account for the recipient’s preferences, permissions and applicable communication requirements.
Eric reinforces the distinction between acquiring a capability and producing an outcome. A tool can help a professional organize or scale activity, but someone still needs to use it purposefully. His contribution keeps the discussion from becoming either an argument against technology or a promise of effortless growth.
Michelle’s custom GPT: review the message, not replace the relationship
Michelle describes building a custom GPT in ChatGPT to help prospecting clients review messages against her framework. Previously, clients could ask her directly for feedback before sending an introduction. The GPT is intended to extend that feedback process, including identifying where personal connection or a call to action is missing.
She says the team spent almost 30 days testing the tool before preparing to roll it out. The relevant use case is specific: a person has a prospective recipient and a draft, then asks for help making that draft better. It is not a description of unattended mass outreach.
Eric adds that AI needs customization so the result reflects the actual professional rather than producing generic answers at scale. Together, their comments suggest a useful boundary: let the tool critique structure, but do not let it fabricate familiarity. The sender remains responsible for the truth of the message and the conversation that follows.
Suggested steps for a New Jersey prospecting routine
The following is a suggested application of the discussion, not a prescribed program announced by the speakers. For a loan officer serving Ocean County or Monmouth County, it starts with a manageable list of local professionals whose work makes a conversation relevant.
- Choose one person and the appropriate channel. Research their professional work before deciding whether LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook is the best place to begin.
- Check your own profile. Make sure it identifies you and your company clearly and contains useful, recognizable communication rather than only shared templates.
- Write a truthful introduction. Explain the actual reason for reaching out. Mention a shared contact only when the relationship is real and the context is appropriate to share.
- Review before sending. Check accuracy, relevance and the requested next step. If using AI, remove invented details and wording you would not use yourself.
- Own the response. Record the next action, respond personally and respect a lack of interest. Review conversations and follow-through alongside publishing activity.
For example, a Toms River originator who genuinely met an Eatontown agent at a professional event could reference the specific business topic they discussed and ask whether a short follow-up would be useful. That is a suggested example, not an episode quotation. Its value comes from accurate context, not the town names or a manufactured connection.
Frequently asked questions
Who joins Abdel and Eric in this episode?
Guest Michelle Mikel joins cohosts Abdel Khawatmi of PRMG Got Mortgages and Eric Levin, cofounder of Model Match. Michelle contributes the social-prospecting perspective; Abdel supplies mortgage workflow examples, while Eric probes how content, tools and personal effort fit together.
Does Michelle recommend stopping content creation?
No. She says content matters because recipients may inspect a profile after receiving a message. Her objection is treating posting alone as a complete business-development strategy.
Which social platforms does she use for prospecting?
Michelle names LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. She describes emphasizing LinkedIn while pursuing executives at larger companies, showing that platform choice should follow the intended audience.
Why does she still prospect for speaking engagements?
Her example shows that public recognition does not remove the need to source opportunities. She specifically describes pursuing an Originator Connect engagement rather than waiting for it to appear in her inbox.
What was missing in the outsourced-content example?
The professional was paying for posting assistance without personally using the platforms to initiate conversations. Michelle’s concern was the absence of deliberate outreach, not just the appearance of the templates.
What communication schedule does Abdel describe?
He describes individualized referral-partner email updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with phone conversations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It illustrates deliberate follow-through rather than a universal schedule for every team.
What does Michelle’s custom GPT help clients do?
It reviews draft prospecting messages against her framework and can flag missing connection or a missing call to action. Michelle presents it as feedback support, with testing before rollout, not as a replacement for human relationships.
What does authentic relationship leverage mean?
Michelle means explaining a genuine connection rather than merely dropping a recognizable name. Her examples distinguish a real conversation or shared professional event from an unsupported suggestion of familiarity.
What is the simplest action to start with?
Michelle recommends one message every day to someone you do not already know. Make it thoughtful, truthful and personally relevant, then be prepared to handle the response rather than treating the send itself as the finish line.
Make the next conversation intentional
The episode’s practical balance is clear: Michelle makes the case for purposeful outreach and credible content, Abdel demonstrates communication ownership, and Eric challenges the assumption that systems eliminate effort. Start with one relevant introduction and a clear owner for what happens next. Professionals exploring team support can also visit the Got Mortgages careers page.
To talk with PRMG Got Mortgages, call 973-536-0276, visit GotMortgages.com, contact the team or build your mortgage plan.
Explore more Mortgage Intel and Abdel Khawatmi’s profile. Explore more conversations at the Got Mortgages Podcast website.
Author: Abdel Khawatmi with PRMG Got Mortgages | 973-536-0276
This article is general mortgage information only. It is not a commitment to lend, a rate quote, or legal or tax advice. Loan approval, terms and pricing depend on a full application, credit review and property details, and market conditions change. Talk with a licensed loan officer and your own legal or tax professional about your situation. NMLS #1712023 | PRMG NMLS #75243.