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Branine named mortgage loan officer for Landmark
Miami County native optimistic about economy
By Molly Heavner, mollyheavner@miconews.com
Geoff Branine’s mother is Judi Branine, the owner/broker of Prudential Preferred Reality in Louisburg. And with Geoff being named a mortgage loan officer for Landmark National Bank in all three of the company’s Miami County branches, it is easy to conclude that his familial relationship caused Geoff to follow in his mother’s footsteps.
This is actually not the case at all.
As a Paola High School alumni and a graduate of Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa, with a degree in recreation administration and fitness specialist, Branine did not see his calling in the real estate lending business until 2003.
“I really got in the business because I had a couple of friends who were in the business,” Branine said. “I sort of got into it due to the refinance boom, and then I didn’t realize I had the connections that I did until after I had already got into the business, and then I basically invested in the refinance boom around ‘03. Since the refinance boom, I’ve primarily been a purchase loan officer. Ever since then, I do about 80 to 85 percent of my loans.”
Despite not having an impact on his career choice, Branine said his mother’s position in the real estate business has certainly been an asset to his profession.
“It’s definitely good to have that knowledge, knowing what a realtor wants. It’s very beneficial in my business knowing what a realtor wants and knowing what a lender expects and wants,” he said.
According to a press release by Landmark National Bank, Branine was born and raised in Miami County and currently resides in Louisburg and works at all three of Landmark’s branches in Louisburg, Paola and Osawatomie. This local connection is another advantage Branine has over the other loan officers in the company, he said.
“It’s very good to have a relationship with somebody before the transactions start,” Branine said. “It’s a long process, but by the end, most of my clients become friends, but yeah being up front with somebody that you’ve known for a long time, the trust is already there; it doesn’t have to be cultivated.”
Branine also is the president of the Louisburg chapter of the Business Networking International Group.
“There are lots of different people in our group, anybody in a referral-based business,” Branine said.
BNI International was established more than 22 years ago and works to bring businesses together to communicate on how to serve their clients in a professional and efficient manner.
“It’s a very large organization. It’s a way we can go meet with other business professionals in the area and know that we have partners that can take care of our clients,” Branine said. “We can hold each other accountable. We have a code of ethics.”
Paola has a chapter as well, and Overland Park has more than 30 chapters.
“(In Miami County) I expect it to get up to 30 members here within a year or two. It will slowly grow because we can only have one person per profession in the group.”
Something that plays a large role in the mortgage lending business is the economy. Branine said that with a slow economy right now, this is the time for people looking to take out a mortgage to seek an advisor.
“I think everybody knows that the economy is down right now,” Branine said. “All I can really say is that with the economy being down at this time, it would be a better time to get with someone like me so they can be well advised on whether it is a good time to make a move or do a refinance or something like that. I don’t want my clients to become a statistic.”
Despite the sluggish economy, Branine said it’s a great time to invest in the housing market right now.
“I think it’s (the housing market) definitely started to move here in the last few weeks,” Branine said. “We will definitely come back strong at some point in time.”
In the meantime, Branine has a few goals to achieve as a mortgage loan officer for Landmark.
“To become well-known in the area as a mortgage consultant, to become a trusted advisor to all my clients and (for people) to know who I am and what I do,” Branine said.
Branine has a wife, Robin Gostautas, who also graduated from Paola High School in 1995, and two children: 2-year-old daughter Ashley and 3-year-old son Braden.
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This is actually not the case at all.
As a Paola High School alumni and a graduate of Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa, with a degree in recreation administration and fitness specialist, Branine did not see his calling in the real estate lending business until 2003.
“I really got in the business because I had a couple of friends who were in the business,” Branine said. “I sort of got into it due to the refinance boom, and then I didn’t realize I had the connections that I did until after I had already got into the business, and then I basically invested in the refinance boom around ‘03. Since the refinance boom, I’ve primarily been a purchase loan officer. Ever since then, I do about 80 to 85 percent of my loans.”
Despite not having an impact on his career choice, Branine said his mother’s position in the real estate business has certainly been an asset to his profession.
“It’s definitely good to have that knowledge, knowing what a realtor wants. It’s very beneficial in my business knowing what a realtor wants and knowing what a lender expects and wants,” he said.
According to a press release by Landmark National Bank, Branine was born and raised in Miami County and currently resides in Louisburg and works at all three of Landmark’s branches in Louisburg, Paola and Osawatomie. This local connection is another advantage Branine has over the other loan officers in the company, he said.
“It’s very good to have a relationship with somebody before the transactions start,” Branine said. “It’s a long process, but by the end, most of my clients become friends, but yeah being up front with somebody that you’ve known for a long time, the trust is already there; it doesn’t have to be cultivated.”
Branine also is the president of the Louisburg chapter of the Business Networking International Group.
“There are lots of different people in our group, anybody in a referral-based business,” Branine said.
BNI International was established more than 22 years ago and works to bring businesses together to communicate on how to serve their clients in a professional and efficient manner.
“It’s a very large organization. It’s a way we can go meet with other business professionals in the area and know that we have partners that can take care of our clients,” Branine said. “We can hold each other accountable. We have a code of ethics.”
Paola has a chapter as well, and Overland Park has more than 30 chapters.
“(In Miami County) I expect it to get up to 30 members here within a year or two. It will slowly grow because we can only have one person per profession in the group.”
Something that plays a large role in the mortgage lending business is the economy. Branine said that with a slow economy right now, this is the time for people looking to take out a mortgage to seek an advisor.
“I think everybody knows that the economy is down right now,” Branine said. “All I can really say is that with the economy being down at this time, it would be a better time to get with someone like me so they can be well advised on whether it is a good time to make a move or do a refinance or something like that. I don’t want my clients to become a statistic.”
Despite the sluggish economy, Branine said it’s a great time to invest in the housing market right now.
“I think it’s (the housing market) definitely started to move here in the last few weeks,” Branine said. “We will definitely come back strong at some point in time.”
In the meantime, Branine has a few goals to achieve as a mortgage loan officer for Landmark.
“To become well-known in the area as a mortgage consultant, to become a trusted advisor to all my clients and (for people) to know who I am and what I do,” Branine said.
Branine has a wife, Robin Gostautas, who also graduated from Paola High School in 1995, and two children: 2-year-old daughter Ashley and 3-year-old son Braden.