He may not be Kermit the Frog, but a new Muppet-like character aptly named Senior Sam arrived this week in a video to teach consumers about reverse mortgages.
The campaign, the brainchild of Hewlett, N.Y.-based marketer Andrew Liebowitz though his firsthand experience with reverse mortgages, can be found on the new website Senior Sam.com. Liebowitz says the site and characters are not affiliated with any lender, though the site does provide fields where interested parties can submit contact information to find out more about reverse mortgages. “Senior Sam” will refer leads to licensed loan originators, he says, rather than selling to large banks.
“In the Reverse market, Mortgage Bankers hiring elderly television personalities has become a popular marketing trend in attempts to influence viewers. Having deep advertising pockets does not make a Mortgage Banker superior when it comes to customer service and performance,” Liebowitz said in a press release. “I believe in a more personal approach. The quest to market this product became my passion. My mother obtained a Reverse Mortgage a couple of years ago and I strongly supported her decision to do so. Since I have an extensive mortgage background and an abundance of highly skilled and personable contacts, I feel that a great way to encourage Seniors to take advantage of this amazing product is for me to properly make an introduction.”
Leibowitz says he will utilize his personal contacts generated from his past work in the mortgage industry with originators who work with senior reverse mortgage borrowers.
“I’m proud to say that I know several Licensed Mortgage Loan Officers at reputable Lending Institutions that have an impressive Reverse Platform and can assist Seniors with their Reverse Mortgage needs. I intend to achieve that goal through Senior Sam. I am a strong believer in referrals therefore, I choose to refer the leads that come from Senior Sam to licensed loan officers as opposed to selling them to Banks.”
Senior Sam, a fictional reverse mortgage character, explains his experience in getting a reverse mortgage through his friend, Banker Bob.
The video has already generated several phone calls, Leibowitz told RMD.
View the video.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
