As one of the most expedient loan originators in Houston, Lane Sears guarantees that the only time he won’t answer a call or email is if he’s on the phone with another client. A vice president of lending for Guaranteed Rate Inc., Sears counts over 25 years in the lending industry, having started when he first graduated college. In fact, his only prior job roles were as a lifeguard and an ice cream scooper. “I got into it unintentionally,” he remembers, “but was immediately attracted to the complex problem-solving nature of the lending industry.”

Sears considers his business style to be super accessible, with tons of direct and electronic communications so Realtors and buyers know where their deal stands at all times. Clients say he’s highly responsive, with blazing fast approval and closing times. He knows how to make deals proceed through the process in the most expedient and least labor-intensive manner possible. “Speed is the key in this market,” he insists. “If agents are writing contracts to close in 30 to 45 days, they’re not likely to win a bid. My agents can write contracts in 14 days or less, so they have a much better chance of winning a bid on a home.”

“Agents and clients cannot believe how speedy and effortless our process is when we can verify buyers’ income and assets electronically,” Sears remarks. “Buyers usually call me when they get their clear-to-close approval and say, ‘How can I be clear-to-close? I’ve hardly provided anything.’ And I just let them believe I’m magic.”

Guaranteed Rate, Inc. is a private corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware. It has no affiliation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture or any other government agency.