About Drew Gillett

I lead marketing at Guild Mortgage, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the country. Most of what I do comes down to one thing: helping our loan officers get in front of the right people and earn their trust before the first conversation ever happens. That means building the strategy, the tools, and the content that let a loan officer show up as a credible expert in their market instead of just another name on a sign.

I've spent more than 20 years in marketing, most of it in and around the mortgage business. It's a field that rewards patience. Buying or refinancing a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people ever make, and they don't hand that decision to a stranger. They give it to someone they already believe in. So my work focuses less on chasing attention and more on building the kind of reputation that's still standing when someone is finally ready to act.

That thinking is what led me to write 'From Post to Close.' It's a practical guide for mortgage professionals on building a personal brand through content: showing up consistently, creating with purpose, earning trust before the first call, and turning everyday engagement into real business. I wrote it for the loan officer who knows they should be visible but isn't sure what to say or where to start. No theory for its own sake, just a clear path from the first post to the closing table.

A few beliefs shape how I approach all of it. Clarity beats cleverness, and proof beats promotion. People can smell a sales pitch, but they lean in when you show them you actually know what you're doing. I'd rather a loan officer demonstrate their expertise plainly than dress up a thin message with a clever hook. The work should make the case on its own.

AI comes up in almost every marketing conversation right now, and I try to be honest about it. I'm interested in practical adoption, not the hype. Used well, it helps us move faster, test more, and free up time for the parts of the job that genuinely need a human. But it should amplify good judgment, not replace it, and it should strengthen relationships rather than stand in for them. Technology is the tool. The trust between a loan officer and a client is the product.

As a leader, I care about high standards, clear ownership, and calm execution. I want the people on my team to know what good looks like, own their piece of it, and deliver without drama. I also spend time outside of Guild sharing what I've learned, on stages and on podcasts like The Local Marketing Lab and the People Playbook Podcast, because the whole industry gets better when we talk openly about what's actually working. If you're trying to build a brand that earns business the right way, that's the conversation I want to have.