“It’s hard for me, because I’ve got love for both sides,” she said. “So I don’t want to say anything of ill will of the other side, but I will say that the banking community is nothing like the broker community. The broker community is there for each other. They support their competitors in a way that I’ve never seen on the banking side. That’s why this is where I need to be.”
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— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) September 24, 2025
For others considering a move from retail to broker, she said it is crucial to attend industry events and speak with people to discover the positives and negatives of the transition.
“I will just say what was said to me,” Rifai said. “Number one, go to Fuse. You have to talk to the people who are doing it differently from you before you decide that this is no longer for you. Because there’s a whole different world out there that you can explore. But you have to put yourself in the room with the people who are doing it differently. Talk to them and see if it’s for you.
“The retail bank side is for some people, and the broker side is for some people. But if somebody’s even feeling like maybe this side isn’t for me. Go to Fuse, get in the room, talk to people, call me. I will talk to anybody, anytime, about my experience, because I’ve been on both sides. I’m a straight shooter. I will tell you the good, the bad and the ugly, and then you can decide.”
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