Untouched by the Subprime fallout, Brent Houston, COO at Bridgelock Capital has stayed true to his sound buisness values.

Posted on May 15, 2008

May 15, 2008 (PRWEB) The bottom has fallen out of Subprime lending, conventional lending is now unmanageable, look at the NextGEN Lender providing lending for today’s consumer.

Untouched by the Subprime fallout, Brent Houston, COO at Bridgelock Capital has stayed true to his sound buisness values. Good business practices and a commitment to people has always driven Houston’s success leading to NextGEN lending. Although the subprime market has imploded with large lenders going out of business, Bridgelock is still poised and paving the way with the eye on the future in the direct lending market as the leader in NextGEN lending.

Brent and his team stayed true to solid business practices and did not fall prey to substandard lending that other lenders fell prey to. At Bridgelock those values are helping people, borrowers with distress and in financially difficult situations, with the goal of moving them from hardship to financial freedom. “The more a borrower wants to help themselves, the better they are as a client”, say Houston. “We look beyond the numbers to the story behind them”, says Houston as he points out that most direct lenders focus is only on the numbers. Numbers can be misleading and get you in a lot of trouble.

Stay true to your success has been the formula and culture that rings true to the Bridgelock team. Conventional lenders cannot be as flexible in their process due to restrictions. Whereas with private equity investors the space attracts predatory lenders. lenders. Raising the bar in flexibility and a commitment to people has led to NextGEN lending. While many brokers look for quick fixes and quick commissions, the Bridgelock team knows that staying true to their success plan has attracted good borrowers and brokers that truly appreciate their unique approach to lending; where a client truly is a client for life.

Making good quick concise decisions is a sign of a great leader. In lending, fast decisions and intelligent choices sets NextGEN apart. For most direct lenders is predatory conventional is sluggish and NextGEN makes fast decisions with intelligent choices. Direct lenders only look at the numbers, conventional only looks at credit rating and NextGEN looks at all approaches including the story.. However, when Houston and his team implemented their system, the goal was quick turnaround with sound decisions, and they did it. They know how to underwrite a loan and make quick decisions by having a system that funnels the process, from inquiry to Client for Life.

When you are governed by the perceptions of Wall Street and the market, you may succumb to poor standards in order to look like you have great results to increase your price per share. With Bridgelock that was not a consideration. The market did not matter because their entire portfolio is reflection of their underwriting standards. “We lend against our balance sheet, which truly separates us from the majority”. When you are investing within your own portfolio, you are more selective on the loans you fund. Houston states, “I have always been an asset risk manager, who enjoys the analytical side. I apply my analytical skills at the same time helping borrowers. Everyone goes through a rocky time and I like being the saving grace and helping others who want to help themselves”.

It doesn’t end at funding. “All of our servicing is done in house”, says Houston. While most institutional lenders package their loans within a few months of funding to sell them off, Houston and his team do not do this. They own the loan from origination to payoff, which forces them to stick with good lending practices and exceptional customer relations.

Is it all peaches and cream? Don’t all businesses have some set backs and some problems? The Bridgelock team deals with the daily priorities to run the business. Some setbacks include not being able to find good quality key employees and having difficulty turning experience in policies and procedures and underwriting guidelines. NextGEN carves the path and sets a standard by rewriting the way business is done for long-term business success. NextGEN lending leads to the necessity in finding the right employees for setting a new course, both entrepreneurial and organized with out of the box thinking and who are able to stay within the guidance and the rules.

Houston’s past has always been way ahead of the curver with the launch of an online brokerage for stocks and options as a trend setter on Wall Street. He brought systems understanding to a labor intensive business and by integrating the best technology and people, built a successful platform. He carries this passion in setting a new standard in lending as a NextGEN lender. He has always remained true to his business success plan. He sums it up as follows: 1. Find solutions, Find Solutions, Find Solutions 2. Exceptional systems 3. Surround yourself with an exceptional team that is committed to your values. 4. Understand the picture while thinking outside the box 5. Create clients for life by always providing exceptional service 6. Build great relationships with everyone from brokers to vendors 7. Stay true to your success plan no matter what the competition succumbs to.

Lastly, Houston reminds us “the core foundation was built on many late nights, a lot of time and a complete commitment from the whole team”. Being the trendsetter as the NextGEN lender will more than position Bridgelock as a leader today and in the future.