He went to work for a separate police department in 2021, but said he had already lost his passion for the field. He desired a career that would appreciate people who were innovative, independent, and willing to go the extra mile.
“Looking back, it seems to me like government work doesn’t really appreciate innovation or putting in that extra mile,” Zerwas said. “My supervisors were very appreciative of the work, but the entity as a whole just, you know, it didn’t seem like the hard work mattered.”
‘Bet On Myself’
Following his departure from law enforcement, Zerwas was somewhat lost professionally. He tried to apprentice as an electrician, but the physical aspect was too much for some pre-existing injuries. He also didn’t appreciate slower-paced work, which was his issue as an assistant superintendent for a country club.
“After experiencing everything and working for the government for so long, it just seemed like effort didn’t equal the result, and it was time to bet on myself,” Zerwas said.
Zerwas loves the rush of adrenaline in trying to get a deal closed.
“Because let’s face it, there’s gonna be stress involved no matter how easy the transaction is. I think I’m good at managing that stress by trying to anticipate pain points and eliminate them for the client,” Zerwas said.
Tom Ahles, chief growth officer for Edge Home Finance, interviewed Zerwas, along with hundreds of others for the job. Over the course of a year, Edge Home grew from a staff of roughly 450 employees to 1,100. Asked whether he could tell during an interview whether someone would excel at originating or not, he said there really isn’t a tell.
“We hired a lot of people, some of whom I thought would be great that weren’t, some whom I didn’t think would be outstanding that are outstanding,” Ahles said. “He just works hard. He’s smart, and he cares.”
Discovering A Niche
Seasoned originators often say it’s better to discover a niche organically than seek one out. Being a veteran of the Air National Guard naturally led Zerwas to working with veterans and honing in on VA loans.
When Zerwas went to purchase his first home using a VA loan, he remembers being shot down by two lenders before finding a third that was well-versed in that product and got him through to closing.
“When I decided to get into mortgage, I remembered that and thought to myself, ‘How many veterans are being told no, and [are] just giving up?’ ” Zerwas said.
One transaction in particular that Zerwas highlighted as his favorite was for a fellow veteran based in Minnesota. The borrower was meant to close on a house in two weeks before leaving for an overseas deployment. But the borrower’s original lender announced at the last minute that they were no longer lending in that state, leaving him and his family high and dry.
“There was a lot riding on that,” Zerwas said. “His wife and kids were going to be homeless. Plus, everything that could have gone wrong to make this work went wrong. But, you know, we really grouped together, and we got it done.”
Following that, Zerwas began developing a reputation for working with veterans.
“I had a client — I think it was in October we closed — and that listing agent specifically said that they selected our offer because my name was on the paper,” Zerwas said. “They know that if my name’s on the paper, it’s gonna close.”
Besides sharing military experience with his borrowers, his skills are especially appreciated within that community. Because some VA borrowers may be deploying soon or are currently deployed, they’re not always accessible. Zerwas believes that’s why veterans appreciate speed, efficiency, and having an originator who is competent enough to trust.