John Poast Named Senior Vice President of Key Mortgage Services, Inc.

1. John Poast Named Senior Vice President of Key Mortgage Services, Inc.
31 JULY 2011 NO COMMENT
In June of 2011, John Poast moved to Key Mortgage Services, where he took on the role of senior vice president.
Poast, a DePaul University graduate with an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology’s
Stuart School of Business, started his real estate career in 2005. After living in Chicago
for a few years for school, Poast moved to New York City to begin his professional
career as an options trader. He moved back to Chicago after several years, missing
racing his sailboat on Lake Michigan. “And, to be honest, Chicago is a much prettier
city,” he says with a laugh.
After returning to Chicago, Poast began working as a lead trader at Goldman Sachs.
There, Poast began “looking for a new opportunity to help people,” and found Chicago
Bancorp to be the perfect opportunity.
Having worked at Chicago Bancorp for five years, Poast was actively recruited by Key
Mortgage Services. After much deliberation, he decided that the transition was the best
for all those involved. He was drawn to Key Mortgage Services because of their strong customer service. “We are able to
hold the client’s hand throughout the entire process,” he says. For Poast, one of the “neatest things” about the company is
that it is a finance firm that was set up by Baird and Warner.
As Senior Vice President, Poast is responsible for determining whether or not a client is eligible to purchase a home or
condo. He discusses with the client what loan product best serves their needs. For Poast, the best part about his job is being
at a closing and watching the keys to a house being handed over to the new owner. Another favorite aspect of his job is when
a client personally thanks him.
“Sometimes I receive a thank you note from a client a few weeks after the sale is finalized. It is such a great feeling to know
that just doing my job meant so much to someone,” Poast says.
Managing people’s expectations is the most difficult aspect about his job. When he determines someone is not lendable, he
shares in the disappointment.
But there are things he loves about his new position, as well; Poast believes that understanding guidelines and rules and
regulations of banks helps best serve his clients. He was able to successfully negotiate a loan with jumbo mortgage for a
client who did not look that great on paper by understanding the ins and outs of his business.
He says his goals for the future are two-fold. Personally, he would love to have children. Professionally, he strives to grow
Key Mortgage Services into the best mortgage service in Chicago.

2. Poast receives most of his new clients from agents’ referrals. He says the best way to earn referrals from agents is to gain
their trust by attending their open houses and supporting them as much as possible without being “pushy.” He also says he
receives a lot of referrals from past clients.
While a very hard worker, Poast admits that there is someone he could not get through a typical workday without. “My
assistant, Bari Rubenstein,” he says.