Real Estate Financing...

I've got to be honest.  I hate that last sentence I just wrote.  Ideally, aren't we supposed to be honest as much as possible?  I'm getting off track because this particular blog is inherently one of sheer curiousity.  I've been a mortgage broker for the same firm here in Pennsylvania for over 4 and a half years now.  The core of my business has come from turndowns, cold calling, referrals from friends, free marketing on discussion forums over the internets, and some company based advertising.  If you noticed, very little of that is from realtor relationships.  I've been able to do a very good business without doing the ever prominent realtor calls.  Behind closed doors, many LO's bitch, whine, moan, & complain about realtors.  I'm sure the same is true from the realtors end about us though as well.  I've always been of the thought to find realtors who share similar personality types and hunger for the business.  Though, admittingly, most of my encounters have been purely accidently and only was a relationship based upon mutual need and I was never to hear from them again.  Finally, after all these years, I've found a couple of realtors who I've found that we mesh on the business front.  For those of you more experienced, I would love to hear how you've created and maintained your relationships?  And for you realtors out there, what do you look for in a financing institution to feel comfortable sending your clients too?  Most mortgage companies have similiar products & lenders, though maybe differ in their ability to put a deal together.  The bottom line question I have though is Realtors have LO's banging down their doors all day long to give them business.  What separates the ones you ignore and the ones you consider doing business with?  I mean, if a newbie walks in the door trying to garner business for your clients who are buying high end houses, what would make you do business with them?  Any opinions/suggestions/personal philosophies would be much appreciated.