Lenders With 100 and Under Mortgage Loan Officers
Premier Nationwide Lending
Gold
Founded in 2002 and based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Premier Nationwide Lending has established itself as one of the nation’s top mortgage companies. With the support of a highly experienced and dedicated team of industry experts, many of whom are top producers, Premier continues to grow, providing unparalleled service, time after time, loan after loan.
At Premier Nationwide Lending employees find more than a successful mortgage lending company, they also discover a team of top industry professionals dedicated to providing a quality service. By continuing to invest in its loan officers and support staff, Premier Nationwide Lending is devoted to delivering a high level of support and service throughout the home mortgage loan process.
Employees very often describe the atmosphere as a big family and family friendly. One employee stated that they loved the company because it feels like a community with flexibility and a family atmosphere, and there’s availability to upper management as well as training.
The word family keeps coming through in employee’s comments: It’s family oriented. They are like a family. It’s like a big family. Everyone is important and everyone plays a part to the point that if you ask for help, you have several employees that are willing to assist. The friendly and family-like culture. The CEO is personally involved and knows most of the employees. The CEO of our company really cares about the company and its employees. The friendly and family-like culture. The CEO is personally involved and knows most of the employees. PNL invests in their employees from day one. They provide equipment and training to make sure that we are on our best footing from the very beginning.
The ease of collaborating with other team members as well as everyone’s willingness to help each other out was also highlighted. The leadership displays genuine care and concern for each of its employees. This company has a can-do attitude. They are also very family oriented and understand the need for balance with work and family.
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Mountain West Financial, Inc.
Silver
Mountain West Financial likes to say its team is more than just staff; it is family. Employer and employees expect a lot and hold each other to high standards. MWF invests in its family with educational opportunities, financial planning, strong benefit packages, and growth opportunities. The culture is conducive to high standards of work, strong ethics, and teamwork. Growth within the company is a high priority. The company also touts its manager peer groups that help assist with the development of new managers to ask questions and bounce ideas with managers that have been with the company longer.
Employees very often describe the atmosphere as being like that of a family. The MWF family, as it’s referred to, means the employees are guided, mentored and given all the tools they need to succeed. The company is always there to support its employees. The culture is described as very inclusive. MWF employees say the place feels like a mom-and-pop shop.
The owners also interact with the employees and make them feel like family. Everyone at MWF wants everyone to succeed. Everyone enjoys going out of their way to helping each other. It’s the nicest company. The company is also known for trusting its employees, treats them well and genuinely wants them to have a good work/life balance.
The employees say everyone is kind, thoughtful and caring. The family atmosphere and how they support you being involved with your family events, no questions asked. Another employee said they love the history and the values that have transcended through different company eras that keeps everyone connected. For the most part, employees say they are a big family for the better of the customers and the company. Another employee says the support they received has been amazing.
The company takes the time to make sure employees understand and give them the tools to succeed. As one employee summed it up, “We truly have a family atmosphere of inclusion and respect. We’re asked for our opinions and able to give them without repercussions.”
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Inlanta Mortgage
Bronze
Inlanta Mortgage creates a thriving and entrepreneurial culture where every team member feels valued, empowered and encouraged to reach their highest potential and has the freedom to grow their business as they see fit.
“The culture here makes all the difference,” says Iowa Branch Manager Brian Swanson. “It’s inclusive where everyone is there to step up and help each other out – whether it’s the home office helping us, or loan officers helping each other.” Mo
To ensure everyone has a voice in the company’s direction, Inlanta created an Advisory Board made up of top company professionals elected to three-year terms by all employees. The Advisory Board provides Inlanta’s leadership team with valued guidance and input used in shaping the company’s policies and strategies.
Says President and CEO Paul Buege: “When you give people the resources and freedom to flourish, it’s easy to understand why people love to work here.”
Employees say, “Inlanta is small enough to feel like everyone is family but large enough to have a cutting-edge technology. The company has a great office that is a family with great pay and work/life balance. The culture and everyone truly working together to ensure our customers are able to meet their dreams of homeownership.
Inlanta executives, employees added, are always open to new ideas to make the company function better. There’s flexibility to work remotely and the continued opportunity for training/education. There’s no task big or small for even the CEO. The support staff is fantastic. Also of note, Inlanta is forward thinking and approaches challenges positively. The collective mindset is always, “What can we do to improve and better serve our clients?” It’s a privately owned company. They focus on the people rather than the dollar. Making a profit is important, of course, but they don’t do it at the expense of the employees. Inlanta provides a structure for my bank to succeed. Inlanta has a positive environment and culture. There is always encouragement to do better – no matter what. People always feel welcome and if there’s ever a problem, they can get it resolved. The company is very team oriented.
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Lenders With 101–500 Mortgage Loan Officers
Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC
Gold
Reverse Mortgage Funding is the nation’s #1 HECM Backed Securities (HMBS) issuer and it services more than 84,000 reverse mortgage borrowers. RMF has an economic mission and commitment to operate our company on a sustainable financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value for our stakeholders and expanding opportunities for development and career growth for our employees.
This is how RMF encourages growth. Across all our learning and development platforms, we’re constantly working to make technical content more engaging to help bolster our team members’ learning and growth opportunities. As a company, we’re reinvesting in things like an internal weekly podcast, video learning, webinars, virtual and in-person trainings and more.
Part of RMF’s social mission is to actively strive to help improve older Americans’ quality of life while successfully representing diversity, equity, and inclusion as a service provider and an employer. At RMF, it believes that inclusionary workplace policies are essential for maintaining healthy, engaging, and authentic work environments. Its distributed workforce model allows RMF to compete for top talent across the nation and in the mortgage industry.
Employees love being at RMF. “Their employee morale is like no other company I’ve ever worked for. I feel a part of my direct team and with the company as a whole,” said one employee.
Another shared similar enthusiasm for their employer. “RMF is a company that values its most important asset: the employees. The company has an expansive array of benefits, knowledgeable and approachable management, flexibility when needed, clear and concise training, and excellent communication across the company,” the employee said.
RMF also earns praise from its employees for the way it treats its customers. “RMF is a great company because it truly cares about its borrowers. This is mostly a result from the industries best all working here and giving their all to help our borrowers with a product that can be life changing!” the employee enthused.
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Waterstone Mortgage
Silver
Waterstone Mortgage likes to focus on the success of its family-friendly culture. The company said, “What we mean by that is simply this: our employees tell us, over and over again, that they feel appreciated, welcomed, and valued in our workplace. We take our work seriously, but we also have fun. Our customers are our #1 priority, but we also understand the importance of creating a healthy work-life balance for our team members. Because we are focused on providing an engaging, positive work environment, our employees are typically very loyal and excited to come to work (even if it’s virtually!) Our team members are respectful, smart, and talented - and it shows, every day, in our offices.”
Employees can thrive at Waterstone if they love collaborating and being part of a team. The company says, “From our executive management team to our branch employees, everyone plays a valuable role in our organization. We are very team-oriented, and everyone works for the benefit of their colleagues and our customers. We also have a training department that provides ongoing education and skill development for our employees, fostering their professional growth.
“Plus, we believe in promoting from within, when possible. So far in 2022, we have promoted 23 individuals within our Home Office, with many more promotions at our branches throughout the nation.”
It’s obvious that focus on training pays off for Waterstone Mortgage. One employee noted, “Every person I’ve interacted with at Waterstone Mortgage since Day 1, is an incredibly gifted mortgage professional. Everyone is the best of the best at what they do. I’ve been in mortgage 32 years, from LO to mortgage company owner and I view WMC as mortgage company perfection.”
A new employee echoed that enthusiasm. “I love that being a new LO I was able to walk into an environment of elite achievers and learn from them at my own pace. This is particularly an amazing environment for LO’s who are starting their mortgage careers, such as myself,” the employee shared.
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Planet Home Lending
Bronze
Everyone at Planet Home Lending is dedicated to helping our originators increase volume and grow their business footprint, the company notes. “We retain the majority of our servicing, creating customers for life for MLOs who benefit from marketing to existing clients. We constantly find ways to close more loans by increasing operational efficiencies, improving the marketing tech stack, and focusing on customer experience,” the company said.
Also, of note, Planet originators were beating industry benchmarks by 14% at mid-year 2022 because their culture focuses on maximizing opportunities created by market inflections. Its data-driven leadership made strategic moves in 2021 to position the company to grow in a rising-rate environment. MLOs are attracted to Planet because of this product mix, financial stability, and operational support.
The employees concur. One wrote, “Planet Home Lending is the best company and the greatest team that I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. Everyone at Planet works together to achieve common goals and push each other towards success. The company is great at fostering talent and bringing out the best in its employees.”
Another said, “I love that Planet Home Lending encourages innovation, new ideas, and provides an open environment for sharing and collaborating. We are growing not only in size, but in talent! It’s incredible to see what brilliant minds are capable of when working together and Planet has created the perfect environment for success all around.”
“The overall atmosphere and people I work with not only make it a fun place to work, but we all have the same vision and want to succeed! Planet gives you the opportunity to take your career to the level you want. All the leaders actually listen to their employees and are always open to new ideas & possible solutions … that will not only help the company but gives the employee the chances they need to succeed,” wrote another employee.
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Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group
Communication
Gold Star Mortgage is proud of how it treats new and veteran employees. “Our Foundational Team Member training program is a 2.5-month rotational program that exposes participants to various teams within the mortgage loan and support process — from sales to underwriting, operations, IT, marketing, and more. During the first few months of employment, our Foundational Team Members spend time gaining knowledge in every department. We meet and actively engage with other corporate team members and managers in all departments to understand how each role plays a vital role in our company’s success,” the company proudly noted.
“Accessibility of management that can make decisions immediately. Never have I spoke to management and heard, let me run that up the ladder. There is no ladder here,” said one employee.
“Everyone is willing to help; no matter the time of day, everyone wants to see everyone succeed, regardless of their position. This company wants to help everyone grow and have a good time doing it. Very team-oriented company. They always show that you are needed in the company,” said another.
Gold Star also recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It includes hiring practices that encourage a workforce population that is highly inclusive of various racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as veterans, military spouses, and persons with disabilities.
“Our job descriptions are written in gender-neutral language to encourage diversity. We promote employee referrals and make an effort to look at individuals beyond the automated screeners. By celebrating multiculturism and diversity in the workplace, the company culture is enhanced by our diverse mindsets, which support our workforce and improve our servicing capabilities for our entire potential client population,” Goldstar Mortgage said.
Employees appreciate that. One said, “Our company fosters a team and collaborative environment. Employees are developed to provide a career path and high performers have a lot of upward mobility.”
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Lenders With Over 500 Mortgage Loan Officers
American Pacific Mortgage
Gold
APM is a family first and foremost. Its headquarters are called the “home office” because it wants everyone to feel supported and welcome. American Pacific’s values are at the heart of its organization because it’s not what you say, but what you do that’s important. Its values of respect, transparency and scrappy define how it act and guide the company in everything it does. Employees are empowered to make decisions, and as a company, it is 100% focused on making its loan officers and branch managers look good. At APM every experience matters.
One employee said what they most like about the company is working there is like a big family. “There is no I’s but only Us. They are transparent and caring. When I was diagnosed with cancer they rallied around me and made work my last worry. When I get in a bind on a deal, they are open to hearing the problem and work on a solution.” Another added, “I love how APM always strives to make sure their employees are educated, stays current with what is needed to move forward to succeed as well as always looking towards the future to make the company better. They are transparent, personable and very professional. I feel extremely lucky to be working for an outstanding company and leadership crew.”
When asked what the company can do better, most echoed this employee who said, “Not much.” Of course, not all is perfect. “Always improve on streamlining the mortgage process with technology adoption,” one employee said in the NMP survey.
Among the benefits offered, APM became partially employee-owned in 2019 by becoming an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), a retirement plan to enable a way for employees to start building additional long-term savings. Employees are given shares without cost and vest over time. In an industry with little to no retirement plans for employees, APM’s founders are committed to providing for their employees once they retire.
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Movement Mortgage
Silver
As Movement Mortgage explains on its website, Movement was created to be different. Founded in 2008, amidst one of the biggest financial meltdowns in American history, Movement set forth on a mission to create a Movement of Change in the industry, in corporate cultures and in communities.
Chief among its movement of change is how employees are treated. Company officials proudly note, “With movement, you can be confident that the people in our organization will be well cared for and given the opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. We offer a best-in-class tech-suite and marketing tools to our loan officers and support teams, setting them up for success. Our movement training program offered through our coaches is completely free for employees. We’re excellent at what we do, and we’re growing rapidly. Plus, we have financial and operational advantages to continue scaling no matter what the future brings.
There’s more to Movement than its bottom line, though. Employees can support their co-workers through The Love Works fund that helps give back to employees. The fund consists of employee contributions. This fund is one small way that staff can provide a helping hand when it’s needed most. The Love Works program exists for the employees of Movement Mortgage who are facing a great need in their life. It offers financial aid, coaching, resource connections and moral support to all employees nationwide.
That love for fellow man is enthusiastically supported by employees. “I love Movement’s culture!! They say, ‘Love & Value’ and Movement truly means it. They hire people who make that a focus in their life!”
Another added, “Others warned me before starting at Movement that they were a large corporation, and employees can often be overworked and unrecognized in large corporations of this scale. Movement has proved that that’s not the case here! I’ve felt welcomed and recognized from the day I started. I’ve worked in two departments of the company and have been equally treated outstanding in both!”
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New American Funding
Bronze
While other companies focus on being like a family, New American Funding concentrates on building a community. Company officials said, “Our community-like culture sets us apart and has earned the company many national awards, including being named one of Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2022. In fact, the company ranked as one of the nation’s top 20 workplaces in its first appearance on this prestigious list.”
New American Funding executive staff and team members work diligently to cultivate a diverse and inclusive work environment. These efforts bolster and promote the company’s NAF360 culture initiative, which is designed to ensure employees feel balanced and valued.
NAF360 embodies the company’s commitment to nurturing an atmosphere of 360 degrees of trust and respect and influences how the company and its employees treat clients, partners, and each other in the office, on video chat, over the phone, to borrowers, and at every point of contact.
One employee said the sense of community is bolstered through great communication. “The videos created by the president, CEO, CIO, and COO on a regular basis keep individual employees connected and together. There are multiple e-mails, and video trainings encourage and support new products and give opportunities for sharing best practices especially in tough times when everyone is affected in one way or another,” the employee wrote.
Another added, “You’ll hear from many about the company culture, but want to call out executive leadership -you don’t get what NAF has by paying lip service. Their dedication and appreciation of our culture shows in everything they do.”
The company’s employee-growth program, called “If You Want to Grow, We Want to Know,” gives employees a chance to communicate directly with senior management about internal growth opportunities.
The company also launched its “360 Mentorship Program,” a program to help team members develop professionally through in-depth one-on-one matching of mentees with experienced senior mentors.
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Nations Lending Corporation
Culture
Employees at Nations Lending love the culture of this company — it’s truly what they believe makes them different from other companies, not only within the industry, but in the business world as a whole. Talk about the company being a family is not just lip service. From the top down — its co-owners always talk about their family of employees, and how appreciative and grateful they are to have wonderful employees who want to see the company succeed. Employees also love how they can dial-up any executive in the company and talk to them or schedule a meeting with them. The access to the C-suite is unique.
When asked to define love for the company, one employee answered, “This is the first company that I have worked for that says they are family oriented that truly is. They hold to their word. They really do care all the way up to the CEO, president, and vice president. I have actually met them and spoke with them. This is not something that I have seen in other companies. They actually have a real conversation with you and not just about business. They want to know about you as an individual.”
One employee enjoys the family experience but would like to see more team building. “I wish there were more team-building opportunities. I love being remote, but sometimes it would be nice to set up some time that’s just for getting to know co-workers and unique team building activities.”
Company officials are proud of the opportunities afforded for employee growth. “If certain departments and/or teams grow, then an employee who has shown and made it clear they want to take on more responsibility, are given the opportunity for a promotion — to become a team lead, or more. In addition, employees who express interest in wanting to change career paths within the company — possibly transferring to a different department — they are afforded this opportunity,” the company said.
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VanDyk Mortgage Corporation
Family
VanDyk Mortgage earns accolades from its employees for the ways it serves its staff through diverse hiring, as well as providing health support.
VanDyk Mortgage employs a diverse group of individuals ensuring that everyone who is qualified has an equal and fair opportunity to be employed. It has partnered with minority recruitment firms to assist in finding candidates with diverse backgrounds. It also provides the opportunity for semi-retired employees to continue in their roles on a part-time basis.
VanDyk also provides accommodations to employees who require assistance for their mental or physical health limitations. They discuss accommodations with employees and provide resources for them to implement in their workspace. The firm also collaborates with an employee’s physician to learn additional accommodations that could possibly be incorporated. They direct employees to the Employee Assistance Program where they can meet with a counselor multiple times for guidance or assistance.
An employee said, “VanDyk goes out of its way to make certain the culture shows the values of the CEO. I am completely resourced to do my job. Further, I want to work here! It is not a chore, a bore, nor a snore. They help facilitate my calling.”
Another employee added, “We are truly a family and just get the job done! I have been a mortgage lender for 29 years and after coming to VanDyk several years ago I will never work anywhere else.”
Praise for VanDyk comes back to its family feel. “The community within our company is amazing. To see my co-works support and uplift each let’s me know that we are all on the same time and want the best for each other and the company as a whole!” an employee emphatically said.
Management backs that belief. “VanDyk focuses on the individual development of each employee allowing the opportunity for people to reach their highest professional potential,” the company said.
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Wholesale Lenders
Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions
Gold
Angel Oak is proud of its “people first” culture and a collaborative environment where leadership holds an open-door policy. The company has been named to the list of top workplaces for 8 consecutive years by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Angel Oak is active in the community, volunteering for and donating to the Ronald McDonald House, Sager Strong and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It also offers a hybrid work week with in-office and remote hours that include lunches and office events to encourage people to visit.
Not surprisingly job flexibility and support and engagement from corporate, rank high on the list of what Angel Oak employees like most about the company, along with benefits, the ability to move up the corporate ladder and the “tight-knit” atmosphere.
“I love the feeling that if I’m willing to put in the work, that I will be rewarded with advancement or appropriate compensation and doing that in an atmosphere of people who seem to genuinely care about each other,” wrote one employee.
“The communication is really great. I love that Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions puts its employees first, always soliciting for ways to improve work life balance, and even creating positions so that there are growth opportunities. Angel Oak is a company that does the right thing and there is no other company I would rather be employed by,” wrote another.
And a third wrote that “the culture created here is one of joy, enthusiasm, and customer-service driven excellence. They really make us feel appreciated.”
When asked to list something the company could do better, a large number of the nearly four dozen responses were “not much,” “nothing” or “I can’t think of anything.”
But one resourceful respondent did try to plant a seed with management that would probably make people feel even better about working there. “Nothing really but if I must,” the employee wrote. “It would be unrealistic or not practical, but company-paid Teslas.”
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HomeXpress Mortgage Corporation
Silver
At HomeXpress they practice the 3 Cs: communication, culture, and collaboration.
“I spend a lot of time working between the different departments and the employees work hard to work together in order to get the job done,” said one employee who managed to get a nod to each “C” and added “creative” into their assessment of why HomeXpress is great to work for. “I also appreciate the transparency from the executive level. Senior management is up front about market conditions and how we look as a company long term, especially when times aren’t certain. They also listen and empower their teams to develop solutions that are timely and creative.”
“Our culture is unbeatable. The executive team really invests time and resources in each employee’s growth and development in the team, and career advancement,” said another.”
Company officials pride themselves on investing heavily in new hire training, and providing employees with opportunities to venture outside their comfort zones. And speaking of working outside, employees who work remotely periodically receive care packages with meals, blankets, or a note of gratitude from the CEO. For those who work in the office, they have access to a chef who makes high quality lunches. To promote unity, the company hosts Easter egg decorating and Mother’s Day photo contests.
When it comes to what HomeXpress could do better, the letter “C” came up frequently again in the employee responses.
“Continue to evolve with the market,” said one. “Continue to be in position to grab market share when other companies don’t perform,” said another.
“From the time I’ve started with HomeXpress, I’ve seen great strides to continue ‘getting better’ in everything we do - from operational processes, sales, marketing & training”, said a third. “The fact that we are always striving to be better is all I could ever ask and appreciate.”
“Don’t change a thing,” said a fourth. “We are all happy coming to work every day. Teammates are enjoying moving up in the company and being provided the opportunity to grow.”
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Service Providers
Ascendum Solutions
Gold
As one of the largest minority-owned businesses in Cincinnati, Ascendum Solutions takes pride in having a culture that is inclusive and that values diverse backgrounds and ideas.
By the looks of it the company, which was named to the best places to work in Greater Cincinnati in 2020 and 2021, also is serious when it comes to the treatment of its employees.
Its Value Nomination Program recognizes five employees a year for demonstrating excellence in the following core value areas: Character; Commitment; Competence; Courage; and Community.
Ascendum also sets aside $2,000 a year for employees’ personal education to help them improve on existing skills or develop new ones and its “Culture Club” hosts regular happy hours, pot-luck lunches, charity events, and surveys.
And speaking of charity, employees are given three paid days off each year to volunteer in the community. Ascendum also hosts three company-wide fundraisers or corporate matches for Feeding America, Wounded Warriors Project Heifer International and the Red Cross in support of the people of Ukraine.
Employees, which number around 1,600, are also allowed to work from any location they choose, and get 21 vacation days a year, plus one floating day to set aside for personal milestones.
Not surprisingly, a large number of the six dozen comments about what employees liked about working for Ascendum touched on the work culture and environment, collaboration and work-life balance.
“Our employer’s corporate culture, company’s benefits, company’s stance on equality which means all employees are encouraged to succeed regardless of, race, sex, gender, age, etc., and it fosters an environment where any person can succeed and excel regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other factors,” wrote one employee.
And on the “what can the company do better” side, just under 50 of the 73 responses contained the words “no,” “not” or “nothing.”
