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20 UMortgage Loan Originators Featured Throughout the 2024 Scotsman Guide Rankings

April 6, 2024

20 UMortgage Loan Originators Featured Throughout the 2024 Scotsman Guide Rankings

Earlier this week, the Scotsman Guide released its 2024 Top Originators Rankings. UMortgage is proud to have 20 different Loan Originators ranked in 4 different categories.

The Philadelphia-based mortgage platform has had multiple Loan Originators feature on the Scotsman Guide’s yearly rankings for the last 3 years. Coming off its best year for funded volume and units, UMortgage also had its highest number of Loan Originators featured in this year’s Scotsman Guide rankings.

Newly introduced coaching programs, accomplished additions to UMortgage’s leadership team, and some of the platform’s unique value propositions all played a part in the 21 different Loan Originators earning spots across the Scotsman Guide’s Top Originators rankings.

In the spirit of UMortgage’s core value to Get Better Every Day, the innovative mortgage platform launched its Level Up Sales Coaching program for Loan Originators in the summer of 2023. Through their involvement in Level Up, 10 UMortgage LOs mastered their sales strategies and grew their businesses to earn spots on the Scotsman Guide 2024 Top Mortgage Brokers rankings.

Level Up arms its students with the necessary knowledge and resources needed to grow their network and exceed their yearly production goals. This first-of-its-kind coaching program connects Loan Originators with industry leaders and top producers and offers innovative business-tracking technology to help students find effective repeatable sales strategies.

Tyler Hodgson, EVP of Growth and 2024 Scotsman Guide Top Mortgage Broker, led the charge to launch Level Up and serves as one of 9 Level Up Sales Coaches for the program’s Spring 2024 semester. Patrick Stoy, a fellow feature on the Scotsman Guide Top Mortgage Broker rankings, also currently serves as a coach.

Jay Bunte, Jimmy Hobson, Ian Twaddle, Lisa Shaull, and Ben Bell have all been active in the program as either coaches or students since the inaugural semester in the summer of 2023, and all feature in the 2024 Scotsman Guide Top Mortgage Broker rankings. With a desire to continually craft skills and Get Better Every Day, 10 UMortgage LOs earned their place on this year’s Top Mortgage Broker rankings.

Along with the sales-tracking technology available in the Level Up Sales Coaching Program, UMortgage’s complete tech stack contributed to the production growth that landed 19 Loan Originators to the 2024 Scotsman Guide Top Dollar rankings.

All UMortgage LOs originate their loans through ARIVE – a fully digital origination platform consolidating a product pricing engine, point-of-sale, lender marketplace, and CRM into an intuitive interface.

With ARIVE, LOs can serve a higher volume of clients with the ability to originate from anywhere in the country. ARIVE also allows UMortgage Loan Originators to invite their agent partners to ARIVE’s exclusive Agent Portal. The Agent Portal allows real estate agents to track their clients’ loans as they pass through the loan pipeline, generate pre-approvals, and create a co-branded loan application with their and their UMortgage partner’s contact information.

UMortgage’s vision is to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership, and 16 UMortgage Loan Originators lived out that vision in a big way by serving a high volume of homebuyers to earn spots on the 2024 Scotsman Guide Rankings for Most Loans Closed.

With an ever-growing suite of custom marketing materials at their disposal, UMortgage LOs can organically connect with a higher volume of prospective buyers and instantly earn their trust by leading with education and prioritizing relationships, not transactions.

UMortgage’s Marketing team offers its LOs curated daily content every month to educate their social media audience on the nuances of the homebuying process, offer financial literacy advice, and share their latest and greatest loan products. Many of the marketing materials available can be co-branded to create a unified approach that strengthens their relationships with real estate agent partners and opens the door to more affordable homebuying opportunities for the homebuyers they serve.

When it welcomed Patton Gade – the 2023 Scotsman Guide Top VA Originator – as its National Director of Military Lending in late 2023, UMortgage signaled its commitment to improve homebuying experiences for veteran and active-duty borrowers.

After transitioning into his role as National Director of Military Lending, Gade serves as a leader for the UMortgage Veterans Alliance – a branch/Sales Division dedicated to serving veteran and active-duty homebuyers with service that’s fitting to their dedication to serving the country.

Under his leadership and the leadership of fellow Scotsman Guide-ranked VA Originator, Jay Bunte, the UMortgage Veterans Alliance has grown to a team of 12 experienced Loan Originators who all specialize in VA loans.

Gade and UVA Branch Manager, Jay Bunte, are both Army veterans and graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, while Jimmy Hobson, Branch Manager at UMortgage West, is a staunch advocate for VA homebuying — exemplified by his place on the Scotsman Guide’s Top VA Volume Rankings for the third consecutive year.

In 2023, more than 31% of the loans originated by UMortgage LOs were VA loans. Under the leadership of Scotsman Guide Top VA Originators, Gade, Bunte, and Hobson, UMortgage is on a clear mission to increase access to homebuying opportunities for members of the military community and change the narrative and negative stigmas associated with VA loans within the mortgage industry.

After more than doubling its yearly funded volume and units from 2022 to 2023, UMortgage is on pace for another record-breaking year of growth. In Q1 of 2024, the platform funded 1,544 units and $510mil in overall volume – a 24% year-over-year increase in funded volume and a 35% increase from Q4 of 2023.

UMortgage is constantly growing with innovative origination software, industry-leading coaching opportunities, eye-catching marketing, and a team of LOs committed to supporting each other. To learn more about how you can grow your business with the power of the UMortgage platform, check out our Experience the Difference packet for a comprehensive overview of the ways that UMortgage is empowering brokers nationwide.

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NewsMay 3, 2024

UMortgage Sets Company Record for Monthly Funded Volume in April 2024

UMortgage has developed a habit of setting a new company record nearly every quarter. Last month, the innovative mortgage platform set new company records with $238mil in monthly funded volume and 688 funded units in April 2024. After notching its third highest-producing quarter in company history during Q1 of 2024, UMortgage shot out the gates in Q2 with the appropriate momentum needed to surpass its targeted funded volume this year. The company records set in April indicate the exponential rate of growth that UMortgage continually achieves every single year. They’re also emblematic of the platform’s ability to set its Loan Originators up for success despite the continued market challenges of rising rates and shrinking inventory that have shaken others in the industry for the last two years. Reflecting on where UMortgage was when it last set records for monthly funded volume and units in May 2023, Anthony Casa, President & CEO said, “We’re a much better team now. Everyone is rowing in the same direction with a steadfast commitment to get better every day and make UMortgage the best mortgage company in America.” “It takes the entire team for us to continue to grow and set records when others in our industry downsize,” continued Casa. “Not only are we on pace for our fourth-consecutive year with a new company record for funded volume and families served, but we’re also coming together as a team and truly having a lasting positive impact on the communities we serve.” In April, UMortgage announced three new additions to its executive leadership team who will each contribute unique value to UMortgage’s Loan Originators and team members and capitalize on the platform’s momentum. Headlining these additions is Jimmy Hobson taking a role as National Sales Leader after serving as Branch Manager for UMortgage West — UMortgage’s top-producing and fastest-growing branch — since 2021. Utilizing her hands-on experience as Loan Specialist Team Lead, Christina Escobar was promoted to VP of People to continue to develop the company’s culture which prioritizes Relationships, Not Transactions. On top of those two internal promotions, UMortgage also welcomed Mike Farah as Director of Sales Operations in April. Farah joined UMortgage from New Jersey-based Garden State Home Loans to help improve the Operations workflows and tighten the company’s leading turn times. With a clear vision for the future and fresh, experienced leadership paving the path, UMortgage is on pace for its fourth consecutive company record for yearly funded volume and units. Casa will further outline the platform’s vision and goals for 2024 and beyond alongside Corie Meredith, VP of Marketing, and Patton Gade, National Director of Military Lending, during the bi-weekly Loan Originators Powered by UMortgage call this Thursday, May 9th at 2pm ET. Follow the previous link to register and gain an inside look at the platform’s future plans.

NewsApril 24, 2024

Kyle Koller Earns 2024 HousingWire Rising Stars Honor

UMortgage is proud to announce that Kyle Koller, Branch Manager of UMortgage West, has been named one of HousingWire’s 2024 Rising Stars award recipients. This award spotlights 80 leaders aged 40 years or younger who are driving the mortgage, real estate, and fintech industries forward. Since he joined the UMortgage platform in 2021, Koller developed UMortgage West into one of the biggest brokerages in the state of Utah and UMortgage—which has averaged +128% growth from 2021-2024—into one of the fastest-growing mortgage platforms in the country. His exceptional leadership and mortgage expertise led the branch to exponentially increase its production year after year to help serve more than 1,000 families in 2023. At the start of the year, he was a key driver in the negotiations that led to UMortgage’s acquisition of Houzd—a high-producing Utah-based brokerage that originated 400 units for $185mil in volume in 2023. By aligning the two top mortgage brokerages in Utah, Koller and his team will further increase homeownership opportunities offered to residents throughout the state and beyond. “It is an honor to be recognized as a HousingWire Rising Star in this current industry,” celebrated Koller. “UMortgage has provided me the platform to grow the nation's greatest team of Loan Officers while providing mentors that can help me grow as a better leader and communicator. They are helping me become the best Branch Manager in the United States, and I’m thrilled to continue to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership.” Koller exemplifies UMortgage’s core value to Create Strong Communities by regularly getting involved in his local community to help create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. He hosts weekly training sessions for real estate agents in his area to provide personal housing market updates and other inside knowledge to help them arm their homebuyers with knowledge. With his 2024 Rising Stars award, Koller is one of 4 current UMortgage leaders honored with a HousingWire award in the last two years. Gil Arbitsman, CFO, was a 2023 HousingWire Finance Leader, Corie Meredith, VP of Marketing, earned a 2023 HousingWire Marketing Leaders award, and David Higgins, Senior Project Manager, earned the distinction as a 2023 HousingWire Insider. Under its award-winning leadership team, UMortgage is ushering in the future of the mortgage industry. During an internal presentation on April 18th, it announced that Koller’s former fellow UMortgage West Branch Manager, Jimmy Hobson, had been promoted to National Sales Leader. With this leadership in place, UMortgage hopes to replicate the successes of Koller and the others at UMortgage West across all branches. Following the platform’s record-breaking year in 2023, UMortgage is off to a great start in 2024. Despite an unexpected spike in mortgage rates, the platform is projected to surpass its company record for funded volume yet again after funding 1,547 units for $510mil in volume in Q1 of 2024. Register here to learn more about the ways that UMortgage can elevate your business and make you a rising star in the mortgage industry.

NewsApril 23, 2024

UMortgage Announces Jimmy Hobson as National Sales Leader and Growth Projections for 2024 and Beyond

PHILADELPHIA, PA., April 19, 2024 — Following up on its record-breaking year of growth that culminated in a 127% year-over-year increase in funded volume in 2023, UMortgage clearly outlined its path forward for the remaining 3 quarters of 2024 and the years to come in its Vision, Goals, and Priorities presentation on April 18th. It also announced new leadership to help those at the platform achieve these goals — including the promotion of Jimmy Hobson, former UMortgage West Branch Manager, as National Sales Leader. “As a company, we’ve come a long way,” stated Anthony Casa, President & CEO. “When I founded UMortgage in 2020, $2bil in volume seemed like the moon to us. Now, we’re coming off a year in 2023 where we funded just shy of $2bil with +128% year-over-year growth, and that’s down to the ways that we’ve developed our culture, processes, and identity to give us this platform that we’ve been able to build upon.” Having averaged that +128% year-over-year growth every year since 2021, UMortgage has cemented itself as the fastest-growing mortgage company in the country. Less than 3 and a half years into its business cycle, the Philadelphia-based mortgage platform is placed among the top mortgage companies in the country with 20 Loan Originators featured in the 2024 Scotsman Guide Rankings. The evolution of leadership at UMortgage has been at the center of the platform’s growth since Casa founded the platform in 2020. During the presentation, it was announced that Hobson had been promoted to National Sales Leader. In his role, Hobson will implement set standards for loan submission, sales strategies, and marketing to foster a consistent mortgage experience across the organization. “I’m humbled to be able to continue to drive this incredible company forward as its National Sales Leader,” said Hobson. “What’s needed for UMortgage to take the next step is synergy with everything we do. I’m going to spearhead better collaboration between Sales and Operations, more coaching opportunities to get everyone pulling in the same direction, and stronger lender relationships. We have a lot of talent here and with better alignment and coaching, we can work our way straight to the top. Hobson joined UMortgage in 2021 to lead UMortgage West — the platform’s Utah-based branch — alongside fellow Branch Managers, Kyle Koller and Adam West. In less than 3 years, UMortgage West grew to become UMortgage’s highest-producing branch and served nearly 1,000 families for more than $340mil in volume in 2023. UMortgage is eager for Hobson to share the practices that helped facilitate UMortgage West’s growth across the entire organization. Christina Escobar, former Loan Specialist Team Leader, earned an executive role after being promoted to VP of People. UMortgage also formally welcomed Mike Farah as Director of Sales Operations. Farah previously worked at the New Jersey-based brokerage Garden State Home Loans as its VP of Operations. These new members of UMortgage’s executive leadership team will work together to help the platform reach multiple goals outlined in the Vision, Goals, and Priorities presentation. Under refreshed leadership, UMortgage has targeted benchmarks of 4 monthly fundings per LO, a loan cycle that’s 16 calendar days from TRID to clear to close, and a maximum cost per funded loan of $1,650. These goals are central to UMortgage’s plan to become the best mortgage company in America. For UMortgage, this means a team-centric culture that offers all associated parties a consistent, communicative, and relationship-driven client experience. With a fresh, experienced, and diverse leadership team driving these target goals, UMortgage plans to originate upwards of $6bil in yearly volume by the end of 2025. The platform is constantly growing and wants to do so with the best Loan Originators and Operations support in the country. Follow this link if you’re interested in learning more about UMortgage’s mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. About UMortgage UMortgage is a national mortgage platform on a mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership for homebuyers across the country. With Loan Originators licensed from coast to coast, an expansive suite of lenders to shop from, and a quick, clear, & communicative homebuying process, UMortgage is ushering in a modern mortgage experience that can cater to any homebuyer.