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Dave Higgins, VP of Business Innovation, Earns 2023 HousingWire Insiders Award

Published: September 1, 2023

Dave Higgins, VP of Business Innovation, Earns 2023 HousingWire Insiders Award

HousingWire—a leading housing industry media publication—today announced its 2023 Insiders Award winners. Dave Higgins, UMortgage’s VP of Business Innovation, was selected as one of the 75 exclusive winners of this award for his excellence in leading a plethora of initiatives and projects that have helped UMortgage grow at scale and enable its team members to succeed in their roles.

The HousingWire Insiders Award honors operational leaders in housing who are working behind the scenes to drive their companies and clients forward. According to HousingWire’s press release, “Winners were carefully selected by HousingWire’s selection committee based on their vital and dynamic contributions to their companies and the industry as a whole.”

Higgins’ contributions to UMortgage since joining in 2021 have been invaluable to the mortgage platform’s exponential, 300% year-over-year growth.

In his role as VP of Business Innovation, Dave is the mastermind behind UMortgage’s approach to any updated process, new initiative, departmental restructure, or ideated solutions to individual and collective pain points. He brings structure, accountability, communication, and user adoption to life all while ensuring the platform maintains its industry-best Net Promoter Score (NPS) and operations turn times.

UMortgage sat down with Dave to discuss what it means to win this award and his approach to leadership within the organization.

Q: Dave, congratulations on being selected as one of HousingWire’s 2023 Insiders Award winners! What does it mean to be recognized as one of the leading figures of innovation within the housing industry?

DH: “It’s an incredible honor! The thing that I really appreciate about this award is that these are the people who don’t get a lot of time to be in the spotlight. I’m glad that this is an opportunity for people who like to be the workhorses of their industry or company to shine and be recognized.

Kudos to HousingWire for coming up with an award that really shines a light on those folks who can be easily overlooked in some cases. I love this award for all the hard-working individuals leading these groundbreaking projects throughout our industry. All my fellow nominees and award winners should be proud of the work they do, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see and receive this kind of recognition.”

Q: You’ve received this award for working on a lot of the groundbreaking projects at UMortgage that are helping us blaze a trail in the mortgage industry. When reflecting on all the projects you’ve worked on previously, what are some of the things that guide your leadership as new initiatives arise and new projects are started?

DH: “The industry evolves incredibly quickly. We have to adjust to things that come by the day and sometimes even by the hour. One of the biggest things that I’ve tried to instill in the teams that I work with is to document everything—that way if you need to refer to anything, you have something concrete right there and available to you. The other thing is to always build in measures of accountability for the individuals leading specific parts of these new projects and processes so we can get a measuring stick for success and ensure that we’re always on the right track.

I think there are always opportunities to partner with your business unit in a better way and new methods to get buy-in from the team members and the individuals who are in the trenches. As leaders, we should constantly seek out new methods to engage them and get them excited about what you’re doing, and that’s bringing them into the project and making them part of the decision-making process.”

Q: What advice would you give to other leaders or individuals aspiring to innovate in their respective industries?

DH: “The biggest advice that I can give is to go outside of your industry to find things that have worked. We can adapt things from manufacturing plants, food service, and really any industry out there. There are very few novel problems in the world. Somebody somewhere else out there has found a way to solve the problem that you have – you just have to find it. Go outside of the industry. Call leaders in other industries and ask them how they would tackle that kind of problem. Nine times out of 10, somebody else has tackled that issue and has a creative solution that you can use.”

Dave is the third current UMortgage Executive Leader to earn one of HousingWire’s industry leader awards this year. Gil Arbitsman, CFO, was named one of the publication’s 2023 Finance Leaders while Corie Meredith, VP of Marketing, earned the honor as one of their 2023 Marketing Leaders.

UMortgage has carefully curated an award-winning leadership team to champion its vision to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. Through the guidance of UMortgage’s executive leaders, the platform serves as a trailblazer within the mortgage industry and ensures the success of all its team members and Loan Originators.

If you’re interested in learning more about the ways that UMortgage’s leadership team is blazing a trail towards a better mortgage industry, follow this link to hear from some of the platform’s leading minds and top producers.

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NewsSeptember 3, 2024

Joe Cicali, Chief Strategy Officer, Earns 2024 HousingWire Vanguard Honor

UMortgage is proud to announce that Joe Cicali, Chief Strategy Officer, has been named one of this year’s 2024 HousingWire Vanguard awardees. This prestigious recognition honors the top c-suite leaders in the housing industry who are shaping the future of homeownership through innovative strategies and unwavering commitment. Since joining UMortgage, Joe has been a driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the homebuying experience. His forward-thinking approach to mortgage operations and technology integration has empowered our Loan Originators and Operations team to deliver unmatched service, build stronger relationships with clients, and streamline our pipeline of referral business. "It's a huge honor to be named one of this year's HousingWire Vanguard award winners alongside so many great mortgage industry leaders," said Joe. "At UMortgage, we're setting a new standard for the homebuying experience. To get us there, we’re implementing new tech features that will help our Loan Originators and Operations team members gain deeper insights into our client's unique needs that will help us build stronger relationships and streamline our referral pipeline." Joe’s leadership has been pivotal to maintaining the exponential rate of growth seen at UMortgage in 2024. In Q2, UMortgage set a new quarterly record with 2,010 units closed and $704 million in volume after setting company records for monthly volume and units in consecutive months in April and May. UMortgage's commitment to innovation has set it apart as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. In August, UMortgage ranked #88 on the Inc 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies. The list also noted UMortgage as the 3rd-fastest-growing company in Pennsylvania, 4th-fastest-growing in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington region, and 11th-fastest-growing company in the finance sector. These milestones underscore the power of Joe’s vision and the dedication of our entire team to excellence. At UMortgage, we’re not just meeting industry standards; we’re redefining them. Our focus on innovation and client-centric solutions is setting a new benchmark for the mortgage industry, and we’re excited to continue leading the way. Joe joins a growing list of UMortgage leaders recognized by HousingWire this year. Mike Farah, Director of Sales Operations, was named a 2024 HousingWire Insider and Kyle Koller, Branch Manager, earned a 2024 HousingWire Rising Stars honor. As we continue to expand and evolve, UMortgage is looking for passionate professionals to join our team and help us transform the homebuying experience for our clients. If you’re ready to be part of an industry-leading company that’s changing the way that people purchase a home, visit umortgage.com/careers to explore exciting opportunities as a Loan Originator or Operations team member.

NewsAugust 19, 2024

Joe Cicali Named UMortgage Chief Strategy Officer

PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 19, 2024 — UMortgage announced today that Joe Cicali has been named its Chief Strategy Officer. With more than 20 years of experience driving process-driven results for companies in the mortgage and finance industries, Cicali will lead further innovations at UMortgage that help streamline day-to-day tasks to free up bandwidth and manage the increased demand expected in the housing market later this year. With an already innovative tech stack, Cicali will continue to advance UMortgage’s systems ahead of the modern age by integrating artificial intelligence into its software. The use of AI at UMortgage will eliminate repetitive tasks for team members, remove factors of human error, and allow team members to focus on their relationships to create a stronger client experience. “Anthony Casa and I have worked closely together throughout our careers and it’s a privilege to work together again to help make UMortgage the best mortgage company in America,” stated Cicali. “The UMortgage platform is already built to succeed in any market conditions, but I’m excited to use my skillset to advance our tech stack to allow our team members to thrive while they focus on building relationships with the buyers and agents they work with.” Cicali and Casa first connected professionally in 2016 when Cicali joined Casa’s brokerage, Garden State Home Loans, as its Chief Information Officer. Noticing the use of fully manual and paper-based processes, Cicali modernized Garden State through digitalization and the use of automations to eliminate time-consuming data input and human error. The fruits of these new processes earned Cicali a promotion to Executive Vice President. Cicali’s work modernizing the origination processes at Garden State made him a natural fit to serve as CEO of ARIVE—an online all-in-one mortgage origination software that Casa designed to modernize the mortgage process—upon its foundation in 2018. After two years as CEO of ARIVE and a major role leading the sale of the company, Cicali returned to Garden State Home Loans to assume the role of Chief Strategy Officer. As Garden State CSO, Cicali led the local brokerage through the refinance boom of 2020 and 2021. Through implementing a data-driven approach to its sales strategy and using an advanced tech stack to utilize automations that improve brokers’ operational efficiencies, Cicali led Garden State Home Loans to produce an average of 600 loans per month with a small force of just 50 team members. Assuming his role as UMortgage CSO, Cicali will implement similar back-end automations and process improvements to help the platform’s brokers scale their production and allow its operations team members to manage a larger pipeline of loans without increased exertion. These improvements aim to help free UMortgage Loan Originators and Processors from mundane desk work to focus more on the relationships that create a less transactional borrower experience. UMortgage is growing at an unprecedented pace. The innovative platform just smashed its company record for quarterly production and is poised to close out the year with over $3 Billion in funded volume. The platform is on pace for another year of record growth; download our Experience the Difference packet for an overview of the business-boosting benefits that loan officers nationwide can unlock at UMortgage. About UMortgage UMortgage is a national mortgage platform on a mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. 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 catered to all homebuyers.

NewsAugust 13, 2024

UMortgage Ranks #88 on 2024 Inc 5000

PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 13, 2024 — Inc. has announced that UMortgage is ranked the 3rd fastest-growing private company in Pennsylvania on the 2024 Inc. 5000. This list recognizes the most successful independent and entrepreneurial businesses in the U.S. economy in the last 4 years. The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. In addition to ranking #4 for revenue growth in Pennsylvania, UMortgage also ranked #4 in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington region, #11 for revenue growth in financial services, and #88 overall. “It’s an honor to be named alongside our country’s leading companies on the Inc. 5000,” stated Anthony Casa, UMortgage President & CEO. “We’ve grown rapidly in a shrinking market and this award truly exemplifies the hard work, team-first mentality, and leadership that have helped us scale exponentially.” UMortgage’s growth can be directly attributed to its unique relationship-driven approach to the mortgage and homebuying process. With Loan Originators licensed in 48 states from coast to coast, UMortgage offers an experience that puts their individual financial needs at the forefront to provide an affordable personalized home loan that enables them to achieve financial freedom for decades. In 2023, it celebrated its third consecutive year with more than 100% year-over-year growth in funded units and loan volume. Its loan volume growth has directly correlated to revenue growth with a 3,636% increase in yearly revenue from 2020 to 2023. This year, UMortgage tallied two record funding months in April and May as well as a record-breaking quarter with more than $700 million in loan volume in Q2. It is currently on pace for yet another record-breaking year with more than $3 billion in projected 2024 loan volume. Its growth in 2024 can be tied to strategic additions to its executive leadership team. Patton Gade, National Director of Military Lending and Scotsman Guide #1 VA Originator, Andrew Chavez, National Director of Sales Development, and Jimmy Hobson, National Sales Leader, have collaborated to provide comprehensive daily coaching opportunities to UMortgage LOs that help them better serve their clients with greater knowledge and innovative sales strategies. In 2024, UMortgage executives have been honored for their excellence in driving the platform forward with numerous recognitions from industry-leading publications. Casa was recognized for his excellence as President & CEO as he was awarded a spot on the 2024 Titan 100 and a 2024 Inman Best of Finance award. Corie Meredith, VP of Marketing, was named a 2024 MPA Elite Woman, Mike Farah, Director of Sales Operations, was honored as a 2024 HousingWire Insiders awardee, and Kyle Koller, Branch Manager, earned a 2024 HousingWire Rising Stars honor. UMortgage is actively blazing a trail within the mortgage industry to offer homebuyers fast, friendly, and flexible home loan solutions. Its innovative tech stack and competitive lender portfolio ensure that homebuyers and agents receive the most affordable mortgage rate possible from an experienced mortgage broker in their community. “As we look ahead to the second half of 2024 and beyond, UMortgage is developing and rolling out AI enhancements that will streamline our sales processes and enable our LOs to connect with more prospective clients,” continued Casa. “We’ve laid a solid foundation to scale through a shrinking market and now that rates are trending lower, our best years are still ahead.” If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a positive impact on your community as a UMortgage Loan Originator, stay up to date with all company updates by following UMortgage on LinkedIn. About UMortgage UMortgage is a national mortgage lender on a mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership. With Loan Officers licensed from coast to coast, an expansive suite of mortgage lenders to shop from, and a quick, clear, & communicative homebuying process, UMortgage is ushering in a modern mortgage experience catered to all homebuyers.