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– It was just a lot of faith in people, that at times I actually maybe underestimated how many people really care and love this company. And that just rings true every time we hit any kind of a bump in the road, you see all the people that are willing to stand up. Whatever it is. I mean, you name it, people are there to lean on their friend or colleague. And that’s what NFM’s about.
– I think honestly we started as kind of a scrapper and upstart, and now, I mean, we’re top 20 in the country for purchase business.
– Mortgage companies don’t last 25 years. It’s a testament to the people and our founder, David Silverman, and his wife Sandy. It just all started there and it has never stopped.
– Kind of cool to see NFM grow over all these years, from a small refi shop to the powerhouse they are today. It’s been a crazy evolution as far as when I got here for them doing 2 or 3 billion a year to now doing 9 to 10 billion. Not only in the amount of people that it takes to do that, but the products, the programs, the process, the technology. It’s been an amazing accomplishment to see the growth, and it starts with the people and the people that want to join to make that volume happen. But also just the mindset of the executive team and the people at corporate to work through all of those changes and processes.
– So when I came here nine years ago, the company was, I think, about 90% refinance business. And me being in the business 22 and a half years, I was 90% purchase business. So I did take a big risk. However, I just believed in the leadership of this company. And to watch where it has gone from an entire shift to the bulk of the business being purchase business has just been an honor to be a part of that.
– Quarter century, I think, is incredible. It’s a huge accomplishment, given this business is full of so many ups and downs. It’s a accomplishment and it’s also a testament to the leadership of NFM.
– We’ve gone through so many ups and downs in the market, and NFM’s ability to pivot into any market I think is is one of its biggest strengths.
– 25 years. That is pretty amazing when you think about it. I mean, we’ve not only survived, we’ve grown and we’ve evolved. It’s actually pretty remarkable.
– 25 years went by super quick. When we first started at NFM, we were all young, and the vibe here was a family one. But we worked hard, and we were serious about helping our customers. So that never really left.
– So proud of the team that we have here at NFM. We’ve got closers who take ownership of everything they do. Their pride shows in all of their work.
– When I knocked the doors of NFM, Dave Silverman asked me, “How do we make you successful? That’s what I’m interested in knowing.” And just that approach really captivated my attention. I said, this is an owner that is interested in us succeeding.
– Being able to wake up in the morning and know that you’re proud to work in the place where you are and you’re proud to work alongside the people that you work with. And it’s just a really special place to be.
– At the end of the day, it’s about working with who you like and trust, and that’s always what has attracted me to NFM and kept me excited about the opportunity to come to work every day for them.
– The mortgage business is hard on its face. There’s a lot of things we can’t control, whether it be compliance or guideline changes or when COVID happens and programs go out of the market. But for the things that we can control, to be able to come to work, to be able to have fun, to know that you’re supported, to know that somebody’s got your back. That is truly hands-on. It’s relationship-based operations. It’s small enough where it feels like it’s a family.
– You think about this company, it’s helping 25 to 30,000 homeowners every year get into homes. That’s impactful.
– I think NFM’s impact is kind of unfolding right before our eyes. To be in business for 25 years is something special, but with our Influencer Division and what we have going on which is geared towards the next generation, millennials and Gen Z and making home ownership a reality for them, I think we’re making a big impact. And we’re just getting started.
– The NFM family, whatever the brand may be, is known as a company that can be trusted. We don’t miss closings. We’re on time. Our loan officers are professional. We try and do the right thing every day, and it’s critical to our success.
– I think we look back, and we feel like we’ve accomplished a lot, but I think that we are more focused on looking forward to the future and all that we have to accomplish now.
– The evolution has been not only the people but really the intellectual talent within the organization has allowed us to build a foundation that you can build off of. And the future leaders of today are being made here.
– And so they’re just pouring into sales, whether it’s from a technology standpoint, social media, bringing on different types of loans that we all need access to. So I see the next 25 years to continue to grow. And what I do love is NFM doesn’t wanna be the biggest, they wanna be the best. And I’m grateful to be a part of a company that wants to be the best.
– My big aspiration was for us to one day do like a hundred loans a month. And then when we got to that, maybe it was like one day we might be able to do a thousand. To get to where we are now with over a thousand employees and have the number of branches and number of families that we affect every year. It’s just, it’s almost too much.