How our incredible team shaped the future of mortgage lending by achieving exceptional milestones and accolades in 2023
Watching our customers get the keys to their new homes never gets old… in fact, it becomes more meaningful with time. Despite the challenges of the real estate market in 2023, we helped many families and individuals achieve their homeownership goals throughout the year — something we are very proud of!
Homeownership is a significant goal for many people because it gives them a place to make memories and helps them invest in their future. Plus, it provides a sense of stability and community. That’s why our jobs, as mortgage professionals, are so important to us — because we provide a way for our neighbors, family members, friends, and colleagues to achieve this.
As we look back on 2023, we have many amazing milestones, achievements, and awards to celebrate. These are the moments that make us who we are… a team of elite mortgage professionals who are dedicated to helping people come “home.”
Happy Customers = Flourishing Business
We prioritize helping people achieve their dream of owning a home, but we also want to ensure we do it correctly. That’s why our customers’ feedback is so important to us.
In 2023, we had an average Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 90.6. NPS works like this: companies are given a rating from -100 (the worst score) to 100 (the best), based on customer feedback. So, as you can see, an overwhelming majority of our customers agree that we provided an exceptional mortgage experience.
We couldn’t have pulled it off without our amazing employees, who work hard every day to provide an even better mortgage journey, by focusing on technology solutions; consistent, transparent communication with our homebuyers; identifying and implementing the best mortgage products; and much more.
Oodles of Awards
2023 was an award-winning year for us (literally!)
We kicked off the year by earning ICE Mortgage Technology’s Innovation Award, in the category of “Data Driver – Best Use of Data to Drive Decisions.” We use ICE’s innovative technology solutions (integrated with our own proprietary tool, Element) to streamline the loan process and provide an exceptional mortgage experience for our homebuyers.
Many of our loan originators were also recognized for their hard work and excellence throughout 2023. Fifteen of them were named on Scotsman Guide’s “Top Originators” list and 15 were also awarded Mortgage Executive Magazine’s “Top 1% Mortgage Originators in America” based on their production the previous year.
One all-star who deserves a specific mention here is our Eagle, Idaho-based branch manager, Gwen Swain, who also received Scotsman Guide’s “Top Women Originators” and “Top Emerging Stars” awards in 2023. She had an exceptional year, helping 117 families and individuals achieve their homeownership dreams.
And… our sales team members weren’t the only ones recognized for their amazing efforts in 2023. Our Operations team was also honored with the “Top 10 Operations Team” award from OnConferences. This was a unique award because it spanned all industries (not just mortgage lenders). We were particularly proud of this one!
While 2023 was a challenging year for our industry, we remained dedicated to our goals and received several awards for our achievements as a top mortgage lender in the industry — such as Scotsman Guide’s “Top Mortgage Lenders” and Mortgage Executive Magazine’s “Top 50 Mortgage Companies.”
We were also recognized for our exceptional company culture — winning National Mortgage Professional magazine’s “Most Loved Mortgage Employers” award.
Fun Milestones and Events
At Waterstone Mortgage, our year was also jam-packed with some exciting events, conferences, and milestones.
In March, some of our sales team members enjoyed an amazing Top Producers trip to Costa Rica. There was plenty of fun, laughter, and celebrating in a beautiful setting.
During the summer, our Home Office hosted a fun “cookout,” with games and a delicious lunch. In November, we had a similar celebration, which our Home Office team members fondly refer to as “Friendsgiving” — complete with Thanksgiving-style comfort foods.
Mid-year brought some important milestones for our two regions. In July, we marked the five-year anniversary of our New Mexico region, which is now known as our West Region. Our team in the west is led by Division Executive – West, Sue Millspaugh. In August, we also celebrated the 15-year anniversary of our East Region leadership team, led by Division Executive – East, David Holbrook. Both anniversaries were significant milestones for our company, as the West and East Region team members have been instrumental in our growth and success over many years.
In September, we hosted our annual Branch Manager Conference at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee. This was a great opportunity for our branch leaders to share ideas and strategies for business growth, professional development, and much more.
A Year to Remember
Overall, there was a lot to celebrate in 2023! Though our industry saw some tough times, we stayed committed to our vision of being an elite lender. To help fulfill our mission, we also hired many new sales and support team members throughout the year. This helped us support our ultimate goal to say “yes” to as many homebuyers as possible throughout 2023.
Plus, we’re looking forward to achieving even greater goals in 2024. We are dedicated to being an exceptional mortgage lender, and we’ll never stop working strategically, innovatively, and creatively to serve homebuyers.
