Our Chief Operating Officer, Rich Tucker, has received HousingWire magazine’s esteemed award for influential professionals in the mortgage lending industry
You don’t know what you’re missing until you have the chance to work with Rich Tucker.
As our fearless and talented COO, Rich is a key contributor to our mission of helping families and individuals achieve their dream of homeownership. This month, Rich also received HousingWire’s prestigious Insiders award, which is given to a select group of mortgage and real estate industry professionals nationwide.
The HousingWire Insiders award recognizes individuals who are the “best-kept secrets” of their companies. In other words, they are essential to the operational success of the business. The recipients aren’t necessarily well-known throughout the mortgage industry, and that’s why they’re considered “Insiders.” But here at Waterstone Mortgage, Rich is very well known for his expertise, optimistic attitude, and his knack for making everyone feel valued in their roles. Plus, he’s also making a name for himself in the mortgage industry, as a whole.
Since he joined our team in June 2018, Rich has been a breath of fresh air for our Loan Operations team. He’s extremely approachable, friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to do whatever it takes to see his team members succeed. He manages his team with sincerity, transparency, and enthusiasm – and never misses the opportunity to celebrate a team member’s achievements. In a world where companies value the bottom line more than people, Rich is refreshingly different.
“Rich is an exceptional manager who puts his team members first,” says Waterstone Mortgage SVP – Marketing & Communications Lisa Fenske. “Watching his interactions with his employees, you can immediately see how they hold him in high-esteem. They look forward to working with Rich each day, and they feel respected and valued by him. This fosters loyalty across the Loan Ops team – which is a significant driver of success for the company. Rich also has a genuine passion for helping families and individuals reach their homeownership goals. He talks about how there is ‘life’ within every file and a story behind every transaction; Rich always has the end goal in sight.”
Because he prioritizes people, Rich has been effortlessly successful in his role. In 2019, we had our best year ever – with nearly $3 billion in annual loan volume and 14,000+ units. While the national economy struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, we had record-shattering production. We set a monthly record in June – with nearly $414 million in loan volume and more than 1,800 loans closed. Plus, we hit a new quarterly record for April, May, and June. During those months, we reached an incredible $1.1 billion in loan volume and helped nearly 5,000 families and individuals purchase or refinance their homes! This success was due to many people, including our amazing Sales and Loan Operations team members around the country.
Rich also brings valuable expertise to our Executive Team. With nearly 20 years of experience in the housing finance industry – including several years as a loan originator – he understands the entirety of the loan process, and how critical it is for lenders to adapt their processes and technology to match homebuyers’ changing needs and preferences.
As described by his team member, Michelle Isenbart (AVP – Loan Operations), Rich has a work ethic that is second to none. “We have worked together, side by side, with many changes in the industry. His work ethic and discipline are dependable, and he is the one I can always count on to help me navigate change,” she says.
Plus, Rich embraces new technologies that allow the Loan Operations team to improve their service level agreement within the organization. He is constantly seeking new technologies, focusing on how these solutions can make his employees’ lives better or elevate the customer experience.
“I have heard him say many times… if he could reduce the amount of time a team member has to spend in the file, then hopefully they are gaining more time to spend with their family and friends – without needing to work overtime to get the job done,” Michelle says.
What more can we say? Rich is well-respected by his employees and colleagues, as well as our sales team members around the nation. His positivity, sense of humor, and tireless work ethic make him an incredible asset to our company.
Congratulations on this amazing achievement, Rich!
