UMortgage Launches its Third Semester of Level Up Sales Coaching

The UMortgage platform was created to give Loan Originators (LOs) a place where they can grow and develop more opportunities to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership for the members of their communities. This fall, UMortgage is launching the third semester of its Level Up Sales Coaching program following two semesters of unprecedented success. This innovative program helps LOs improve their business strategies and directly benefits borrowers by ensuring that their LOs are better equipped to provide tailored and affordable mortgage solutions to every client they serve. With access to expert coaching from industry leaders, a proprietary sales tracking app named Tempo, and proven sales strategies that have directly contributed to UMortgage becoming the 88th fastest-growing company in America, UMortgage’s coaching program positions Loan Originators to deliver unmatched value to homebuyers. How Sales Coaching Benefits Homebuyers Level Up’s purpose is to raise the standard of the homebuying experience for every client. In their Level Up curriculum, LOs are trained to: Streamline how they take clients through the loan pipeline to ensure an efficient homebuying process for every client Identify their clients’ financial needs and homeownership goals to deliver a personalized homebuying experience Gain a better understanding of UMortgage’s full portfolio of loan products and the context where different products or programs should be utilized The universal benefits of Level Up will positively impact borrowers no matter the experience level of their LO. Take it from Brian Cardenas, a mortgage professional since 1991, who credited his business’ recent exponential growth to those lessons he learned in Level Up. “I’ve been in several different coaching programs, and I’ve learned and improved from every one of them,” said Cardenas. “Level Up is heads and shoulders the best that I’ve been part of. Thanks to this program, I’ve already doubled my total production from 2023 just 9 months into 2024 and have been able to have a tangible positive impact on every borrower I’ve worked with.” Your Competitive Edge in a Competitive Market Level Up Sales Coaching doesn’t just work for Brian, it works for all students. The UMortgage platform alone has proven to give Loan Originators the advantage they need to serve a greater number of prospective homebuyers compared to our competitors. Level Up gives these LOs an additional leg up. Through competitor analysis on 11 similar companies—4 brokerages and 7 retail lenders—Level Up students grew their production numbers by 54.75% from Q1 to Q2 in 2024. In comparison, the broker average was 25.76% and the retail average was 24.81% across the same period. “UMortgage is giving Loan Originators the tools they need to grow their business. This isn’t just higher production numbers, this is a higher number of families served,” says Anthony Casa, UMortgage President & CEO. “By focusing on the right strategies and accountability, our Loan Originators are fully prepared to offer the best service possible to their clients.” Introducing the Tempo App for Sales Activity Tracking This fall, UMortgage is introducing Tempo, a cutting-edge app designed to help Loan Originators track their sales activities, work more efficiently, and stay connected with borrowers. With this level of accountability, Loan Originators work proactively to guide borrowers through the process and reach their homebuyer goals. “Tempo will be instrumental in the ways that we’re able to refine our client experience by ensuring a high standard that’s consistent for every borrower who works with a UMortgage LO,” continued Grapevine. “We’re excited to continue developing this app to help us transform the homebuying experience into one that’s simple, modern, and personalized.” This activity-tracking system will be central to the way that UMortgage Loan Originators stay connected with their clients, no matter where they are in the loan process, to ensure they’re offering the best service possible and keeping them on the path to financial freedom. Why Work with a UMortgage Loan Originator? When you choose a UMortgage Loan Originator, you’re not just working with someone who can get you a mortgage, you're working with a local expert with the tools and support needed to find you the best possible mortgage solution. Through programs like Level Up, UMortgage ensures that its Loan Originators are going above and beyond to exceed expectations, and that’s a win for every borrower. To get connected with a UMortgage Loan Originator in your area, click here to share a few details about yourself, and we’ll be in touch!

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.

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.