Rate Elevates Commitment to Promoting Diversity
September 8, 2020 (CHICAGO) – Rate, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the country, is expanding its service and marketing in diverse communities nationwide by naming Camilo Escalante as National Diverse Segments Director.
Rate, which was recently recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as a 2020 “Notable Business Championing Diversity and Inclusion,” is dedicated to promoting diversity and expanding its commitment to minority communities and borrowers.
“As a company, we are always looking for ways to improve and expand our services to help as many borrowers as possible achieve their dreams of homeownership,” said Rate President and CEO Victor Ciardelli. “By creating this role and bringing Camilo on board, we are better positioned to support all potential homeowners in communities across the country.”
The new role aims to ensure that loan officers continue to serve borrowers in diverse communities, enhancing their access and improving the quality of their lending experience. In this role, Escalante will help recruit a more diverse workforce and increase the accessibility of Rate’s platform to more borrowers.
In its long-standing focus on expanding diversity and inclusion, Rate has developed numerous employee resource groups. These groups include the Rate Organization of Women (GROW) to empower female mortgage professionals, PROUD to support LGBTQ+ employees, and Leadership Equity and Development (LEAD) to develop minority opportunities within the mortgage industry and to foster deep community relationships aimed at increasing minority homeownership.
“I am thrilled to join the Rate team and build on the foundation they’ve created to lead the industry,” said Escalante. “I look forward to working with the company’s executives, loan officers and referral partners as we continue expanding our mortgage solutions and innovative platform to a diverse group of borrowers and communities nationwide.”
Escalante joins Rate with 16 years of industry experience, earning recognition as one of the top loan producers in the country while helping thousands of families achieve homeownership in neighborhoods across Chicago. He was recognized as a Top 1% Mortgage Originator by Mortgage Executive Magazine from 2015 to 2018 and by the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers in 2017 and 2018.
A Chicago native, Escalante sits as the Government Affairs Director for the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a non-profit organization with a mission to advance sustainable homeownership.
About Rate Companies
The Rate Companies, which includes Rate, Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 9,000 employees in over 750 offices across the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate Companies is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States, funding over $73 billion in 2020. Founded in 2000 and licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Rate Companies has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. 2017 marked the launch of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation's largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Rate Companies have earned honors and awards including: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; HousingWire’s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashClose SM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.