Rate Hires Debi Smith to Oversee New Branch in Wildwood, Florida
March 15, 2021 – Rate, one of America’s top 5 retail mortgage lenders, has named Debi Smith as a Vice President of Mortgage Lending to oversee its new branch in Wildwood, Fla.
Located in The Villages community, the new branch expands the company’s existing presence in Central Florida, which includes locations in Orlando, Maitland, Ocala and Gainesville.
Rate has been operating in Florida since 2011, providing consumers with an end-to-end online mortgage platform that has a 96% customer service rating, according to 2019 client surveys.
“I’m thrilled to join Rate and to be part of its continued growth throughout Florida,” said Smith. “I’ve been serving The Villages for more than two decades and I look forward to continuing to do so with Rate’s innovative platform and talented team of mortgage professionals.”
Smith has spent her entire career serving Florida’s borrowers and works with a wide range of customers, including first-time homebuyers and those looking to refinance their current mortgage.
Founded in 2000, Rate delivers competitive pricing, innovative mortgage products and unmatched expertise from top-producing loan officers. The company developed the world’s first digital mortgage, an easy-to-understand, transparent loan process, which enables industry-leading customer satisfaction and exponential growth.
To learn more, please visit rate.com/debismith.
About Rate Companies
The Rate Companies, which includes Rate, Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 13,000 employees in over 850 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 Inc. 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 FlashCloseSM 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.