Rate Announces Partnership with NAMMBA
Leading retail mortgage lender increases commitment to best serve today’s diverse and growing housing market
July 27, 2021 (Orlando, FL) – Rate, one of America’s top 5 retail mortgage lenders, today announces its partnership with The National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America (NAMMBA) in a joint effort to positively impact the housing needs of underserved communities and to develop a more diverse mortgage workforce.
“We’re extremely excited to partner with Rate,” said NAMMBA Founder/CEO Tony Thompson, CMB. “Like us, the company has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a leadership team that is committed to representing all the communities in which it does business.”
Through this partnership with NAMMBA, Rate will roll out a comprehensive strategy to engage its more than 10,000 employees with access to focused training, new hire programs and leadership development. The partnership will also further enable Rate to support the communities it serves, creating economic opportunities that focus on business development for diverse loan officers while meeting the housing needs of underserved areas.
“We are thrilled to partner with NAMMBA,” said Rate’s Senior Director of Strategic Growth and Acquisitions CJ Rose. “This partnership will provide Rate with additional support as we continue to develop a diverse workforce of talented mortgage professionals who will serve their communities and bring change and equality to the industry.”
According to NAMMBA, over the next five years, 75% of all first-time homebuyers will be women, millennials or people of color, creating a growing and changing housing market. NAMMBA’s most recent mortgage market forecast showed the three largest diverse borrower groups (Asians, African Americans and Hispanics) generated more than $292 billion of purchase opportunity in 2020, which amounts to 24.2 percent of all purchase dollar opportunities.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for the housing market,” said Rate Executive Vice President Brad Peterson, who also serves as the Executive Sponsor of PROUD, an internal employee resource group that aims to promote LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. “It’s partnerships and initiatives like this that will enable Rate to rise to the occasion, helping more diverse borrowers purchase the homes of their dreams, enhance their communities and change the face of lending.”
In addition to Rate’s partnership with NAMMBA, the company’s executive leadership team is focused on creating and supporting in-depth career-pathing opportunities with internal organization such as PROUD; Leadership, Equity and Development; and the Rate Organization of Women.
Rate Companies, an Equal Opportunity Employer, continues to hire across the U.S., with many open positions in a variety of exciting and rewarding roles. To learn more, please visit rate.com/careers.
About Rate Companies
The Rate Companies includes Rate, Inc., one of the top 5 retail mortgage lenders in the United States, Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate Companies combined funded over $73 billion in 2020 and have more than 10,000 employees in over 850 offices across the United States. Founded in 2000 and located in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Rate 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. In 2017, the company launched 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 numerous honors and awards including: Forbes Advisor’s Top 10 Mortgage Lenders for 2021; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; 2018 Top Lender for Online Service by U.S. News & World Report; HousingWire’s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashCloseSM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's 2021 list of Top Retail Mortgage Lenders; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.
About NAMMBA
The National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America is a purpose-driven organization that is dedicated to the inclusion of minorities and women in the mortgage industry who are advocates for sustainable homeownership in local communities. To fulfill its mission, NAMMBA provides programs and initiatives to introduce minorities and women into the mortgage industry, including recruiting, advisory, networking and training for enterprises and individual professionals
For more information, visit: http://www.nammba.org