Her Story
About Mari
I've been in the mortgage industry for 20 years, and my journey has been quite a transformation. I started in foreclosure, which meant I was always the one delivering bad news, telling people they needed to vacate their homes within 30 days. But then I got an opportunity with DHS to move to the front end, to origination and processing, and I thought, if I'm able to deliver bad news, I should be great at delivering great news. Now I get to say, here are your keys, we're good, we're clear to close, you're approved. I've been a loan processor for 9 years now, and I'm one of the top producers when it comes to profit. What I love most about this work is that I don't see any file as just a transaction. Every story that comes through, I relate to certain situations that have helped me in my own life, because it makes me feel like I'm not the only one going through certain things. I take pride in serving the community, especially our Hispanic communities, because not all procedures are in Spanish, so you have to take your time to actually educate them. It's more of a learning experience and knowing that you're part of a growth for a particular family or their real estate empire. The job requires patience, organizational skills, and the ability to handle pressure, because you're the center of everything. You're not just processing a file, underwriting needs you, title needs you, the loan officer needs you, your client needs you. You're being pulled in different directions by third parties within your company and outside, like insurance and appraisals. It's not for everybody, and some loan officers can get very nasty with you, so you have to stay focused, not lose your mind, and not take everything personally. But I love talking to people, I love knowing what's out there, understanding what's going on with human beings. Even without disclosing personal information, you hear their stories and think, that's what I'm going through, or I understand completely what you're feeling. It's like advice and therapy without really disclosing anything. You learn something from them all the time, and that's what I like about it. I like to hear everybody's story, I like to relate, and I like to grow with them.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mari
01What do you attribute your success to?
I blend confidence with self-awareness and stay disciplined and adaptable in my approach. I'm service-driven, and I think what really makes a difference is how I try to relate to others and feel for them. I don't just see files as transactions, I see them as people with stories, and I take the time to understand their situations. Even though I underestimate myself a lot, I end up shocking myself at the same time by overcoming my fears most of the time. I've learned to stay focused and not take everything personally, even when things get stressful and people get nasty. I keep pushing myself, whether it's through my education or just challenging myself to do better.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Protect your standards, not your comfort zone. That's really about boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. It's advice that has helped me navigate this industry, especially when you're being pulled in so many different directions and dealing with people who can get very nasty with you. You have to set those boundaries and stick to your standards, even when it's uncomfortable.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Master the fundamentals. Stay adaptable. And again, protect your standards, because this industry rewards accuracy, integrity, and continuous learning. This is a constant learning change on a daily basis. It's not for everybody, I will tell you that. It is very stressful. You have to learn to navigate and not take everything personal, because you're being pulled in different directions. You're not just processing a file, underwriting needs you, title needs you, the loan officer needs you, your client needs you. You're the center. So you need to stay focused, not lose your mind, and not take everything personally, because some of the loan officers can get very, very nasty with you. The main thing is navigating the personal feelings aside from the business.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is that it's not for everybody. It is very stressful. You're being pulled in different directions constantly. You're not just processing a file, underwriting needs you, title needs you, the loan officer needs you, your client needs you. You're the center of everything. You're getting pulled in every different direction, not just with the third parties within your company, but the third parties outside of companies, such as insurance, appraisals, and things like that. So just staying focused and not losing your mind and not taking everything personal is crucial. The loan officers feel that their file's the only one, their file's important, but I have 40 to 60 in my pipeline. Some of the loan officers can get very, very nasty with you, and that's one of the main challenges. You have to navigate the personal feelings aside from the business.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being heard is really important to me. As they say, listen before you speak, so being heard matters. Being understood, not being judgmental. I try to be open-minded in everything I do. I want people to feel like they can share their stories with me, and I want to relate to them and grow with them. I don't want anyone to feel like they're the only one going through something, because we all have our struggles.
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