Since joining Finance of America Reverse two years ago, Ashley Smith has been a dynamic leader who helped differentiate the company and its reverse mortgage products from others in the industry. As head of marketing for one of the largest reverse mortgage lenders in the U.S., she’s tackling the industry’s No. 1 challenge: public perception. Smith was first tapped to implement a strategic pivot for the company, developing the Introducing HomeSafe campaign, a campaign featuring jumbo reverse mortgage customers as they share their life-changing impact of Finance of America Reverse’s HomeSafe loans. The innovative campaign launched with “The Venice Sessions,” a series of unscripted video interviews with HomeSafe borrowers that made the borrowers celebrities and highlighted how they used home equity to achieve their retirement goals. To date, the interviews have received more than 15 million targeted views. Smith continues to introduce campaigns focused on sharing the experiences of Finance of America Reverse’s customers.  

What is one thing you had to overcome to succeed in this industry? 
“Assumptions about what originators care about in a lender partner. As I’ve become familiar with the reverse mortgage space, I’ve found a depth of concern for the borrower that I never anticipated. Now FAR’s strategic focus on showing the impact of these products connects with partners on a new level.”