Victor Ciardelli: The Power of Focus (…on customers, LOs and agents)

Today’s guest is Victor Ciardelli, the President and CEO of Guaranteed Rate. Over the last 24 years, Victor has led the independent mortgage bank to be positioned as a top-10 national lender that produced over $34 billion in 2023 production volume. 

During the conversation, Victor Ciardelli shares his mortgage journey, from selling loans in a call center to founding Guaranteed Rate, and to their acquisition of PHH Home Loans. They also discuss the partnerships with real estate brokerages, technology, compliance and the evolution of loan officer compensation.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• Building a successful mortgage company requires a strong focus on customer experience and trust.
• Developing relationships with top-performing real estate agents can drive business growth.
• Maintaining control over the mortgage process and providing a clear value proposition to customers and referral partners is crucial.
• Manifesting success and staying focused on long-term goals can lead to significant opportunities and partnerships. Bringing the real estate and mortgage sectors closer together is crucial for the housing industry’s future success.
• Compensation in the mortgage industry has evolved, but new challenges and potential risks have emerged.
• Dodd-Frank has had a significant impact on compensation practices, but there are still areas of concern.

Related to this episode:

• Connect with Victor on LinkedIn
• Guaranteed Rate
• Victor Ciardelli | Guaranteed Rate 
• New G-Rate program allows sellers to permanently buy down their buyer’s mortgage rate
• The Gathering
• HousingWire on YouTube

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders to reveal how the most impactful executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership.