Branch Opportunity of the Week: Carrington Mortgage Services

Carrington branch manager Kathy Keller says the company's responsiveness, generous compensation, and focus on the underserved market led her to join

Kathy Keller has always had a passion for helping people with less-than-perfect credit find homes. That’s why when the 13-year industry veteran was looking for a new professional home herself, she chose Carrington Mortgage Services.

“I came from a place where I had been a lender and a broker,” says Keller, manager of Carrington’s Springfield, Va., branch. “The reason we also brokered was because we couldn’t lend under 640. So when I found out Carrington could do direct lending for credit scores down to 580 at the time – and now we’re down to 550 – it was a no-brainer for me.

“I know being a branch manager at Carrington probably wouldn’t be the right fit for everyone in the mortgage business, because it really depends on what your focus is and what your product is,” she adds. “I come from a history of always helping people with lower credit scores, and (Carrington) thrives on serving the underserved. As a branch manager, this was a great platform for me to be able to direct lend.”

Keller says Carrington’s compensation is top-notch as well.

“We also have a very good pay structure for branch managers. We share profits, so it’s not like I’m doing a lot of work for someone else,” she says. “We have shared responsibility and shared profits. They offer really good benefits for their employees, and they offer loan officers a compensation plan which is pretty rich compared to some of the other (branch networks).”

Most importantly, Carrington’s management is responsive and available, Keller says.

“We’re certainly a growing company, and we suffer growing pains, but we have top-notch management all the way up,” she says. “They listen and support their employees. They listen to our input as managers, and they appreciate it. Without that support, the rest of it would probably be meaningless.”