Atlantic Bay Receives DEI Leadership Award From the Mortgage Bankers Association

As any of our peers can tell you, the mortgage business is constantly evolving. To stay ahead of ever-progressing industry standards and guidelines, implementing company-wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs has become more important than ever before.

And at Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group®, DEI isn’t just a business imperative; it’s who we are. It’s paramount to the mission we assigned ourselves all the way back in 1996: providing the finest personal service to all our clients, who will enjoy the entire mortgage process and become a client for life.

We’ve stayed true to that mission for the past 27 years, making significant strides over the last 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the national association that ensures the continued strength of residential and commercial real estate markets; expand homeownership; and extend access to affordable housing to all Americans, recently awarded Atlantic Bay with their prestigious DEI Leadership Award.

According to the MBA, the annual award “recognizes residential and commercial/multifamily members that show leadership in the areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion internally through market outreach efforts.”

“The DEI Leadership Award aims to share industry best practices and successes to inspire new strategy outreach to diverse populations in the industry.”

The MBA’s award is an extraordinary honor, but it’s no “finish line.” We won’t slow down our inclusionary efforts anytime soon; there’s still too much work to be done to cut down homeownership’s barriers we’ve seen firsthand over the years.

We’re committed to developing SmartPath™ to Homeownership – our affordable lending program that guarantees a broad range of home loans, dedicated service, and tailor-made roadmap for all homebuyers in all communities. No matter your financial situation, we have the solution for you.

• The program’s objective is to promote confidence and establish our team as empowered advocates in combatting unfair lending practices. We do this through:

• Providing affordable housing loan options (i.e., first-time homebuying and down payment assistance [DPA] programs).

• Creating educational resources for all consumers.

• Helping first-time homebuyers navigate the homebuying process by providing marketing materials to educate and support them in overcoming recurrent hurdles.

• Sharing low- to moderate-income borrowers with relevant resources that offer responsible solutions to meet their unique needs and educate them on homeownership’s many benefits.

• Advocating for future homebuyers and demonstrating that homeownership CAN be achieved through hosted workshops, our Speaker Series, and community engagements.

• Strategic partnerships with builders who offer affordable housing options, community organizations like the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America (NAMMBA) and National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAREP), and State Housing Programs.

“Homeownership should be within reach for anyone, and SmartPath™ is a small step we’re taking to reach more people and lend a little peace of mind as they navigate their homeownership journeys” Hannah McManus, Director of Branded Family of Companies.

And working hand in hand with SmartPath™ is La Bahía (“The Bay”) – a hub of homeownership tools, resources, and support Spanish-speaking borrowers can use to build their lives, enjoy time with their families, and take real ownership in their communities.

La Bahía’s cornerstone is to spread education and access to consumers in all our communities regarding homeownership. Our geographic footprint encompasses diverse backgrounds and stories, so to better meet our consumers’ needs whose first language is Spanish, we constructed the Limited English Proficient (LEP) program. La Bahía encompasses:

• Consumer outreach

• Marketing materials

• Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA)

• Initial disclosures

• Ongoing support from a bilingual operational compliance team member

“Atlantic Bay genuinely cares about the families we serve…La Bahía provides the tools and resources for the homebuying experience people want and need to make educated decisions for their future.” Emily Farley, Chief Lending Officer

We believe – in combination – SmartPath™ to Homeownership and La Bahía can and will work in tandem with other MBA Leadership Award winners’ DEI efforts to lessen the hurdles to homeownership so many encounter today.

On behalf of the Atlantic Bay team, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Amanda Tucker and Chief Operations Officer Chrissy Zotzmann Brown will travel to Philadelphia for the MBA’s annual Convention & Expo to accept the award.

Congratulations to all the winners – and most importantly – let’s continue to make homeownership fair and open to all.

Read the award’s full description on the official MBA website.