Get to know the people behind the platform! Meet Lesley Brice, GROUNDFLOOR’s Lending Operations Manager. We sat down with Lesley to learn more about her role, her background, and her surprising hidden talent.
What do you do at GROUNDFLOOR?
My official title is Lending Operations Manager. I manage the loan processing and post-closing departments, and I also oversee loan sales to our institutional partners. In more granular terms, my team is responsible for obtaining and reviewing a potential borrower’s credit history, background check, scope of work for the proposed project, and entity documentation; verifying the borrower’s experience; ordering appraisals; and otherwise triple-checking everything (literally!).
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Philadelphia, PA, but I spent just about half of my life in Florida, and now I’m in Atlanta. Of the three, Atlanta is definitely the best! This city is really the best of both worlds.
How did you end up at GROUNDFLOOR? What is your experience?
I’ve been in the mortgage industry since I was 18 years old - mortgages are my heart! But in 2008 when the market crashed, I was forced to leave the mortgage world and I ended up working at a nonprofit that provided credit counseling services for 10 years.
It was actually while I was at that company that GROUNDFLOOR found me. The nonprofit I worked for was in the midst of a big merger, and I realized I missed the mortgage industry. GROUNDFLOOR found my profile on Indeed and reached out to invite me to interview. I came on board with GROUNDFLOOR in March of 2018 and have been here ever since.
Can you give a little snapshot of what you/your team’s day-to-day looks like?
A typical day for my team usually involves us working to qualify all loan submissions to make sure they are complete, correct, worthwhile, and meet all our qualifications for lending. We handle loan submissions coming in from our Sales team as well as any loan applications that are coming through our QC Maxx program. Additionally, once we close a loan, we conduct a post-closing review to ensure all the requisite documents are present before we send everything over to the closing attorney.
In my capacity of overseeing the loans we sell to our institutional partners, I am responsible for putting together the “collateral package” of all of the required documents for the loans being sold, curing any exceptions I find (which basically means fixing any issues with the package, such as if we are missing a document), then sending the complete package over to the institutional partner once the sale has been finalized.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I like it when loans close! Internally, it shows our company growth and how hard the team works -- we have gone from closing 20 loans per month to 75, and it has been amazing to watch that number climb as our team gains more skill and efficiency. I also love closed loans because it is an indication of people putting time and effort into making their communities more beautiful and livable, while also making a profit and making sure their lives are just as fruitful.
I also really love my Operations teammates. We are a very family-oriented team -- a lot of us have worked together at various different companies for years -- and we love to have fun!
What is your favorite midday pick-me-up?
Our Senior Closer, Jeanine O’Keefe, always breaks out into song in the middle of the day and it gives me life! Other than that, a nice walk is usually just what I need to help me get through the day. That, or candy - I have candy issues!
What is your hidden talent?
I am secretly a singer and songwriter! My husband and I own a music production company called Melody and Flow Productions, and I actually recorded and released an album through this company. It’s available on Amazon for those who are interested!
What is your favorite item on your desk?
My desk fan - things can really heat up over here at month-end!
Thanks so much, Lesley!
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