Mortgage Leadership Outlook – EPM Leora Ruzin Interview

Recently, nmpTV kicked off its Mortgage Leadership Outlook series with an episode featuring EPM’s senior VP of wholesale operations, Leora Ruzin.

Leora appeared as a special guest alongside the series host, Andrew Berman, and she gave a compelling overview of her career to date. The episode serves as an insightful glimpse into the ups and downs of Leora’s journey to success as a leader in the mortgage space.

A former career in the U.S. Army, and as the managing editor of Mortgage Women Magazine, Leora’s recent role is in home loans’ wholesale sector.

Mortgage Leadership Outlook

Featuring industry leaders who discuss changes and developments in the world of mortgages. The show helps viewers stay up to date with the latest news in the sector and better understand the process of getting a mortgage loan.

The series has featured some big-name guests, including Barry Habib, Alec Hanson, and Nomi Smith.
Host Andrew Berman is the head of engagement and outreach for National Mortgage Professional Magazine (NMP).

In each episode, he chats with an industry leader about their thoughts on the current state of mortgages in the United States. Entertainment factor aside, the show offers its guests the opportunity to speak out about professional matters close to their hearts and share insider tips with viewers.

Using popular platforms like YouTube videos and Podcasts, viewers can access the interviews at will and in their own time.

Mortgage Leadership Outlook Guest: Leora Ruzin From EPM

Industry influencer and leader Leora Ruzin joined EPM in October 2020. Her 14 years of experience in the mortgage sector have already proven invaluable to EPM, where she streamlines the national lender’s wholesale operations. Leora’s professional aim is to help people realize their American dreams of home-ownership, no matter their background. Below is Leora’s quote, said upon her appointment as EPM’s senior VP of wholesale operations.

I am beyond excited to be joining a company that is on the forefront of bringing mortgage brokers the best this industry has to offer. What attracted me to EPM was their culture, their push to be builders and architects, and their drive to improve employee engagement.

Industry Awards

As the managing editor of Mortgage Women Magazine, Leora is a pro for communicating the hottest industry topics. What’s more, over the years, she has won many high-end industry awards, including:

• National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s 2020 Women of Inspiration
• Housing Wire’s 2020 Women of Influence

More recently, Leora has been appointed to the board of directors for VAREP National’s local chapter in Fresno, California.

Before joining EPM, Leora held other prestigious positions as the vice president of secondary marketing at Guaranteed Rate and the director of mortgage product development at Flagstar Bank.

With a huge level of experience under her belt, Leora is well-positioned to give advice and insights on this ever-changing sector.

Leora’s Mortgage Leadership Insights

During the episode, Leora recalled the years she spent working for the U.S. Army—a period of her life that has influenced her approach as a leader in the mortgage arena today. As a veteran herself, Leora explained that giving back to the veteran community is important to her; she understands what it’s like both to be in the military and to be a spouse of someone in the military and emphasized how difficult it can be to find a job as a veteran.

As I’ve grown up in the mortgage industry, I’ve understood that my position as a leader and influencer allows me to give back. Any opportunity to give back to our veterans is something I’m going to get involved with.

Leora also reflected on the career difficulties she faced upon leaving the Army. She recalled struggles that have led her to new opportunities and her success today. Since tackling these difficulties, Leora has invested in herself and taken steps to become a master in her craft. At her lowest, she worked to attain her CMB, started teaching MBA programs, and began mentoring other women in the mortgage space.

Leora explained that this personal development helped her to better herself and maintain a competitive position in a male-dominated industry. This is particularly true in Leora’s position as the managing editor of Mortgage Women Magazine.

Leora leads a team of writers who discuss salary negotiations, female empowerment and advocate for yourself as a mortgage businesswoman.

Leora’s self-development has also led her to embrace her latest opportunity as the senior VP of EPM. She had been following the national lender for years before CEO Eddy Perez offered her the role and is delighted to work for such a people-driven company.

Eddy and the rest of the senior leadership team are fully invested in helping veterans and low-to-moderate income borrowers. Our niche is helping those that aren’t getting help elsewhere. The team’s commitment to veterans is a big reason why I decided to move to EPM. It fits so well with my personal goals and my passion for helping service members. When I was asked to take this role, I knew I’d be insane not to.

Watch Leora’s Mortgage Leadership Outlook interview on Youtube or via podcast.

About EPM

Founded in 2008, EPM has become one of the most popular mortgage lenders in America. The company operates from 18 different offices in 49 states and upholds its mission to offer top financial services, communication, and assistance to the communities it serves.

EPM is nationally recognized as a top lender that offers various mortgage products. The professional team includes certified underwriters and a management department with more than 50 years of collective experience.