American Pacific Mortgage

Julie King

Collaborative Leadership Champion

Leadership and Team Development in Mortgage Underwriting

My 25+ years in mortgage have given me the opportunity to see the industry from many different perspectives, including processing, closing, post-closing, underwriting and management. That experience has taught me that leadership is not about simply managing people. It is about giving your team the tools, support and confidence they need to be successful.

I believe in leading by example and creating an environment where underwriters feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas and continuing to learn. Every underwriter brings different strengths to the team, and part of my role as a leader is recognizing those strengths and helping each person grow.

I also believe strongly in accountability. We can be supportive and collaborative while still holding ourselves to a high standard. My goal is to build a team that is known not only for making sound underwriting decisions, but also for being responsive, approachable and a true partner to our branches. When our underwriters succeed, our branches succeed and ultimately, our borrowers succeed.

Strategies to Improve Underwriting Turnaround Times

For me, improving turnaround times starts with having the right people, the right processes, and clear communication. Speed is important, but speed without quality is not success. We have to get both right.

I focus on balancing workloads, making sure underwriters have the knowledge and resources they need, and encouraging them to communicate directly with loan officers and processors when questions come up. A quick phone call can often prevent multiple emails and keep a loan moving forward.

Our goal is not simply a fast turn time. It is providing a quality underwriting decision, clearly communicating what is needed, and keeping the loan moving toward an on-time closing.

Navigating Complex Loans within Agency and Company Guidelines

I believe in giving underwriters the confidence to think through a complex loan rather than simply looking for the easiest answer. We start with the guidelines, but we also have to understand the entire loan story and how the guidelines apply to that specific situation.

When an underwriter brings me a challenging scenario, I want us to work through it together. We look at the documentation, identify the guideline that applies, and determine what options are available within agency and company requirements. Sometimes that means restructuring the loan or looking at the scenario from a different perspective.

My role is not to make every decision for my underwriters. It is to help them develop the knowledge and judgment to make sound decisions themselves. I want my team to know that they can bring me a difficult file, and together we will find the best solution that protects the borrower, the company, and the integrity of the loan.

Role of Collaboration Between Underwriting, Sales and Operations

Collaboration is one of the biggest factors in getting a loan closed on time. Underwriting, sales, and operations all have different responsibilities, but we are ultimately working toward the same goal.

I strongly encourage my underwriters to be accessible to the branches and to communicate throughout the life of the loan. If there is an issue, I would much rather have an underwriter pick up the phone and talk through it with the loan officer or processor than simply send a condition and hope everyone understands what is needed.

Good communication builds trust, which is essential. When sales understands why underwriting is asking for something, and underwriting understands what the branch is trying to accomplish, we can work together to find solutions within the guidelines.

I also believe in the idea of one team. We should not have an “underwriting side” and a “sales side.” We are one operations team supporting the same borrower and the same goal. When we communicate early, collaborate on difficult scenarios and keep everyone informed, we eliminate surprises and give ourselves the best opportunity for an on-time closing.

Leadership Advice for Underwriting Professionals

My biggest advice is to never stop learning. Mortgage is constantly changing, and the best underwriters understand the “why” behind the guidelines instead of simply memorizing them.

Be someone others can rely on. Be responsive, be willing to help, learn different loan products and build relationships with your sales and operations partners.

If you want to become a leader, start acting like a leader before you have the title. Help the people around you, share your knowledge, take ownership when something goes wrong and celebrate the team when things go right. Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about bringing people together, developing those around you and making the people around you better.