List recognizes trailblazing women reshaping the mortgage industry
Mortgage Professional America (MPA) has unveiled its Elite Women of 2024, spotlighting influential women who have made notable contributions to the mortgage sector.
This year’s honorees have navigated numerous industry challenges to achieve their success.
Gender disparities in the US mortgage industry
According to Zippia, a career insights platform, gender disparities persist in the mortgage industry, particularly in compensation and representation.
Among the approximately 25,500 mortgage brokers in the US, 32.5% are women, compared to 67.5% men. In 2022, female mortgage brokers earned 90% of what their male counterparts made.
In the case of loan officers, women make up 44.7% of the 239,300 professionals, with their earnings at 87% of those of male loan officers.
MPA’s comparison of this year’s Elite Women with those from 2023 revealed key trends:
- a 3.57% increase in the number of Elite Women who believe there are ample female leaders for younger women to look up to;
- a 13.89% decrease in the number of Elite Women working at firms with equal pay policies for similar roles regardless of gender; and
- a 12.5% rise in the number of Elite Women who feel they would have achieved higher positions if not for gender-related barriers.
Selection process for Mortgage Professional America’s Elite Women of 2024 list
MPA’s selection process for the Elite Women list involved inviting nominations from industry professionals across the country. Nominees needed to be actively working in roles that impact the mortgage industry and demonstrate a strong commitment to their work.
Nominators were asked to detail the nominee’s significant professional achievements over the past year, including any innovative projects or contributions to the industry.
Following a thorough evaluation of the nominations, MPA selected 50 women who have significantly impacted the mortgage industry.
Elite Women in the US mortgage industry
Some of the distinguished winners for 2024 include:
- Erin Finnen, American Security Mortgage
- Alyson Finn, Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO)
- April Freitag, Meridian Bank & VAMortgage.com, Powered by Meridian Bank
- Michelle Hewitt, Willow Processing
These women are at the forefront of female leadership in the mortgage industry, paving the way for future generations. See the rest of the winners this year by reading the Mortgage Professional America Elite Women of 2024 special report.
