Welcome back to Lending Leadership: The Creative Brief—your inside guide to modern leadership in lending, community building, and the strategies separating top producers from the rest.

In this episode, we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Will DeLaTorre, President's Club winner at HMA Greentree and the man behind the motto, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Will DeLaTorre is renowned for his relationship-driven approach, his ability to consistently level up his business, and his unique path from a single loan officer to a team leader shaping his market by championing collaboration and cultural inclusion.

We dig into how Will DeLaTorre built his legacy from the ground up, starting in the late '90s at a massive mortgage company, absorbing foundational lessons in customer service, and evolving through the industry’s many cycles. Our conversation examines not just his business philosophies but also the hard strategies and lived experiences behind building a thriving, inclusive team—especially in serving underserved communities and mastering event-driven marketing.

Here’s an overview of what we covered:

1. The importance of long-term planning and consistency in business development
2. How Will DeLaTorre intentionally grew from a solo producer into a leader with a strong, culturally diverse team
3. The pivotal role of authentic relationships with coworkers, clients, and collaborators
4. His specialized service for the Spanish-speaking community, and what true inclusivity looks like for borrowers
5. Tactical deep-dive into event planning and making marketing impactful—even getting over 220 realtors in one room!
6. The mindset shifts from competition to collaboration, and how “iron sharpens iron” in the modern lending world

Key Takeaways:

1. Consistent, Long-Term Planning Wins Every Time
2. We’ve all been tempted to throw together last-minute events or campaigns, but Will stresses repeatedly the power of detailed, six- to eight-week planning. Consistency in your actions—not just your vision—is truly what propels growth, from daily prospecting to large-scale marketing events.
3. Relationships Are the Foundation
4. Will’s trajectory proves that treating clients, colleagues, and partners like family outlasts every market shift or technological change. When you’re in it for the right reasons—to genuinely help people—the business takes care of itself.
5. Culture and Collaboration Trump Competition
6. Early in his career, Will DeLaTorre saw fellow loan officers as competition, but growth accelerated when he shifted to collaboration—especially through masterminding with peers and inviting new people into his circle. “I want to be the dumbest guy in the room,” he says, underscoring the value of always learning from others.
7. Serving the Underserved Builds Business and Legacy
8. As a fluent Spanish speaker and immigrant, Will recognized how the Latin community is often underserved and distrustful of traditional banks. By making everything accessible in their native language and offering true cultural understanding, his team doesn’t just close loans—they create generational change.
9. Event and Marketing Success is a Team Sport
10. The secret behind Will’s packed events isn’t magic (or luck). It’s collaborative effort: leveraging sponsors, the skills of everyone on the team, and regular touchpoints and rehearsals. That, plus telling authentic client stories on social, multiplies reach and drives referrals long after the event is over.

Whether you’re an individual loan officer looking to scale, a branch looking for direction, or simply in search of inspiration on leadership through service, this episode delivers both actionable steps and plenty of heart.

Thank you, Will DeLaTorre, for sharing your insight and passion. Loan officers in South Jersey—and beyond—take note: where there’s a will, there’s definitely a way. See you next time!

Rach & Rinn

You know, first off, hey, you got to plan 6 to 8 weeks out, not 2 weeks out or 3 weeks out, 6 to 8 weeks out.

Um, can we just stop there for a second? Because yes, I'm so glad you said that. So many times we get an idea in our head. I think we're all cut from the same mold in sales. We're all a little ADD, maybe a little crazy, but that's a great combination. So Will Delatorre has built a business that continues to grow because it's rooted in relationships, consistency, and doing the work the the right way. And as an HMA President's Club winner, his motto is, "Where there's a will, there's a way." I love that you did that. Great play on words. But it shows up.

Where there's a will, there's a way. It shows up in how he leads his team, how he markets his business, and shows up for his community. Today we're unpacking how he built it and how his approach is different. Will, welcome to Lending Leadership. Thanks for, thanks for coming on with me today.

I'm excited. Thank you for having me.

Absolutely. Okay, so, so let's dive into the nitty-gritty first. You know, you, you have a team in New Jersey with HMA Greentree, but nobody just starts out with an amazing branch and, you know, have it unfold into this perfect business. I'm sure you, you've been in this business a long time, and I want to know, first of all, what got you into this business? And I want to know about the early, the early days. In mortgage.

So what got me in— I got in, and this is going to show my age a little bit, in 1997. I started at a company called PHH Mortgage, and a couple of us at Greentree had our starts there. And at one time, they were the largest company in all of South Jersey. They had like over 5,000 employees. That was a great place. I was there from '97 to 2005. That was more of an internal sales where the leads would come in. We had a lot of private label relationships with different companies, so we would take those calls, but they really taught us about customer service.

Their motto was treat customers like family. And I'll tell you, I can still recite the mission statement because we would have meetings in person and we would have to stand up and recite the mission statement, but I met amazing people there. It taught me a whole lot about the industry, and that's where I got my start.

I think that's a great motto. Treat people like family, especially— we're in the home buying business, right? Home is where the heart is. Home is where the family is. And I feel like you're such a family guy, so I can see how that really probably shaped the early years that really shaped your, your business now?

It really did. It really did. Because, you know, and it's something I've learned throughout the years, and I learned it early on there. When you do things for the right reasons, like I see people getting into the mortgage industry, oh, I want to get in for the money, or I want to get in for this. No, you get in to help people, to treat them like family. When you do that, everything else falls into place. The success, being able to provide for your family, all that falls right in line when you put what's important first. And that's treating the customer like family, treating your relationships like family, making sure everyone feels comfortable.

I love it. So in late '90s, fast forward until 2026. I mean, you've kind of seen it all.

It's—

we've, we've gone through so much in the mortgage industry. What What has been your favorite thing about, you know, where you started versus where you are now?

You know, whether that's technology or marketing or, you know, for me, honestly, my favorite thing about this entire time is the, the people that I've met along the way, the relationships that I've built. I mean, I've gotten a chance, an opportunity to work with such amazing people, and they each have really had a big part of my success. Previous managers, you know, other loan officers, and they really have shaped who I am today from not just a business perspective, but from a personal perspective. Like John Miranda, in another week I'll celebrate 8 years with John Miranda. And I got to tell you, if I ever wrote a book, he would be one of the first chapters of my book because He's shaped my life, not just mortgage-wise, but as a, as a human being, the person that he is, the family person that he is, how he goes about his day, his demeanor, all those things have really helped who I am today and his constant support. He's been the same with me from day one. And that's what I love about him the most. And, you know, it's the relationships for me and the people I've met along the way.

Yeah, and that's, that's the gold right there. I mean, I, I can absolutely attest to that not knowing John for that long, um, but he's definitely somebody that I enjoy being in his space. And, uh, you know, I think you really get to know people very quickly when you work with them. Sometimes you see people that you work with more than your family, so you have to make sure that you're aligned with someone not only that's going to help you in business, but that is is just the kind of person that you want to be aligned with. A definite family man, as you are as well. And I absolutely agree with that. So, so talking about relationships, let's, let's pivot a little bit into, into your team, because you— your team has grown over the years. And a lot of people listening, they may be a just a single loan officer working on their own production right now.

Maybe they're thinking about adding a marketing person or a loan partner. Maybe they're thinking about adding more people to their branch. So let's talk about that evolution with me just a little bit.

Yeah, you know, it's crazy. So I was a single-person loan officer up until about 2013, 2014. Okay. And it all started with Andre Valoria. I was sitting in a real estate office— great story— sitting in a real estate office, um, that I had a marketing agreement with, which I still have to this day. And I'm in my office and I hear this loan officer in the background Oh, you know, I can do this, I can do that. You know, I speak Spanish. And so instead of being territorial and coming out, oh, who are you? I befriended him and we immediately hit it off where we had lunch.

Like, I was like, what are you doing right now? He's like, nothing. Let's go across the street. There's a restaurant across the street from that office called the Telford Inn. We went across the street, had lunch, and a week later him and I were working together. And we've been together ever since. And that's what got me to start thinking on a more grander scale, you know, thinking team, growing the business. And when I came over to Greentree, um, a realtor friend of mine knew that I was looking for a potential loan partner, and he's like, you know what, I just did and closed a loan with a very nice young man. Um, he was at one of the big banks And he's like, he did a really good job.

His name is Anthony Musamese. I think you should meet him. So knowing that I was getting ready to leave the company I was at to go to my new company, Anthony and I would meet periodically to talk about our visions, our goals. And that really helped make the transition over. And Anthony and I are going to celebrate 8 years together as well. So the team we have, Started off with one person. Everyone has been on the team for a while. We then hired Marilyn to assist with my Spanish-speaking clients.

And something I look for is the person that they are. You know, are they a good person? Are they a good fit culturally? And, you know, if you look at everyone on my team and I hear this all the time from processors and customers like, well, everyone on your team is so nice. They're professional. They treat us with respect. And those key characteristics I look for, not production. You know, I don't need the top producer, but I need someone that is coachable, someone that has the right attitude, and someone that's a good cultural fit and aligns with what my visions and goals are.

That's a really important fact. And honestly, we keep coming back to the relationship and how important that is. That's the core of everything, it seems. And we know that. But I love— I want to go back to Andre. I love that you just heard him talking. We're like, Hey, you seem like good people. Let's go have lunch.

Some loan officers would be like, yeah, I'm good. I'm trying to get this business too. But knowing both of you and knowing your personalities, that's such a cool, that's such a cool moment. And you had not known him before that?

I didn't know him at all. And you know what it is? And I'll tell you, a few years earlier, I probably wouldn't have handled that situation that way. When I first got into the business, I was more territorial, competitive, you know, with everyone that I worked with. And that wasn't the right mindset. And you know what that showed me? And I'm man enough to admit it. That was a lack of confidence on my end. Yeah. And as my confidence grew, as I got older as a person and wiser throughout the years, I'm like, you know what? I'm going to befriend the loan officer and I'm going to mastermind with my fellow loan officers.

You know, my motto is I want to be the dumbest guy in the room. If I'm the dumbest guy in the room, I'm learning from everyone around me. And, you know, taking that approach has really helped. I mastermind with a lot of loan officers from different companies, and I'll tell you, it's really helped in my development because, listen, this is a fraternity. When you're in this business, we're in this together. We understand the long hours, the sacrifices that we make. Why not sit there and and learn from each other and talk about strategy in the market and, and where things are going. And I feel when I changed that mindset, it really helped my business.

Yeah. And not to mention, you know, you're working with Andre, but now his son is working in the business. And I mean, that's just that now you've created this generational family within the business, which is just so cool.

It's so cool. It really is. It really is. It's awesome. I love that. It all started from that one interaction.

That's so fun. I did not know that's how it came to be. That's pretty fun. And the fact that this is such a huge part of your business now, your Spanish-speaking side of the business. Do you speak Spanish yourself?

I speak it fluently. In fact, that was the first language I learned. I went to kindergarten not knowing any English.

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

Oh, that's pretty cool.

Yeah, that's pretty cool. Came here from Cuba in the early 1970s.

Wow. I love that full, true, uh, just American dream story right there. That's awesome.

Absolutely.

So that had always been a part of your business, you know, serving the Spanish-speaking community?

It has. And, uh, you know, I feel that that's a segment of the population that is underserved, and I want to really do what I do and help them feel comfortable. Because in the Latin community, you know, they're not the most trusting when it comes to banks, and they like doing things face to face. And it's creating that comfort, creating that family atmosphere to where they feel comfortable to do business. And listen, doing— buying a house and doing a mortgage, that's the biggest thing and the biggest buy that most people ever make. So I try my best to, you know, have all parties feel comfortable in their native language, you know, speak Spanish with them throughout the entire process, take the application in Spanish, attend closing, review the closing documents in Spanish. And little by little, that really propelled me to, you know, grow my business when realtors found out. In fact, now realtors forget that I speak Spanish because I do a lot of you know, obviously non-Spanish business, like, oh my goodness, will I forget that you speak Spanish? So that's why you've seen some videos recently reminding realtors out there that I do speak Spanish fluently.

We have a great team at Green Tree HMA that speaks Spanish, multiple loan officers. We have processors that can help the realtors and the customers feel comfortable in their native language of Spanish.

Yeah, I guess you wouldn't think that that would be a unique thing. I would think every company has someone one that, that could hold whoever the borrower is, hold their hand through the process. But, but I guess that's not always the case.

It's not always the case. In fact, you know, at most companies that I've worked at, there might be 1, 2, maybe 3 bilingual loan officers. Where at Green Tree HMA, my goodness, I think we're up to like, when you, when you look at almost 10, when you look at all the different teams. I mean, we really are well positioned to help that market and to really do a great job. I think with our infrastructure, our tools, you know, the programs that we have, we really can make a difference.

Yeah, that's great. I'm curious, what is where there's a will, there's a way in Spanish? Cuando hay un, cuando hay un William, siempre hay una manera. There we go. You know, I took 3 years of Spanish in high school, but when you don't use it, you lose it. So I think I know how to say, where's the bathroom? Maybe. No, but that's great. That really helps people to feel seen and heard and make sure they understand things. Yes, it is a daunting process, even when you speak the language.

I think sometimes loan officer speak or realtor speak can feel Greek to everyone. So to be able to relate to somebody in their native language is very important.

Absolutely. I had a closing about a week ago and it was in Spanish, and the realtor is a Spanish-speaking realtor, and she was very impressed because she pulled me aside after the closing. She's like, Will, you didn't use Spanglish. You really translated all the mortgage terms in Spanish. And she's like, I just want to thank you for that. You were very professional. Your team did a phenomenal job, and you and I are going to do more business going forward.

That's great.

It was really nice to hear. Yeah.

Yeah, that's wonderful. And not only the fact that, you know, your realtor walked away happy, your borrower is very happy, but the fact that, again, this is creating generational— a generational change for that family, I'm sure. Um, in all, all of the families that you work with, many of them may be first-time homeowners. That, that you're part of their story now going forward, that has to feel really special.

It really does. And, you know, I always keep that in the back of my mind that, you know, I'm meeting new people every day. Like, I love what I do. I really do. You know, being in it for, geez, almost 30 years. Wow. I'm getting old.

Did you start right out of middle school?

I know, right? But doing it for so long, I keep that energy alive because it's all about the customer and their experience. I'm not— it's putting me aside. It's about them, not what program I want them to go in. It's what's best for them and their family. So, you know, when you keep the important thing— like Jalen Hurts says, the main thing, the main thing. Everything falls into place. It really does. But, um, you know, it feels great helping families.

To me, I get even emotional when I see the keys passing, everyone's hugging each other. And that's why I take pictures at closing, because it's a celebration. That's their happy day. And I do everything possible along with the phenomenal team that I'm privileged to work with every day to make sure there's no bumps, uh, you know, at the end there to make sure it's their happy day. And we're just going to go there. We're going to do the hybrid package and we're going to celebrate together. They're going to feel comfortable. And, you know, we get invited, not just me, but members of my team to barbecues.

We get invited to, you know, housewarming parties. We get gifts after closing. And it's normally the other way around. But, you know, we put our hearts and soul into what we do every day to really make sure that every customer is treated like family.

Well, that really shows. And I think I do have to commend you on this. If I'm scrolling through any social media platform and looking at, you know, what you're putting out there, what your team is putting out there, you are so good at making sure that you are getting those closing pictures. And it's so fun to see because it really does tell a story. I think sometimes— and no, I'm not, you know, throwing shade at anybody. Everyone's doing their, their own thing, what feels good to them. But I've really seen you, and maybe you've always, always done this, really putting an effort to tell those stories on social media. Has that always been part of your, your marketing and, and forward-facing, um, I guess just marketing effort, or is that a newer—

I, I think my only form of marketing was just the closing pictures. I've been doing that for quite some time, like I would say maybe a good 10 years. And, and you're right, I did it to share the stories out there and also to promote, hey, listen, I was able to do this for this client. I could help your clients do that as well. There was one that I posted about a week or so ago where we helped a client with a program specific to New Jersey called the NJMFA First Generation. So, and what that means is they're a first-time home buyer Their parents haven't owned a home in 3 or more years, so they get an additional $7,000. So this borrower got $17,000 in assistance towards down payment and closing costs. He walked away with money at closing.

So I actually had him show a copy of the check in the closing picture because that's very rare. You don't see customers walking away with money at closing. So I do it to promote the customer, their story., but also to show a way that I could help other borrowers in that situation do the same thing.

Yeah, that's pretty unique. Normally you're like, wait, I have to give out much at closing? That's a gift right there. That's pretty cool. Let's pivot a little bit because yes, you're great with marketing, serving your community. I want to know about events because, Mr., I was at one of your events probably this time last year. I was amazed, number one, at how many realtors you had put into a room. A lot of people, we throw events and yes, people say they're going to come and then sometimes they don't show up if the weather's not great. But you had the room packed, everybody was just glued to the content.

It was just such a great energy in the room. Hands down, unbelievable event. How do you, how do you get that many realtors? Actually, do you remember how many realtors you had in the room?

Yeah, it was a little bit over 220 realtors.

It's crazy.

And my goal was 100.

Okay, so walk me through the process because I'm sure people listening— how do you get butts in seats? There— it's not, it's not just a hope and a wish. Like, there is a strategy and a mathematical equation to that, I am sure.

So my seminars before the GreenTree/Chamain merger was a hope and a wish, and, uh, you know, whoever showed up fantastic. There was really not— there was some strategy, but not detailed strategy. So last year with the merger, I had the, the, you know, just the amazing opportunity to work with our awesome marketing department, um, in specific Caitlin. And, you know, she really gave me so much detailed information on how to have a successful seminar. You know, first off, hey, you got to plan 6 to 8 weeks out, not 2 weeks out or 3 weeks out, 6 to 8 weeks out.

Can you just stop there for a second? Because yes, I'm so glad you said that. So many times we get an idea in our head. I think we're all cut from the same mold in sales. We're all a little ADD, maybe a little crazy, but that's a great combination.

Yes.

We get an idea and we are like, okay, let's do it next week. No, no, no. 6 to 8 weeks. That's the magic number. I love that you said that.

Thank you. Yep. That was huge. 6 to 8 weeks. So I'm actually doing a seminar now as well, and that's not until March 5th, and we've already been planning on it for several weeks. So that was key, the 6 to 8 weeks. Something else that I found really helped was just collaborating with everybody. So I had Rachel and many other folks from the marketing team.

Helping me. I included the team. I included Andre. I included Mike Sameka. You know, I included everyone on the team, Madeline Santiago, the loan partners. Um, and that really helped because we were getting different ideas, different perspective. It was more of a collaborative effort. That helped as well.

We each had our role. We each brought something unique to the table. We continued meeting and we kept to that plan. We met initially every 2 weeks, and then as we got closer, we met every week. And each and every day I did something towards the seminar. So I'll be honest with you, by the time the date of the seminar happened and was there, myself, André, and a couple of the team members got to the venue early. We set up, And it was just, all right, let's, let's do this. And it went, I thought, very well.

I was so calm. I already had rehearsed, I prepared, I planned, and the speakers did well. They gave me their outlines before. So it was awesome. The best seminar I've ever been a part of.

Yeah, absolutely. It was wonderful. And then I loved how you had sponsorships too. I think a lot of times when people are doing events, they think, oh, I need to carry this. All on my own. But yes, invite your team members. But then sponsorships, um, how, how did you involve your sponsors? Did you start right from the get-go and, and reach out to them right from the beginning?

No, no, I didn't. So again, in, in learning, um, with the, with, again, and you didn't pay me to say this, the amazing marketing team, I had no idea we could even have sponsors. All of my previous events never had a sponsor. And I'm like, wow, I can't believe I never thought of it. And it was so awesome. And I feel— and I'm glad you brought the sponsorship up— I feel that was a big reason, or one of the big reasons why the attendance was so great, because each of the sponsors shared it on their social media platforms to their sphere of influence. Um, and I know, uh, one of my sponsors in specific sent it to all of their realtor database. So I was getting realtors I didn't even know.

Yeah, that's great. So the sponsorship was awesome because they were able to assist as well.

Yeah, that's great. I think if, if you're listening and you throw events or you're thinking about throwing events, um, don't hesitate to reach out to people because everyone's looking for business, right? If we can collaborate and we can share. That synergy is awesome.

It really is. It really is. In fact, a few of the sponsors, even recently, Will, I'm still getting referrals from your seminar from last year. So it was a win-win for both parties. It was a win-win for me because I had the sponsorship there, had their support, but it was a win-win for them. They were, you know, how often can one of these businesses be in a room with over 220 people? It's not that often.

So it was a win-win for everybody, especially now when so many people are not in the offices anymore. I mean, back in the day when you could just stop in into a real estate office and all the realtors are just hanging out, everybody's on the road, everyone's working from home, so it's hard to, to, to be in one space where everybody is. So to, to provide that for them, um, I love to hear that they're still getting business from that event. That is That's pretty cool.

Absolutely. The preparation was key. I had never prepared so well for an event like I did with this one. And again, it was a team effort. And yeah, great. Yep. So that's all. It was awesome.

That's great. Well, then fast forward to where we are now in 2026. You have another event coming up. We have the HMA Green Tree Presidents Club coming up. A lot of great things on the horizon. Tell me something about just where you're headed. Where, where's your mind and growth headed for this next year?

So my mind and growth for this year. So my mantra every year, I have a different mantra. My mantra this year is Eye of the Tiger. It's like, like Rocky, getting back to the basics, doing the hard work, not taking shortcuts and embracing what's in front of me. For example, embracing AI. Embracing the direction that this industry is moving towards. So I'm seeing myself having a phenomenal year. I'm off to a great start.

The numbers for January came out and in the entire company, I was number 2 out of everyone in the company, which is something that I'm really, really proud of. And, you know, have the best team surrounding me to help make that happen. So I'm just really excited. I'm excited to attend the President's Club because it gives us an opportunity to, in a casual setting, to get to know some of the other loan officers, get to learn a little bit about their story, about what makes them tick, what makes them successful, get to learn about their families. So I'm really excited. Plus, I don't want to be in the snow and ice anymore. So being in a warm environment, I'm pretty much looking forward to it.

I hear you there. Cheers to that. Um, absolutely. I think I'm a big believer in many different facets that iron sharpens iron and being around people that are only going to level you up. Um, you know, I'm talking to you, Mr., Mrs. Loan Officer out there. If you're at the top of your company and you're the only one there, that's great, good for you. But find an organization where you can collaborate with other people because it's only going to level you up that much further.

So I absolutely agree. I'm excited. I'm excited for the camaraderie of the group, but also just to share in ideas and what everyone's excited about for the year. I think, you know, the culture of an organization is really important and it really is. We're so glad to have you here.

This is the best, and I'm not just saying it, this is the best culture I've ever been a part of. It's like some days I pinch myself, like everyone's always, what can I do to help? Like there's, they're always willing to help. And, you know, I hear Robert, you know, never suffer in silence, throw the flag. You know, those things really stay with me and you're not alone on an island. You have the support that you need from many different perspectives, from leadership, from marketing, from your processing team. Like we're all a team. Team, and it really shows. The culture is so important.

It really is.

It is. Again, going back to those relationships, at the end of the day, that's what matters most. In closing, I want to have a shout out to our loan officers out there who may be where you were right when you first started out. What do you think some advice that you would give to maybe a newer loan officer or somebody who's just at the beginning of their career looking to take that next step to, um, to grow their business, grow their team, what's, what's some advice that you would give?

Advice I would give is, you know, stay hungry, stay humble, um, be consistent in everything that you do. Yeah, that is huge. Whether it's visiting offices, whether it's social media marketing, other types of marketing, whether it's networking organizations, stay consistent in what you do and be patient. A lot of people, they want— they try something and they want to see immediate results and then they quit. You got to stay with it. You got to stay consistent in your activities. You can never take the foot off the gas because, you know, I've seen folks take the foot off their gas a little bit. And in this business, if you take the foot off the gas, you don't know how much that's going to hurt your business.

So you always have to stay hungry, stay consistent in all of your activities, and keep the main thing the main thing. And that's all about the customer and everything falls into place.

That's, that's such great advice. Such great advice. Well, this has been such a great conversation. Thank you so much for taking some time out. To join me on Lending Leadership. You know, I can really just hear your passion for the business and how relationships are so important to you. And I wish you continued success this year. Friends, make sure you follow Will Delatorre.

And if you're a loan officer in South Jersey area, or maybe somewhere else, hey, if you're a loan officer and you want to pick Will's brain, he's a great guy to talk to. We'll have his contact info down below. But make sure to like like and subscribe. Lending Leadership, well, you're the best.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Take care.

See ya.

All right, goodbye.