Primary Residential Mortgage (PRMI)’s Steven J. Sless Group, the lender’s consumer-direct retail branch focused solely on reverse mortgages in Owings Mills, Md., has hired Sharon Birdow as a reverse mortgage loan originator. She brings with her 30 years of combined experience at multiple levels of the mortgage industry including as a branch manager, branch partner and senior loan officer.
Hiring the right people in the current moment is an important part of the strategy to weather the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to Steven Sless, reverse mortgage division manager with PRMI and branch manager with the Steven J. Sless Group.
“I think any time you have the opportunity to add a proven talent like Sharon, you do it,” Sless tells RMD. “As an organization, we are still in strategic growth mode despite these uncertain times. PRMI has a strong balance sheet and added over 60 new hires in the month of March.”
It’s particularly important to have the right people in place during times of uncertainty, since the pandemic has led many reverse mortgage professionals to field more calls from interested seniors as they look for additional options to solidify their standing in retirement, Sless says.
“With the demand for reverse mortgages surging, it’s mission critical to have the best and brightest in place to serve our clients and strategic partners,” he says. “Companies that have the right blend of talent, technology, systems and stability will thrive in a post-COVID-19 world. Sharon brings tremendous experience, she’s battle-tested having been in the reverse industry for over a decade and most importantly, she is adored by her clients and colleagues alike. She’s as close to a sure thing as it gets and we are overjoyed to be reunited with her.”
Sless and Birdow have previously worked together, and Birdow shares a great deal of optimism concerning her new role with PRMI.
“I am excited to be reunited with Steven and some other former colleagues and contribute to The Steven J. Sless Group of PRMI,” Birdow said. “Together, we will continue to educate and empower older Americans and financial professionals about the versatility of reverse mortgages. I love the reverse mortgage product and the clients we serve and I’m thrilled to hit the ground running.”
PRMI opened the Steven J. Sless Group in the summer of 2019 as the first branch for the company that deals exclusively with reverse mortgages.
