Like every department within housing, marketing teams across the country were forced to re-strategize and tailor their programs to accommodate the changing climate of 2020. For the first time ever, HousingWire is honoring the executive marketers who weathered the storm and continue to strengthen and grow their brands amid market volatility.
The HW Marketing Leaders make up the best and brightest minds in marketing within mortgage lending, servicing and real estate. The new award program was inspired by marketing execs like Sarah DeCiantis, CMO at United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), who, alongside her team, worked to meet clients where they needed her most.
We reached out to DeCiantis to learn more about how UWM managed to pivot its marketing strategies in 2020 and what her team is looking forward to most in 2021.
HousingWire: 2020 was an extraordinary year in housing, how did this impact the direction of UWM’s marketing strategies?
Sarah DeCiantis: We are nimble and always ready to meet our clients where they need us and 2020 was no different. With record-low rates, all of our clients were extremely busy and competition became even more aggressive for mortgage brokers throughout the US. We focused our efforts on giving them more tools to help market their business and the benefit a mortgage broker brings to borrowers and real estate agents.
HW: What are you looking forward to the most for your marketing team in 2021?
SD: In the last year, the marketing team has grown by 35% and I look forward to continuing to add talent to the team so we are able to further support the growth of UWM, our partners and the broker channel. I’ve been with UWM for seven years and every year we say “we are just getting started” but I believe 2021 will be a year unlike every other for UWM and for the wholesale channel, and our marketing team will be there to support them both.
HW: How has your team been challenged in this past year?
SD: The biggest challenge for our team at UWM has been working remote. Not because we can’t work from home but because we are a better team and a better company when we are together. But as with every challenge put in front of us, we adapted and stayed connected utilizing all the virtual tools available for daily morning huddles, team meetings, marketing buddy chats and virtual team hangouts after work. We have a really close-knit group of incredible people and I can’t wait for everyone to be back, when it is safe to do so.
Nominations for HW Marketing Leaders awards close tomorrow, March 26th. Click here to nominate someone.
