FromT ears ToT riumph

Marsha Gandy’s journey from first-time homebuyer to loan originator

By Erica Drzewiecki, Staff Writer, National Mortgage Professional

Anightmare homebuying experience led Marsha Gandy down the road to living the dream. Gandy was a successful electrical engineer with international firm CH2M Hill when she discovered her true passion.

“I found myself as a first-time homebuyer in the parking lot of the mortgage company crying,” she remembers. “They kept telling me I needed more money for closing, and I was a young college student and didn’t have more money.”

Gandy earned her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida and went on to build a successful career in that field. At the same time she was researching and investing in real estate, and was dismayed that her loan originator could not estimate the total cash she needed to close.

“I learned a lot from that experience — what I didn’t want my clients to experience,” Gandy recalls. “I eventually felt someone needed to enter the industry that would work as an educator and advocate for the consumers, which is what I have now done for my 33-year career.”

South Florida Agent Magazine’s Loan Officer of the Year for the 2022 Agent Choice Awards, Gandy has served as SVP of Mortgage Lending at Guaranteed Rate since February 2010. She is the lead of her team, which also consists of a junior, an assistant, and processing staff. Gandy is licensed in 16 states and self-reported closing $57.5 million in loans in 2022.

Gandy is licensed in 16 states and self-reported closing $57.5 million in loans in 2022.

Even during this challenging market, Gandy says she still hasn’t changed her approach.

“It is all about relationships and consistently delivering to my clients as committed,” she says. “Due to the volatile market the consumers and referral partners want the strongest mortgage partner possible to help them successfully navigate the market and their transactions.” is the grandson of a client she closed decades ago.

“I have now closed several loans for them, as well as their children and now their grandchildren via referral business,” Gandy says.

Lisa Bailey Levy, a real estate agent with EXP Realty, says she was referred to Gandy during a challenging deal and now she won’t work with any other team.

“I was in the midst of a deal that was not going well with a big bank,” Levy recalls. “I was new to the business, and the title company I was working with said you have to call Marsha — she’ll get it done. I’m an absolute control freak. I contacted them, they were on point, and got the deal closed. Their team responds in a timely fashion to everything. I’ve been with them ever since and I don’t go to anybody else. Their team is tenacious … I have had some incredibly challenging deals, but their team does whatever they have to do to get them done.”

Denise Silk, a Remax real estate agent, recalls Gandy saving a deal that could

Gandy says her business is 100% referral-based. What does that mean, exactly?

“That means I am blessed to have three decades of past clients and referral partners that rely on me to deliver successful transactions for them,” she explains. “They continue to refer their clients, in addition, the past clients re turn and also send their family, friends, and business associates to me to make sure they also have consistent successful mortgage closing experiences.”

She’s currently working with a client she closed for the first time 26 years ago and another who have been compromised by a hurricane.

“We were under contract,” Silk says. “While we were waiting to close, a hurricane came through. It was a nightmare.”

Amidst other delayed closings and repeat appraisals, Gandy came through with flying colors.

“We never skipped a beat; we closed on time,” Silk says. “She saved that deal, and that’s when I said, ‘This lady is special.’ I consider her word gold. She is the best loan officer I’ve ever worked with.”

Gandy resides in Boca Raton, where she is a member of Sunrise Rotary Club and a founding member of the Business Networking International All-Stars Group.

Guaranteed Rate Regional Manager Ann Marie Howser met Gandy about five years ago and has been consistently impressed with her ability to cultivate relationships.

“She is definitely a strong individual,” Howser says. “She is always present and available when needed. One of the things that makes her as good as she is is her passion for the business and wanting to get families into homes. She is a driver for success. I’m very proud of her accomplishments.”

Gandy attributes her positive track record to consistency and delivery.

“Consistently delivering the results I promise to each of my clients,” she explains. “I do this with honesty, integrity, and transparency, even when the news is not good. Consumers know when they come to me that my depth of knowledge is unparalleled, and that I will tell them how it is and deliver what I promise. It is a demanding industry. If you’re not doing the right thing by the consumers, you’re not going to last very long.”

The challenge, Gandy says, is getting above the marketing and noise of the industry (social media, television, etc.) to recognize the big picture and “pull back the curtain” for borrowers and agents. Gandy teaches the Situation Mastermind Class, where she walks top real estate agents through the marketing of the mortgage lending in- dustry to the bottom line of products, costs, benefits, and challenges they need to navigate to meet their goals.

“This industry changes constantly; it’s never boring,” she says. “My goal and intentions are always the same, and that is to provide a consistent, transparent, smooth purchase process properties from anywhere in the world.

“This year we closed one client on eight loans at one time while they lived in Germany,” Gandy says. “In the past it would have been quite an undertaking, that level of cost and coordination.”

In her free time, this LO enjoys photography and travel. She has visited 19 countries and her work has been featured in art galleries and national publications.

“Currently one of my favorite places to visit is Mount Dora, Fla.,” she says, of the town located northwest of Orlando. “It is a small town, where you can park and walk around all weekend, watch amazing sunsets, have great food and fun adventures.” for my clients and referral partners.”

Her advice to fresh-faced LOs? To always operate from a place of integrity, and honesty.

Gandy was honored by the “Loan Officer of the Year” award since it came from nominations and votes from fellow industry professionals. “I always feel honored to be recognized by my peers,” she says. “We all work so hard, and we truly appreciate each other and our success because we respect each other and what it takes to be successful in our industry, not to mention to continue that success for over three decades.”

Guaranteed Rate has embraced leading-edge technology, and now has the ability for clients to close on multiple

“Align yourself with a strong originator so you can watch and learn the industry,” Gandy says. “Unfortunately, there is no real training for our industry, and the learning curve is based on real world experience.”

Once you jump the hurdles, she adds, there is no better reward than guiding people through one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.

“I have the honor and blessing of working with families over the decades and have helped several generations in some families buy real estate,” Gandy explains. “The reward that means the most to me is when I have a parent who sends their child — or a grandparent who sends their grandchild — to me to do their first home. That level of confidence and trust is the biggest reward I can ever get.” b