bemortgage, a Chicago-based mortgage company that will operate as a division of Bridgeview Bank Group, announced its launch today in a press release.

bemortgage was the inspiration of top industry leaders that collaborated to develop an innovative and strategic company in an evolving industry, according to Rob Sampson, CEO and co-founder.

“Most mortgage companies are slow to change and have outdated restrictions with an archaic process,” he said. “At bemortgage, we have removed the pain points and created a solution that provides a better experience for our customers first and foremost and an environment where our loan officers can truly thrive.

“They will have access to the best programs, pricing and tools so they can grow their business and deliver the highest levels of customer service. Top industry performers will be provided real mentorship opportunities by pairing them with peers and mentoring emerging talent. This approach is the backbone of our new company.”

“Other mortgage companies focus on their brand first and loan officers second,” Sampson said. “We hope to flip this paradigm by creating a platform for the most respected members of the mortgage community.”

The bemortgage team features several mortgage leaders formerly with Guaranteed Rate, including Joe Caltabiano, senior vice president of mortgage banking; Joe McBreen, senior vice president of mortgage banking; Jeff Baker, senior vice president of mortgage banking; Erik Johansson, senior vice president of mortgage banking; Maggie Mikaitis, vice president of mortgage banking; and Matthew Roder, vice president of mortgage banking.

“I’m looking forward to having the ability to mentor other loan originators and utilize the best practices that I have learned along the way to help them get to the path of success much quicker,” Caltabiano said.

By recruiting and mentoring the industry’s top performers and arming them with best-in-class tools, bemortgage plans to become one of the fastest growing mortgage companies in the industry, the press release said.

“We believe this model will help us scale quickly,” said Sampson. “We are also fortunate to be partnering with Bridgeview Bank. Bridgeview Bank has over $1 billion in assets under management and a customer service level that is second to none. This partnership will benefit our customers because it gives us greater flexibility to provide financing for consumers when less traditional loans are necessary.”

“Each member of our team has unique strengths that bring additional capacity and help add strength to our services so that we can make every step of the process — from underwriting to closing— go smoothly for our customers.” Caltabiano added.

To learn more about bemortgage, visit www.bemortgage.com.