Justin Lopatin

Vice President of Residential Lending
PERL Mortgage

Justin Lopatin does business carrying forward the work ethic of his father, who came to the U.S. with nothing, but hard work, dedicated determination and a commitment to fairness and honesty. Lopatin’s father gave him this advice: “Set goals in all aspects of your life, personal and professional, and strive for perfection.”

That’s a tall order, but as one of the vice presidents of residential lending at PERL Mortgage, he is working his way towards achieving perfection, at least in the eyes of his clients; 100 percent of his business is from referrals. He and his team work primarily in Chicago and the North Shore, financing luxury condos and single-family residences. Many of his clients are first-time homebuyers, but he works with all levels of buyers, including professional athletes.

He attributes his success to three factors. First, professional coaching has enabled him and his team to set a clear roadmap for meeting their goals. Second, he maintains strong partnerships with the agents by sending them referrals, scrupulously paying attention to detail and by meeting closing dates. Third and perhaps most important, he makes the process as comfortable and stress-free for clients as possible.

“I try to meet with all of my clients personally to really understand their needs,” he said. “I educate them along the way.”

After more than eight years in the industry, Lopatin sees a bright future ahead. He recently added three people to his team, and expects to average an annual loan volume of $150 million.