Dean Vlamis
Senior Vice President
Mortgage Lending Guaranteed Rate
British rock band Queen sang about being under pressure, but Dean Vlamis has lived it firsthand. “I used to be a trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in the ‘90s, but computer technology wiped out that career,” he recounts. “I walked into a mortgage company in 2000 to ask for a job and was hired on the spot. Starting a career all over again with my back against the wall inspired me to succeed – and to succeed right away.”
Doing so required him to be a quick study during his on-the-job training. He made learning everything and anything about the industry his top priority. Fast forward 15 years and Vlamis ranks among the Scotsman Guide’s top 200 mortgage originators worldwide, a distinction he has held for the past decade. “I excel because I truly work harder than most people and fight for my clients to get them the best mortgage possible,” he says when explaining his success.
While Vlamis has particularly supported luxury homebuyers in recent years, he makes clear that he partners with people regardless of budget. “I’m very informative and patient with my clients, but I’m also driven and aggressive, because the mortgage process can be challenging and tedious. My goal is to make it as easy for them as possible,” says Vlamis. He derives particular joy from getting financing for clients when others have given up due to seemingly impossible impediments. “I like being the one who can get that deal done that others can’t, and if I can help Realtors resolve challenging issues, then I become their go-to person for their clients.”
His wife, Neena, is his biggest supporter and understands exactly what his job entails, because she is president of her own mortgage firm. In addition, Vlamis’ children motivate him daily. But while he looks to his family for unwavering encouragement, this mortgage expert also finds it in the fact that he delivers unparalleled assistance to homebuyers. “I’m hugely inspired by knowing that once I help a client, he can honestly say that he received great service and is highly satisfied.”