Connecting with people is one of Abby Polin’s passions, and she credits this skill with her success in her 37-year career as a mortgage professional. As a senior vice president of residential lending at Draper and Kramer Mortgage Corp., Polin has distinguished herself as one of the top mortgage originators in the nation according to industry trade publication Scotsman Guide.
Since beginning her career in the lending industry in 1984 as a summer intern at a mortgage brokerage firm, Polin has garnered the experience and honed the skills necessary to take on greater roles. Before joining Draper and Kramer Mortgage, she helped grow a modest Chicago mortgage company to 2,600 employees nationally and has served in a vice presidential role at several other Chicagoland and national mortgage companies.
Even through the pandemic over the past year, Polin has been able to expand her business, closing over $59 million in loan volume in 2020. She even earned a place in the company’s President’s Club, a group reserved for top-producing loan officers. “I reached a personal best last year while being able to increase my referral sources and working remotely from out of town,” she says.
Polin’s proudest accomplishment is her ability to juggle being a single mother and a busy loan officer. In fact, attending her children’s school activities has been a boon to her business opportunities. “This job has provided me the flexibility to be a mom and be involved in my kids’ lives,” she says. “In turn, this involvement has given me the opportunity to make connections and create relationships with potential clients.”
Even in her free time, Polin can be found connecting with and serving people in other ways. She is a member of various community groups, has served as an executive board member for multiple organizations and volunteers in several capacities. She’s incredibly passionate about mentoring other professionals and runs a mentorship program for women through the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. Most of all, however, Polin enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
