Expertise takes time, and for Brandon Poulos, Senior VP of Lending with Neighborhood Loans, starting in the mortgage industry at only 18 years old gave him all the runway he needed to build an incredible career. Now 17 years into his journey helping first time and other home buyers secure the dreams, Poulos is still leaning into challenges and learning new things every day.

“I started in this industry in 2005 and I knew nothing about mortgages,” he said. “Together with a friend who started working in the industry around that time, we’ve become closer friends, we’ve overcome adversity, and we’ve grown as people and mortgage professionals.” Clients today say Poulos has an innate way of making them feel like he’s a longtime friend, because he brings that same familiarity to his work. “I’m a people person,” he says.

Demonstrating trustworthiness and communicating easily with clients, Poulos see each transaction as an accomplishment and celebrates with his clients as they take the step into their new home and the next phase of life. In 2020, Poulos earned a spot on the Scotsman Guide’s list of Top Originators in the country, and as he sees referrals rolling in from past clients, friends and real estate agents, he knows he’s making a difference for his clients and their families.

“I’m down to earth and never pretentious, and I make my clients feel comfortable,” he says. “Living and working through the subprime crash was a huge learning experience, and I learned what works well and what doesn’t. I communicate with and treat my clients with respect, I have an organized process, and I listen to them.” Along with his team and his clients, Poulos says his focus these days is on family – including his wife and two children.

“My family is everything to me,” he says. “So I always remember that in the families I work with.”