Energetic and optimistic, Will Madden matches his clients with the right mortgage solutions while educating them along the way. “I want my clients to understand the process rather than just being pushed through it,” says Madden, a loan officer at ProperRate. Licensed in 13 states, Madden helps residential buyers with conventional, jumbo, FHA and VA loans. With the support of a strong team, Madden ensures that buying a home feels like a celebration.

Prior to becoming a loan officer three years ago, Madden worked for his family’s company for eight years, learning strong leadership qualities from his father. After the business was purchased by a competitor, he lost his job due to pandemic layoffs. He quickly found his way to lending through a spontaneous run-in with a friend whose husband worked at ProperRate. “I spoke with him the following Tuesday and he shared that my mentor would be the same loan officer who helped me with my condo purchase in Chicago. I jumped at the opportunity,” says Madden, noting that unlike his previous experience securing a mortgage in Miami, which had been cumbersome and frustrating, the process in Chicago had been seamless. “To be able to learn directly from that loan officer, I knew I could provide that same level of clarity and value to my clients,” he says.

So far in 2023, Madden has closed more than seven times the volume he closed at the same time last year. Madden attributes his success in part to his mentor and to starting when rates were the lowest and demand was higher than ever. “My mentor is one of the top producers in the country and I worked closely with him and his clients,” he says. “By having that experience, I gained invaluable knowledge and am using it to develop my own style in this industry.” Now with volume picking up for Madden, he continues to serve all his clients with the same dedicated level of attention: “It’s important to me that every client feels valued and that they know I’m there for them every step of the way.”