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20 Years of Benchmark: STRENGTH and REPUTATION

Celebrating 20 Years Of Mortgage Excellence

by I Am Benchmark

20 Years of Benchmark: STRENGTH and REPUTATION

In 1999, a couple of friends who worked as loan officers decided that they could do more. The mortgage industry needed something new and better. The time was right to prioritize the client experience. They knew that doing better meant putting the best team together. They wanted to create a company that would set standards; a company that would lead the industry not only in numbers, but most importantly, in their signature first-class home buying experience. In August of the same year, Benchmark Mortgage was born.

Starting the way many great companies have, Benchmark has grown from a single office in Dallas, Texas and a small team to over 100 branches in 47 sates across the nation. We were founded on core values that we have based, and continue to base every business decision on. These values – Success, Excellence, Positive Attitude, Dynamic, and Relationship – have shaped us into the company we are today. We are grateful for our team, their relationships with real estate partners, and the thousands of clients who have trusted Benchmark to finance their first home, their next home, or to refinance their forever home. We couldn’t have made it this far without you, and the tapestry of our story is embedded with the thousands of threads in our progress so far.

At Benchmark, it has never been enough to do things well. We are proud of our commitment of striving to exceed expectations. We are proud of being more than just a mortgage company. Benchmark created an event to give back to, and celebrate, the brave men and women who have served our country. In 2012, the first annual Boot’n & Shoot’n event took place to raise money for veterans. Boot’n & Shoot’n has become a staple for our nationwide family to come, join, and give back to our veteran and first responder heroes. As we reflect on our 20th year, we celebrate that Boot’n & Shoot’n 2019 raised over $1million for the Brain Treatment Foundation.

Benchmark’s love for helping those who serve never wavered, and in 2017 we launched our initiative to change the way VA lending is done. Veterans deserve better. With our history of striving to excel, it was only a matter of time before this same model was applied to help veterans make use of their VA loan benefits. In 2018, Benchmark sponsored the Patriot Tour by Team Never Quit.

If you are a past client, you are part of our story. If you are a current or future client, welcome to the family. We are Benchmark.

Here’s to a bright future!

Benchmark brings you home.

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Boot’n & Shoot’n 2019 Recap: Benchmark Gives Back

by I Am Benchmark

Boot’n & Shoot’n 2019 took place on April 18th, and we are pleased to announce that more than 1 million dollars was raised to help veterans this year!

This is Boot’n & Shoot’n’s 8th year, and Benchmark has been behind every single one. Every year, this event is special, and this year’s was no different. The night before the event, the Boot’n & Salute’n Dinner packed in at the Omni Frisco to rally around support for veterans. The keynote address was given by GySgt Brian Meyer. On March 14, 2011, GySgt Meyer lost his right leg above the knee, his right arm below the elbow, and sustained amputations of his thumb and two fingers on his left hand in an IED (improvised explosive device) blast in Sangin, Afghanistan. He spoke on never giving up, and resilience in the face of adversity.

The guests who joined us that night helped raise over $400,000 through the live auction! Jeff Crosby and the Refugees helped cap off one of the most successful dinners Boot’n & Shoot’n has ever seen. This was a positive start for the day that would follow, when we all gathered together for an amazing day of giving back and honoring our veterans at The Dallas Gun Club.

On the morning of April 18th, clay shooting commenced, and shooting teams of four were paired with a veteran to take the course. More than 90 shooting teams took aim, interrupted only by a brief, albeit heavy, rain shower, catching some off guard. While the rain fell, the sound of shooters calling for their clays still echoed from the course, their gunshots ringing under the sound of the falling water.

Lt. Col. Allen West delivered a speech on teaching our children history to foster a sense of patriotism and appreciation for the brave men and women who have served our nation at any cost.

Every year, Boot’n & Shoot’n honors a veteran and their family, and this year, we honored John “JT” Tumilson and those killed in action on Extortion 17. On August 6, 2017, insurgents shot down a Chinook transport helicopter in Afghanistan. All 30 service members were killed, including fifteen Navy SEALS from Tea Six’s Gold Squadron.

Fallen officer Corporal Garrett Hull of the Fort Worth Police Department was also honored. Corporal Hull dedicated his career to the Fort Worth Police Department, having served in specialized tactical units, including the Special Response Team, the Narcotics Division, and the Tactical Intelligence Division. He was also loaned to the DEA, and worked closely with the FBI. He served the FWPD for 17 years.

Both of these heroes were added to Boot’n & Shoot’n’s “Remembrance Row”, a stretch of road leading to the site, with banners proudly displaying those fallen heroes who have been remembered and honored at the Dallas Gun Club during the event.

Babe’s Chicken sponsored and served lunch, after having set up the event with us the day before. Everyone enjoyed the spread, dessert included. Then came the donations. Giant checks were presented to The Brain Treatment Foundation, 22Kill, and The Third Option. We are proud to have helped raise more than $1 million, hosting over 1,000 guests and 500 veterans through Boot’n & Shoot’n.

At Benchmark, we do more than bring you home. We give back.

United Lending becomes Benchmark Mortgage

by I Am Benchmark

PLANO, TX—United Lending of Austin, TX, a mortgage lender founded in 2008 by David McMillan and Tommy Nelms, is set to become Benchmark Mortgage, effective December 1, 2017. Offering a wide range of mortgage products, United Lending has been recognized by the Austin American Statesman and the Austin Business Journal multiple times for their excellence in mortgage lending. “We offer a vast array of mortgage products, and we work with all types of clients, from first-time home buyers to multi-million dollar homeowners and everything in between,” says McMillan. “We are consistently one of the top five lenders in Austin on the Austin Business Journal’s Book of Lists. Recently, we even hit the No. 2 spot! By focusing on top talent, we’re able to let the growth take care of itself.”

With a wide range of available products, and high standards to match, United Lending sought a similarly minded partner to support their growth. “Our individual team has been United Lending for more than 10 years. We value a strong partnership with corporate, back office and the warehouse-side of the business. So as we grew, it became obvious that we needed to find a partner that supported this growth,” Nelms says.

United Lending has achieved success by focusing on their most valuable assets: their people, and their clients. “Our main priority is to create the best office environment with the best people in the industry. We have multiple people on our staff, both in production and operations, who have been with us for 20 years or more,” Nelms explains. “Ultimately, it boils down to communication. We strive to provide a hassle-free experience with over-the-top communication. We over-communicate to all parties involved, so not only are there no surprises, but everyone knows what is going on before they have to pick up the phone and call,” adds McMillan.

It was the shared focus on relationships and excellence which eventually resulted in a partnership with Benchmark Mortgage. “We decided to join them for many reasons. But once again, the main reason was the people. Jim McMahan, one of the owners, and an industry icon, and I have had a relationship from a previous company. It has been a great decision for us,” explains McMillan.

Although this relationship is not recent, rebranding was a slight challenge. “We didn’t want to do it right away because we have done a very good job branding United Lending in Austin over the years. It made sense to adopt their name as we grew into Houston and San Antonio, but now we will bring the three cities under the same name.” Nelms explains.

Beginning December 1st, United Lending will adopt the Benchmark Mortgage name, representing the company’s core values and founding principles. Tommy Nelms describes the practical result of these ideas, commonly referred to as “The Benchmark Way”: “When you work with Benchmark Mortgage, you can always expect to work with experienced, knowledgeable people who want to make the lending process as easy and seamless as possible. One of the biggest changes we’ve made in recent years is how we support originators teams with operational teams. We are getting great files to the processing department, and then, in turn, to the underwriters. Quick closings, minimal conditions, approvals in less than two weeks, supporting the originators in such a way that they are not bogged down in paperwork, but are able to work on the referral relationships and create new ones.”

Benchmark Mortgage’s strong emphasis on building trust through relationships makes this partnership mutually beneficial. With United Lending changing to the Benchmark Mortgage name, they proudly share in the same heritage of excellence which began in 1999.

Benchmark Took Their Talents to South Florida with Todd Duncan

by Jason Haeger

Every year, the nation wide Benchmark family comes together during our annual Production Trip to celebrate our Core Values, and to learn ways to better serve you, our amazing clients. This year, we invited Todd Duncan to join us.

Last week in Miami, our team sat down with Mr. Duncan to discuss High Trust Leadership, leveraging relationships, and delivering amazing client experiences.

Here are three highlights from Todd Duncan’s talk:

“Trust is the hardest thing to gain. It’s the easiest to lose. And the most important to hold onto.” — Todd Duncan

Todd is right. If you have ever had to earn someone’s trust, you know. It takes persistence, and it can take a long time. For something that takes so much to acquire, it is strikingly easy to lose. Trust is developed when expectations arise, which are then consistently and faithfully fulfilled. It only takes one unmet expectation for a crack to form in the bedrock of trust. Just like a house on a bad foundation, a relationship standing on unsure footing is precarious indeed.

“The more you do what you don’t want, the more of what you don’t want you will get.” — Todd Duncan

Following the logic of the above, it follows that the more you do what you want to do, the more you will get what you want. When Benchmark was founded in 1999, our founders had a vision of not only helping families achieve the American dream of owning their own home, but of being a mortgage company which the best in our industry would want to join. Our core values were formed during a round table discussion several years into our journey, and they resonate to this day. As of writing, we have grown to more than 80 branches nationwide, with an annual trip which we unofficially and affectionately refer to as our family reunion.  At Benchmark, we do not wish to deliver an image to deliver numbers; we wish to deliver service to develop relationships. It turns out, the more we have done that which we set out to do, the more success we have built. So focus on the positive. The future looks bright for those who do.

“To be an effective leader, it is important to reflect regularly on your growth, and the growth of your team.” — Todd Duncan

Good leadership requires perspective. Looking back at your team’s, as well as your own progress and growth, will help you gain a high level perspective and sense of direction. Looking ahead, are you pointed the right direction? Look back, how often have you wavered? How far have you come? In order to lead effectively, it helps to have a clear vantage point in both directions.

We are a community of mortgage professionals: experts to help you through every step of the process. Our team of loan officers, underwriters, appraisers, and funders work tirelessly to close your loan as quickly as possible. We measure our success on the growth and efficiency of our entire team to deliver the best service and experience possible. Learn more about Benchmark at https://whois.benchmark.us.

Celebrating Our Veterans

by I Am Benchmark

Benchmark is thankful for all United States veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made for our country.

We asked some of our own veterans here at Benchmark to share what makes them proud to have served our great nation.

Jasper photograph

I am proud to have served in the US Navy. Volunteering four years of my life seems such a small sacrifice to protect this great country we live in. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

-Jasper, Navy

jerrod-pic

At the time I joined, war had already been waged for 6 years. I felt I had the ability and responsibility to enlist and fight in hopes that my family, friends and future children would not have to. The experience left me with a much different outlook on our world. Nothing has ever or will ever fulfill me in the way that my time did. That’s why Benchmark is such a great fit for me. It supplies the tight knit and likeminded environment of people who come here daily to accomplish one mission.

–Jerrod, Army

kathleen

I wanted to do something different than the other girls. My time with the National Guard was spent helping the immediate community. You’re there at the worst of times. I loved that in those situations you get instant gratification knowing you’re making a real difference.

-Kathleen, National Guard