Mindy Rothenberger: Helping Clients Securing The Perfect Property

Founded in 1996, Atlanta, U.S-based Southpoint Financial Services is a direct lender providing purchase and refinance mortgage services. Spread across 15 states, the firm offers homeowners and home-buyers all mortgage financing products and programs at a competitive cost and interest rate structure with best-in-class customer service.

Being a full-service mortgage lender, the organization works directly with its clients to provide the best solutions for all their financing needs. It recognizes how difficult mortgages can be to try and get, so it plans to trim the excess fat from the process, helping clients achieve their home ownership dreams without much hassle. Southpoint Financial Services’ wholesale division is a lender to several community banks, credit unions, and mortgage brokers, which has helped it to become a cornerstone lender for many and to gain a resulting insight into every process with outstanding effectiveness.

Licensed to operate in 16 states, Southpoint Finacial Services’ expansion throughout the East Coast has been rapid, consistent, and impressive. Moreover, it shows no signs of stopping, thanks to the reputation it has gained from its clients with a great track record for success in securing the perfect property for its clients. The organization’s emphasis on financial freedom and wealth through home ownership has made it a frontrunner in the mortgage industry. Many of its clients are first-time buyers, and many of them are the first in their families to buy a house.

The Steadfast Leader

Mindy Rothenberger, President, and CEO of Southpoint Financial Services, is vastly experienced in the mortgage banking and finance sector. Having entered the industry more than two decades ago, Mindy has worked her way from the bottom to the top, quickly becoming a top producer in every job function along her way. It is very rare for any individual to have all the underwriting certifications and qualifications and have the same success rate as a top producer on the sales side. Her vast experience and knowledge of the guidelines gave Mindy an edge over her peers, especially when counseling mortgage loan borrowers during the purchase of a home or refinancing an existing home.

Presently, most mortgage loan originators know one thing: how to sell. Mindy believes although these loan originators have a basic idea about program guidelines, that level of idea is not enough to approve a loan as an underwriter would. Most of the individuals in this industry are either working in the operations or sales department, and only a few have the needed knowledge and experience to work in both departments.

Keeping it Going

Under Mindy’s leadership, Southpoint Financial Services’ biggest differentiator has always been the consumer service from its employees. She believes that it is essential to take care of those who are taking care of the consumers. Respected, appreciated, and empowered employees often become the most valuable asset for a company by staying loyal and regularly putting in their best efforts. So, when prospective clients come to the organization, they are met with employees who are interested in ensuring the clients are successful in the long-term repayment of the mortgage.

Mindy’s colleagues care about long-term success instead of the instant success of closing the loan for the present borrower. They also don’t mind teaching clients about the mortgage process and the terms and conditions of their loans.

Tackling the Pandemic

Since the first quarter of 2020, our beloved planet has started witnessing a deadly pandemic. Governments worldwide took measures and imposed stay-at-home orders to curb the infection rate. During this time, companies enforced work-from-home policies to protect their employees from the virus. Southpoint Financial Services was no different; it also took the brunt of the pandemic.

However, Mindy was mighty impressed when she saw the firm’s employees come together to support each other like family during such hard times. These employees have faced several challenges, including dealing with the lack of an operating system allowing them to work remotely instead of coming to the office regularly.

However, by maintaining all the needed safety protocols, Mindy and her colleagues could operate without exposing any other team members to any potential flu infection. If they felt they had been exposed to the virus or felt unwell, they got tested for Covid as well. As a result, none of the employees were affected by the virus. Still, now Mindy feels in awe of the respect, efforts made, and love for each other that helped her pull this off even during these challenging times.

Primary Challenges

“It is very challenging, especially in this versatile and ever-changing market. We have had some large goals for not only production and growing employment opportunities in a contracting market, but we are enhancing our customer experience across the board by adding innovation and digital technology to allow an efficient process for our internal team and our team that works remotely.”– states Mindy.

She feels staying integrated is very important regardless of where she and her team physically work daily. Mindy says, “Under promise your internal and external consumers but ensure you always over-deliver. We have built a reputation for providing a standard of excellence in our client experience.” The core staff has been working together for more than a decade now. Mindy believes in retaining employees through investing in their growth and keeping a fun work environment.

Achievements and Accomplishments

Mindy believes to be a good leader, one must be willing to jump in at any position and know how to perform the functions. During her long career, she has not only been a top producing loan officer; she was an underwriting manager for a national lender for over a decade.

“Flipping from sales to operations when my husband and I relocated from Indiana to Georgia gave me the opportunity to learn operations. I immediately accepted a processing position; however, within 30 days, I was promoted to underwriting. Then, within a year, I was the regional underwriting manager for a national mortgage lender.”- she says. It was another year or less; they asked her to run the operations center, which at that point of time managed both sales and all operations functions.

Eventually, the time spent managing both teams provided her with the invaluable knowledge and hands-on experience she needed to understand each role fully, so she could understand how a change in one department may affect the other.

Thanks to this process, Mindy could pull her departmental team leads from sales and operations together to develop best practices for the branch to make the process easier for everyone. “Since then, I have maintained all my underwriting DEs and originator’s licenses. Having the in-depth knowledge of each position gives me a perspective that few in leadership have.”- she stated. Mindy’s first-hand knowledge and ability to perform every function of sales and operation allows her to lead both groups quite easily.

Advice for Younger Self

Mindy says, “First of all, Anything is possible. Coming from very humble beginnings, I never thought I would be where I am today. Without that D1 college degree, I simply do not fit in when you think of the elite. Learn to be ok with not fitting in; stars never do; they shine above the rest anyway. Others’ opinions can offer valuable feedback for personal growth, but don’t let it define your worth or set limitations on your life. Don’t be so quick to accept failure or defeat because your start was slightly lower and may take a little more effort or a little longer than that D1 grad.”

She further pointed out that budding entrepreneurs shouldn’t feel less because of their gender, race, and social status, and they should never allow anyone to determine their value or limit their goals.

“Learn everything you can to become an expert; knowledge is the biggest gift so pay attention when you are being trained. Lastly, when you do reach leadership, understand what leadership truly means. It’s not about the title; it’s not about the ability to bark orders or make big decisions.

Leadership must come from within; you must truly care about others and want to see them succeed. A leader will be a resource for development and leading the vision for those they lead. Lastly, learn to speak less and listen more!!!”- she stated further.