Cheers to 25 Years

A Review of Year 25 and a Look Ahead

As we reflect on an ultra-successful 25 years in business, we are excited for the future of Atlantic Bay, the potential of our team members, and the world-class tools we offer.

Nov 15, 20214 minute read

It’s undeniable that the amount of growth and momentum Atlantic Bay has experienced over the last two and half decades is not slowing down or stopping any time soon. And the Executive Leadership Team and employees of Atlantic Bay are eager to see that energy catapult our business model into the next 25 years and beyond.

While we are so excited about what’s to come, we can’t help but reflect on some of the things that have gotten us where we are today – and continue to poise us for success in the future.

Focus on Core Values

At Atlantic Bay, core values are far more than something written on the wall or tucked away somewhere in our employee handbook. They are a true intricate part of our business model, our hiring strategy, and the guiding principles in which we conduct business. They carry a great deal of weight and supply a directive on conduct.

In our 25th year, we were excited to implement our Atlantic Bay to the Core Awards – in which team members from each department are chosen, based on peer nominations, because they embody our core values to the fullest degree.

We genuinely care.

We inspire growth.

We have fun.

Three simple concepts, and the ones that have positively dictated the direction of the people we hire and have crafted a culture that’s unlike any other in our industry.

Embodying Core Values and Focusing on Culture

Our focus on core values truly has allowed Atlantic Bay to build a strong team with high mortgage and industry IQs, while also ensuring we bring the right people for our culture on board. The attractive leadership model that our team members display is something that is natural for empathetic individuals who want to make a difference in their communities.

As our President, Stan Holland said, “Our focus is on continuously improving our company culture. We want to make sure people enjoy what they do, they’re building a healthy lifestyle, and they are offering the best services to our borrowers and people in the industry who rely on us ... If we do those things, we expect to continue to see growth for years to come.”

And because the happiness of our team members is so important to us, we have shifted to allowing our team members to work wherever is most comfortable for them. We believe it increases productivity and drives our team members to do their best work in an environment that is comfortable and inspires them. Their house? A coffee shop for the day? Or maybe some prefer the office? We are happy and excited to work with our team members to find accommodations that work for them – and their family members.

Emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Atlantic Bay continues to be committed to helping our communities, consumers, and employees by fostering an environment of diversity and inclusivity. We hold ourselves accountable and take our responsibility seriously in doing our part to close the lending gap in minority homeownership by ensuring fair and responsible lending.

We are committed to diversity in hiring, promoting, and encouraging employees to embrace and appreciate each team member individually. We will continue to provide opportunities of growth for all.

We are also proud to be a partner of the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America (NAMMBA) and the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) where we learn from many who have enriched Atlantic Bay help advance our overall diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry.

Focusing on the Digital Mortgage Lending Experience

With an increased focus on the digital realm, our team members have proudly led the charge in digital process offerings. The last two years have shifted a great deal, and in 2020 we were lucky to complete a record number of eClosings. In fact, Atlantic Bay’s work with eClosings started with a hybrid digital closing back in 2018!

The path to implementation started with research of regulations and eNote platforms in 2018. Jennifer Solis, Vice President of Closing, led implementation and spent three months testing the eClosing processes end-to-end. They started with hybrid closings, where some or all of the loan documents except the promissory note were signed electronically, to get partners acquainted with the platform before introducing electronic promissory notes (eNotes) in March of 2020. Instead of hours, closings can now take just 15-20 minutes.

“At Atlantic Bay, from start to finish with our typical virtual closing process, you can get to the closing table in 25 days,” Jennifer Solis, Vice President of Closing shares.

In April of 2021, Atlantic Bay secured approval for Ginnie Mae eNotes, making us just the second company in the nation to offer a full suite of eNote products.

In 2020, the team completed more than 5,500 eClosings, a significant increase over 2019. This year, Atlantic Bay is on track to blow those numbers out of the water in our 25th year of business.

Jennifer said, “eClosings have changed the scope of our business model. It has changed a lot of our processes and how quickly things can move on the back end. Our goal right now is to get 100% of our loans to be eClosed.”

Landmark Number of Employees

In November 2021, Atlantic Bay hit a record number of 1,000 individual employees spread across the United States – something CEO Brian Holland said he could have never imagined achieving 25 years ago.

We believe the reason for so much success and growth – especially over the last few years, is owed to the fact that our team members truly are happy. Just this year, National Mortgage News ranked Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group as a #1 Place to Work in the mortgage industry, attributed mostly to feedback gathered from our team members.

“If we keep our team members happy and put an emphasis on the things that are important to them inside (and outside) the workplace, we stay innovative and welcome ideas, and continue to give back, then we hope to grow exponentially in the future,” President Stan Holland suggested.

And we know that is all balanced, on top of keeping our core values alive and true, and extending that genuine care to any constituent who interacts with our team.

A Look Ahead

We are so grateful for our people, for without them none of these successes and advancements would have been possible.

“We look forward to bringing on more talented team members, having fun, expanding into new markets, embracing those new communities, and supporting important causes,” Brian concluded.

And with that, cheers to 25 years and all those ahead of us!