Karen Chiu and the Power of Asking
Karen Chiu, SVP of Mortgage Lending and a Mortgage Executive Magazine top 1% mortgage originator, joins us to discuss longevity, leadership and why she believes CCM is the right place for top performers. With nearly two decades of experience, Karen shares how a culture of openness paired with innovative technology has fueled her success since joining.
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Episode Transcript
Bridget: Welcome back to CCM Talks. I am Bridget Linton and today I am joined by SVP of Mortgage Lending Karen Chiu. Karen you are ranked in the top 1% of mortgage originators in the nation. So I have to start off by saying congratulations!
Karen: Thank you.
Bridget: That is a huge accomplishment. I’m so proud of you. We’re so proud to have you here at CrossCountry Mortgage. So despite the tough market, what is your drive to continue to lead in this industry?
Karen: Well, my drive has always been to be part of the journey of making homeownership possible for as many Americans as we can. So with that, I’ve been in the industry for 19 years now. So I’ve seen the cycle, including in 2008, it was a tough market. So for any tough market, I always see it as an opportunity to learn more, to expand ourselves, learn products, hone our skills, maybe take a break and to prep us for the next boom.
Bridget: And when it comes to CrossCountry Mortgage, you’re, you’ve been in the industry for a long time, but you’re pretty new to CrossCountry Mortgage. What was it about our company that drew you in?
Karen: I think it’s the people and the technology. The people welcome me. During the interview process, I asked a lot of questions, whether it’s pricing, whether it’s compensation, how we look at the financials, and products, innovation. And they answer with all the openness, you know? And I think that is a refreshing breath of fresh air for me and it’s really for the people and the technology that I’m here.
Bridget: Yes, we certainly have a lot of tools here at CrossCountry Mortgage, and we hope that it always helps all of our employees. But you mentioned the people. Can you talk a little bit more about the culture and what makes CrossCountry Mortgage so unique and special?
Karen: CrossCountry combined the people and the technology, they are very open. If they don’t know the answer, they tell you they don’t know the answer and they go find out and they come back with an answer very promptly. And sometimes the, the openness of how they answer my questions is what makes the culture. That’s no stupid question. We always, I asked I said, hey, in my, you know, previous employer of the previous previous employer, I have this and they always find the answer and I have
made changes here because I ask the question. That’s the beautiful part of being part of CCM.
Bridget: Oh, I love that. And when it comes to your relationships, how do you build and maintain your relationships with your partners?
Karen: In the very beginning, in my beginning of my career, I did old school, setting an open house, knocking on builder’s doors. But now I’m at the stage of maintaining my relationship with significant help from CCM technology. Had it been LO One, had it been other information that we have, we’re able to find all the information about loan officers, builders, referral partners, that’s provided just to us.
So it makes us more prepared when I tackle a situation. Maybe it’s the Realtor’s first deal. Maybe, maybe I’m competing with another loan officer. That’s a call center environment with competitive rate but not the technical skills. So I think it prepared me much better than in other situations.
Bridget: Now obviously you’ve worked at other mortgage companies and we’re so happy to have you here now at CCM. So for any other woman that’s considering coming to CrossCountry Mortgage, what would you tell them?
Karen: I think the CCM management listens and that something is very, very happy that we will have. As a minority woman, I’ve been to a lot. I work for a lot of other companies. It’s not about going to an event. It’s not about participating. It’s about listening. And when I say in my culture, this is what we do and this is how people look at things. They listen, they make adjustments and they make marketing materials. They listen and respect our opinions. So I think this is the right place for me and for any woman who wants to be here.
Bridget: Well, we are so happy to have you on the CrossCountry Mortgage team, and we are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. I know this is just the beginning for you here at CrossCountry Mortgage. We can’t wait to see what Karen does next.
If you would like to learn more about career opportunities at CCM, be sure to visit CCM.com and we hope to see you on our next episode of CCM Talks.
About the Guests
Since she first joined the mortgage industry in the 1990s, Karen Chiu has become known for a lot of things. She is the #1 loan originator in both total dollar volume and total unit volume on the 2024 AREAA A-List, with more than 300 units funded and over $125 million in total dollar volume in 2023. She ranks overall in the top 1% of mortgage originators in the country, according to Mortgage Executive Magazine.
Her expertise and commitment to customer service have earned her numerous awards and accolades. At CCM, we know her for her grit in seeking solutions to make homeownership possible for her clients. Based out of Pasadena, Chiu specializes in first-time homebuyers and non-qualified mortgages for new construction purchases.
