theLender Commercentre Dr, Lake Forest

99% of the positive reviews are fake or the corporate office in Lake Forest asked employees to write a positive review. Beautiful office and some awesome people but sadly that’s where it ends. The processes have been broken forever and not improving. Most of the account managers are new and don’t know how to do the job (get loans funded). The place is a relationship killer with brokers. Lastly, theLender has the worst HR I’ve ever experienced. All the good employees leave once they figure it out in 3-4 months. Management is mostly non-responsive. One positive: Free snacks

By far the best Mortgage company I've ever worked for. Management is amazing and my team members are very welcoming and a pleasure to work with everyday. Management makes it clear how much they value us and what we each bring to the company. I would 10/10 recommend working here to anyone I know.

I feel absolutely blessed to be a part of theLender family. They have taught me so much about the industry and make me feel appreciated for all the hard work and at time long hours we put in. I love how the owners encourage us to be better every single day. Be better than we were yesterday and better tomorrow than we are today. They are an inspiration and I am grateful for the 2 years that I have been here. Looking forward to many more ♥

I have worked with The Lender and based on my experience they are a 3 star Company. The Lender offers great products at competitive rates for both QM and Non QM loans. However the downside is that they lack in customer service and follow through. In one case I attempted to call the Castillo Team lead and never received a response back on a Jumbo loan with docs in title. Poor customer service hurts me with client retention. In all, what I conclude for my company is that despite what The Lender Advertises, less can sometimes mean more.

I have spent time at many mortgage companies and theLender has exceeded all my expectations. They are forward thinking, caring, honest and truly care about their employees. The leadership works diligently to foster an internal culture of life balance and support for their employees and provide a white glove customer service to internal and external customers. Customer Service both for employees and external customers is at the forefront of every meeting and top priority for the owners and Executive team and I appreciate that as it is not the case with many companies I have worked for. This care and attention is truly felt.

Len Hamilton was very responsive to all my inquiries during the pre-approval process. Although I went with a different lender, I had a great experience working with him (Len Hamilton). I am giving him 5-stars for his phenomenal customer service. Kudos Len!

My experience working with the lender was hands down the smoothest process to date. My AE and his team were efficient and professional. Moving forward I am confident choosing The Lender so my loans close.

I've been working with John and Rudy for over a year now and their niche products close with ease. NONI and NADA are great products to throw at challenging borrowers that are short funds to close and can't prove income but want to buy an investment property. Keep up the good work and Thanks for my closings!!

Deb Stark and her team are the most knowledgeable and trustworthy mortgage professionals I've encountered in my 18+ years in the real estate industry. They work tirelessly to find the best solution for any given scenario and the level of care they take with their clients is something not commonly found. I've been a licensed real estate agent, a licensed loan originator and a Notary Public making many connections along the way; to this day, anyone who asks for mortgage guidance, I immediately refer them to Deb with zero hesitation! With her and her team, you are definitely in the BEST possible hands!

In my career, I have not known a company with a greater focus on service or the customer's needs. Executives, management and employees take a very common sense approach when evaluating each transaction, with the borrowers' needs put first and it is this white-gloved approach that has helped HEM and theLender grow over the years. Offering a full menu of QM and NON-QM products, this is a mid-sized mortgage lender that should be in every mortgage originator's list of contacts.

We had a file that required exceptions due to the property being a flip and the realtor having connections with all parties. Our previous lender got us to the end and ended up denying the exceptions the week we were initially expected to close. We switched to The Lender, and Rudy and his team worked hard with us to get it to closing. We had a couple of small hiccups, but overall, communication was great and we closed in 2.5 weeks (17 days!). I'd say it was a successful experience!

They are really knowledgeable, they go above and beyond, very respectful, and extremely resourceful. When we run a scenario by them they only give positive signal if they are sure that the deal can be closed. Our whole team is extremely happy with their work and their working skills.

I had my first experience working with The Lender when they saved a loan at the last minute that another lender dropped the ball on. My overall experience with them was extremely positive. I've worked with several lenders in my time processing and they stood out to be very professional and timely. Tiffany Friedman was especially great! She ensured everything went smoothly and gave us as well as the client a positive turnaround. Look forward to working more with them in the future!

By far the best company I've work for and what a great experience it has been working for theLender. Management / team members are amazing and always willing to help. Management makes the long commute worth it as they appreciate the hard work and do not just look at you as number. They value you as the person you are. I would 10/10 recommend working here to anyone I know.

In the mortgage world where people often drop the ball from a service and execution perspective, The Lender is a top-notch organization. I’ve processed many loans with other companies in the past and have been consistently let down. Not this time. These guys continued to surprise me and under promised and over delivered. In all my interactions with them I have truly appreciated their follow up, care and excellent communication. Highly recommend this company for anything you need from a lending perspective!!!

I have worked for TheLender since 7/2020 and they are a GREAT company to work for. TheLender always provides us with updated information about how the company is doing, proper training and the tools to get our jobs done. In the past two years they have provided us with a safe and clean environment to work in, taking precautions where it was needed.

Debra is the best lender I have ever dealt with. I have done over 10 loans with her over the years and she is the best in her field. She is extremely knowledgeable, professional, friendly, and has a great sense of humor. Would highly recommend.

They take sooooo long to work on a file. Account Executive stopped answering calls. We waited 3 months and they acted like they were not looking at the file. They kept asking the same conditions provided over and over. They lose your paperwork and conditions. Seems like the communication between their staff is lacking. Easily the worst wholesale lender. Say goodbye to your referring partner relationships the second you submit a loan to them. The A/E, Account manager, underwriter and even the VP ghosted us for a while. Our client had to drive down to their office to get a response. Could not close on time after 3 months and the client lost the deal. I noticed there are similar reviews like mine. They have different lender names and they are the same people.

Buyers beware, this lender has put our hard earned security deposit at risk of losing it and they don’t seem to care especially Ryan Mercier and his boss. I will update you everyone if they lost my money. We have gotten a demand to close and yet they still have no updates for us. What should’ve been a 10 day escrow now is day 41 and counting if the seller doesn’t cancel on us. Never in my life have I dealt with such an unprofessional company. I will definitely sue them if they lose my money!!

I have worked at theLender for nearly three years. My team takes great pride in the service we provide to our broker partners. I look forward to working with you and your customers for their mortgage financing needs.

Avoid! They have inexperienced AE and AM who do not know what they are doing. They make you go around in circles, asking for the same things over and over, never taking the time to review the file to verify that the items are already uploaded. Very unprofessional way of doing business. The Managers/Supervisors don't care. I contacted the CEO and his right man, who never responded to my email. They don't give a rats about the brokers or the brokers clients. After almost 60 days of going around in circles, and getting nowhere, my client went elsewhere. Do yourself a favor and take your business to a real Lender that will treat you and your borrowers with professionalism. Many of the positive reviews here are from employees, current and past. A little bit of Googling can confirm that.

If you are looking for a Lender that will provide the customer experience and go above and beyond to assist you with home lending needs then you need to try theLender. Their communication is outstanding and their programs competitive. I highly recommend theLender.

I am working with a wonderful AE (Tiffany) and the processor and underwriters have been excellent. They are diligent and quick with their turn around and make the closing process super easy. It's a great lender to work with!

The Lender closes fast and on time. Management has changed hands during the pandemic; however, they stride to improve best practices and efficiency in handling all of your transactions. You can count on them to deliver.