Laura Brandao, chief operating officer at AFR Wholesale, is the brains behind AskAFR through Alexa initiative, the Alexa skill that allows AFR Wholesale brokers instant and continual access to information about their account pipeline. She is also the one who orchestrated the collaboration between the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts and Blend to bring world-class capabilities to the broker community.
Under Brandao’s leadership, AFR brought many innovative solutions to the industry, including One Time Close Portal, the first fully digital end-to-end solution that allows brokers, borrowers and builders to combine financing for lot purchase, construction and permanent mortgage into one first mortgage loan; the renovation portal, a tech solution that provides the loan transparency brokers, borrowers and contractors need to help manage the loan process during the draw period; and on-demand processing that eliminates the heavy lifting for brokers and frees them up to focus on originating loans.
Far from content to simply fulfill her job description, Brandao is engaged in a number of organizations and initiatives including AIME, 203(h) Mortgage Insurance Education for Hurricane Harvey survivors and a development program at AFR. During the past year, Brandao has helped oversee one of the most innovative and productive periods in AFR’s history.
