Mortgage industry veteran Michael Brennan recently joined Nationwide Mortgage Bankers Inc. as president of sales and operations.
Brennan was previously the president of Movement Mortgage, a South Carolina-based lender where he started as a Northeast regional director in 2015. After becoming president of Movement Mortgage in 2021, Brennan accelerated the company’s national expansion through recruiting and acquisition, helping it grow to 5,600 employees with an annual loan volume of $33 billion.
The New Jersey native was also instrumental in growing his prior firm’s presence as an impact lender, helping the company redistribute 49% of profits back to local communities to fund essential programs, including new charter schools, orphanages, and local charities.
“Michael Brennan’s arrival is hugely significant for building upon the strong foundation we have at NMB and now expanding our services across the nation,” says Richard Steinberg, founder and chairman of NMB, in a release. “We are excited to add to the great work Michael did on impact lending alongside Movement Mortgage Co-Founder Casey Crawford. Their efforts to give back to the communities they serve is truly an inspiration and helped propel our efforts to launch the new NMB Cares Foundation.”
In his new role at NMB, Brennan will oversee sales and operations for the 500-employee company, which has 29 offices and is licensed in 47 states. He will help spearhead NMB’s strategic Affinity Platform, which adds financial wellness benefits through partnerships with organizations across the U.S.
With more than 25 years of mortgage lending experience, Brennan believes that elevating the proper use of technology is crucial to streamlining the modern mortgage lending process, especially in a crowded industry with many companies absorbing multiple layers of revenue instead of working to pass savings back to the customer.
He will work with NMB’s BuyNOW and e-close platforms that have led the industry with faster turn times and a more streamlined experience for clients and referral partners, especially in highly competitive markets.
“I’m extremely excited to join a forward-thinking team so devoted to making the mortgage process as seamless as possible for clients,” Brennan says. “I see a real opportunity at NMB to bring their amazing technology platform and unique business model to high-performing loan officers in towns and cities across the country. They have the flexibility to work with a wide range of customers — first-time homebuyers, people moving up or exploring investment properties — and NMB has all the pieces in place to expand their services to new areas.”