[1]David Smith, VP of National VA Lending, loanDepot Inc.
loanDepot Inc. (LDI) [1] has announced that VA lending expert David Smith has been appointed to the new role of VP of National VA Lending.
Smith, a former sergeant in the U.S. Army, will drive the company’s national VA lending strategy, and will lead loanDepot’s VA Council, a dedicated group of loanDepot originators who are often veterans themselves, specializing in serving fellow veteran and active-duty military personnel from a position of personal knowledge and trust.
Smith will continue to advance loanDepot’s extensive outreach to both the military community and industry professionals (both originators and Realtors) to help them better understand and utilize VA mortgage products. Over the last several years, Smith has trained more than 28,000 real estate agents and consumers on the nuances and benefits of the VA’s powerful home loan program.
“As a purpose-driven lender, loanDepot is incredibly proud to make the dream of homeownership a reality for thousands of military families each year,” said LDI Mortgage President Jeff Walsh [2]. “We’ve developed a core strength in serving this particular community and now, with David’s expertise and leadership, we are poised to expand our positive impact.”
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Smith joined loanDepot in 2022, and has held mortgage, real estate, sales, and training roles with companies such as Prudential Real Estate, USAA, Wells Fargo, and Mutual of Omaha.
“Serving my fellow veterans by helping them purchase their homes and build generational wealth is incredibly meaningful and personal for me,” said Smith. “Unfortunately, too many veterans, as well as too many real estate professionals, don’t have the understanding they need to successfully utilize VA loans. Our mission is to inform and empower so that more of our country’s servicemembers—who have sacrificed so much on behalf of our country—can take advantage of the powerful benefits of the VA mortgage program.”
This is the latest move by loanDepot to bolster its leadership, having recently added industry veteran Dan Hanson [3] to the newly-created role of Executive Director of Enterprise Partnerships and Acquisitions. Hanson, in his new role, will be responsible for developing new revenue-generating opportunities, including national referral relationships and acquisitions. In close collaboration with the company’s senior leadership team, Hanson will also work to expand loanDepot’s existing portfolio of programs and partnerships (outside of the company’s successful joint venture channel), including its innovative employer benefits program and its Lender Express offering, which provides a robust menu of mortgage products to credit unions and other financial institutions seeking to offer additional products to better serve their customers.
