Category: Press

Scotsman Guide Profiles Romy Nourafchan As ‘Top Jumbo Originator Nationwide’

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Romy Nourfchan was recently profiled in Scotsman Guide as a “Featured Top Originator” in the nation, for his debut as No. 1 on Scotsman Guide’s newest ranking ‘Top Jumbo Originators.’ The article, written by Hannah Darden, details Nourfchan’s journey to success in this niche lending space and Insignia Mortgage.

“My career started in 1990. For seven or eight years, I worked as a broker, then went into banking and worked for big banks and a few smaller banks,” Nourafchan said. “Over this time, my strategy has always been to go after jumbo loans … and continually build my business on higher dollar amounts.”

– Romy Nourfchan, Scotsman Guide “Featured Top Originator” October 2023

Watch the interview below, or read the full article here.

Romy Nourafchan of Insignia Mortgage shares his experience as a luxury broker with high-end clients in this installment of the new Featured Top Originator video series. Nourafchan, who placed first in Scotsman Guide’s 2023 Top Jumbo Originators rankings and 20th in the Top Mortgage Brokers rankings, was chosen as October’s Featured Top Originator. To learn more about Nourafchan, read the full FTO article here: https://www.scotsmanguide.com/?p=64135 To see the Top Jumbo Originators or Top Mortgage Brokers rankings, visit the Top Originators homepage at https://www.scotsmanguide.com/ranking…

Insignia’s Neil Patel Featured In MPA Magazine

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Congratulations to Neil Patel for his recent feature in MPA Magazine as a Top Originator! Neil has been a rockstar on Insignia Mortgage’s team for several years as a mortgage broker and CPA.

“In the heart of Beverly Hills, where the real estate market is as dynamic as the city’s famed boulevards, Neil Patel stands out as a mortgage strategist who’s not merely crunching numbers but turning complex transactions into success stories. 

Patel (pictured) is a licensed mortgage broker and CPA at Insignia Mortgage, specializing in underwriting loans for borrowers with complex financials and tax returns.

A specialist in complexity

While many mortgage brokers might shy away from complicated cases, Patel and his team at Insignia Mortgage lean into them.

Focusing on boutique mortgages, they cater to a unique clientele: the self-employed, high net-worth individuals, and those whose financial situations might seem like a puzzle to most.

“A lot of Los Angeles people are self-employed,” Patel said. “They tend to have self-employed tax returns, LLCs, and corporations.”

This often leads to a disconnect between what’s on paper and the client’s actual financial standing. But where others see complications, Patel sees an opportunity to bridge the gap, simplifying these complexities for underwriters and banks.”

Read the full article now at https://www.mpamag.com/us/specialty/wholesale/top-originator-spotlight-neil-patel-of-insignia-mortgage/459216

Loan Officer Wealth Podcast Features Damon Germanides and Chris Furie

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The Loan Officer Wealth Podcast with Chris Johnstone interviewed Insignia Mortgage co-founders, Damon Germanides and Chris Furie, in episode 113 released this week. The Loan Officer Wealth podcast is designed to share the systems, habits, and secrets that top-performing professionals use to build a life of wealth and freedom. This is the first double episode of the podcast that has ever been produced. The formatting was adjusted to honor the fact that Insignia Mortgage’s co-founders, Damon & Chris, are ranked #4 and #7, respectively, on the Scotsman’s Guide for 2023’s Top Mortgage Brokers. When combined, they make Insignia Mortgage the largest volume lender in the nation. In this episode, Johnstone discusses the dynamic partnership that has helped Damon and Chris grow their incredible business, Insignia Mortgage. They also share their journey to becoming Top 10 Mortgage Brokers on the Scotsman Guide, the process of working their leads, database, and referral partners, as well as tips on refining your niche.  


Listen now via Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, or click the image below.

Podcast “MPA Talk” Features Damon Germanides

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MPA Talk, the podcast for U.S. mortgage professionals by MPA Magazine, featured Insignia co-founder, Damon Germanides, in their latest episode entitled “Serving Up Solutions.” In this episode, host Simon Meadows interviewed Germanides for his perspective as a broker who specializes in complex loans, particularly for those who are self-employed. They discuss how he cut his teeth in the last big financial crisis of 2008, before co-founding Insignia Mortgage in Beverly Hills, California, in 2010. Beginning slowly, the company established relationships with smaller banks and credit unions, to build the business to where it is today. The son of a restaurant owner, Germanides likens the mortgage industry to the restaurant industry in terms of the tough challenges it presents – it’s been his driving force to succeed.

“My dad owned a restaurant for 43 years, an, that business is such an tough business that I used to look at the mortgage business and say, ‘as tough as it is today, man, the restaurant business is, is even tougher’. I’ve picked tough businesses because both of them have their challenges. That was a driving force early in my career, knowing how hard another business was, made me pretty tenacious.

When 2008, 2009 hit, my good analytical skills really started to shine because the business had moved away from the limited information type loans or the no doc loans or whatever. You had to have a complete understanding of the borrower’s financials, which required mortgage professionals to start to learn to read tax returns, understand cash flow, you know, do a sensitivity analysis on revenue and income, understand everything on the borrower’s financials and that, that really fit well with my skillsets.”

Damon Germanides, on why his key skills made him a good fit for the mortgage industry.

Listen to the full episode below, or via your podcast streaming platform of choice.

MPA Talk, July 21, 2023, featuring Damon Germanides, a broker who specializes in complex loans, particularly for those who are self-employed.

Get The Most From Insignia Mortgage

If you haven’t already, subscribe to Insignia Mortgage’s weekly market commentary and receive Damon’s unique insights on the mortgage industry via email.

Insignia Mortgage Appoints Jay Robertson to Associate Broker 

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA – June 22, 2023 

As of June 22, 2023, Insignia Mortgage is thrilled to welcome Jay Robertson to our team of brokers. Jay has over 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry. As the former president of First Capital and Luther Burbank Mortgage in Los Angeles, he has overseen or personally originated over $20 billion in loans in Southern California. 

Jay’s deep knowledge of the industry, combined with his commitment to exceptional customer service, makes him a perfect fit for Insignia Mortgage. We know that his expertise will help us to continue providing our clients with the best possible service and advice.  

In his new role at Insignia Mortgage, Jay will work closely with clients to help them secure the right mortgage for their needs. He will use his extensive network of industry contacts and his in-depth knowledge of the mortgage market to help our clients navigate the complex process of securing a mortgage. 

Damon Germanides, co-founder of Insignia Mortgage commented that “Jay brings such a unique perspective to Insignia Mortgage as he has been both a CEO of a large mortgage company as well as a loan originator. He knows better than most what it takes to win over clients and how to create long-term partnerships with referral partners. His knowledge will be great to our boutique firm.” 

When asked to describe his customer relationship style, Jay stated that “I believe in taking care of my clients.” He is known for being a trusted advisor who always puts his clients’ needs first. “It’s not about the volume of business I do. It’s about arming my clients with the most current information so they can make educated decisions about their future,” he explains. Jay’s honest and expert guidance, backed by decades of experience in real estate finance and luxury residential real estate sales, continues to define his personalized white-glove approach to service.  

About Insignia Mortgage 

At Insignia Mortgage, we understand that what works for one client does not always work for everyone. Especially when your financial picture doesn’t adhere to the strict model that many conforming lenders demand. Even under the most complex circumstances, our team of loan experts can quickly navigate through the process to deliver the most highly competitive loan solutions. We’ve successfully closed some of the largest and most complex transactions in the country for high net-worth clients, many of whom are self-employed and have significant assets but fluctuating incomes; and, for foreign nationals who receive income outside of the United States or are buying in the United States for the first time. 

Scott Sealey Joins Insignia Mortgage

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Scott Sealey is joining the Insignia Mortgage team! With several decades of experience in the mortgage business and hundreds of positive client reviews, we are confident that Scott will be an asset to our team and provide exceptional service to our clients. His dedication to providing personalized and professional service aligns with Insignia’s company values, and we are so excited to have them join our team. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Scott Sealey to the Insignia Mortgage team. With his extensive experience in the mortgage industry and commitment to putting clients first, Scott will be an asset to our company and help us further grow our conventional loan production. We look forward to working together to continue providing exceptional service and solutions to our clients.”

Damon Germanides, Co-Founder, Insignia Mortgage

More about Scott Sealey: 

With over 30 years of experience in the Southern California mortgage industry, Scott Sealey is known for his out-of-the-box thinking. Scott has secured over 750 million in home loans for his clients, ensuring that each one is closed with the utmost consideration and efficiency. Scott is extremely well-versed in FHA, VA, Jumbo, and Conventional loan programs, as well as alternative income products and Reverse Mortgage loan programs. Check out what Scott’s clients have to say about his lending approach, with over 240 all 5-Star reviews on Zillow, he has one of the highest rankings in California. 

Please join us in welcoming Scott to the Insignia mortgage team. Check out his client testimonials, successful transactions, and special dinner recipes here.

Mortgage Professional America Magazine Features Damon Germanides

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Insignia Mortgage co-founder, Damon Germanides, was featured in the editorial article “From slinging hash to serving up the dream of homeownership” in Mortgage Professional America (MPA) Magazine. The article, written by Tony Cantu, shares how Germanides moved from the family restaurant business to be a successful mortgage broker in a niche space. In particular, the article highlights Insignia Mortgage’s unique business model as ”lean and mean” and how the team consistently ranks on the Scotsman Guide’s list of Top Originators. 

Despite the lean-and-mean model, his volume is far from shabby – $311 million across 140 units in 2021 and $285 million over 104 units last year. That performance has helped him secure the 27th ranking nationally among brokers. And he’s not alone in being nationally ranked, either: “I’m very proud of our little company,” he said. “We have four of the top 25 brokers in the country who work for this office.”

Read the full article here. Learn more about Insignia Mortgage’s successful transactions, unique loan scenarios, and mortgage industry innovations by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. 

FOUR INSIGNIA BROKERS RANK WITHIN SCOTSMAN GUIDE’S TOP 25 ORIGINATORS IN COUNTRY 

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Insignia Mortgage is thrilled to announce that 4 of our brokers have been ranked in the Scotsman Guide’s Top 25 Originators for 2023! In fact, co-founders, Damon Germanides and Chris Furie were ranked as #4 and #7 respectively, making 2023 their 7th year to rank within Scotsman’s Top 10. Following suit in recognition by Scotsman are team members Romy Nourafchan and Neil Patel, who were featured on this year’s Top 25 at #20 and #24. In addition to this achievement, Chris, Damon, Romy, and Neil have the largest loans by size in the rankings. The total loan volume for the company in 2021 alone was close to $1 billion and over $850 million in 2022. 

“We are honored to be included in this exclusive list of top mortgage brokers. Our ranking proves the value mortgage brokers serve even to higher-end borrowers as we help clients navigate the complexities of the mortgage loan process.”  

Damon Germanides, Insignia Mortgage co-founder, in response to the 2023 Top Originator List release.  

The Insignia team attributes their consistent standing on the annual Scotsman Top Mortgage Brokers List to their dedication to providing individualized lending solutions. They have unique expertise in successfully placing niche jumbo loans with local banks and credit unions.  

Insignia has focused on this jumbo niche area of the market for over a decade. Damon and Chris saw a need in the marketplace to locate lenders willing to fund multi-million-dollar loans for self-employed borrowers, foreign nationals, real estate investors, and retirees. As a result, their team has helped create customized loan programs with their lending sources to meet this need. They have also created industry resources like their Insignia Mortgage App to help improve the loan process for everyone involved. Their commitment to innovation continues to elevate the jumbo loan experience for clients and brokers.  

2023 marks the 7th year in a row that Insignia’s team has had the honor of ranking within the Top 50 on this list. View the full Top Mortgage Brokers List under The Scotsman Guide’s Top Originators 2023 here.

Insignia Mortgage Launches Digital Loan Application Tool “E-Insignia” 

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Beverly Hills, CA, April 4, 2023 – Insignia Mortgage, Inc. Developed and launched their new digital loan application tool, E-Insignia. The application is designed to remove all manual processes and provide complete automation to the lending workflow. Insignia Mortgage’s Digital Loan Application allows the company to better connect clients, real estate partners, and multi-tenant transactional businesses using a streamlined application and loan approval process, as well as, keep past borrowers apprised of the current state of the mortgage market by seamlessly syncing with the company’s marketing platform.  

“It’s far from typical and rather revolutionary for a company of our size to be doing direct lender implementations of technology and bringing this level of automation and borrower experience to the marketplace,” says Encompass Expert, Steve Shamoo. By leveraging enterprise-level technology from Salesforce to Simple Nexus, E-Insignia allows consumers to upload, manage, and sign documents online and via a single mobile app. “I’ve spoken to major lenders who don’t have a solution that’s as integrated as this. It says a lot about our passion for the business, our intention to exceed what our competition’s doing, and our commitment to be in this for the long term.” 

On average, a jumbo loan in California may require anywhere from 50 to 100 pages of paper documents over a period of as long as 60 days (about 2 months) to be processed. E-Insignia reduces the amount of paper used, expedites the loan process for all involved, and contains security measures to protect sensitive information as well as ensure compliance with regulations. Key benefits of the Insignia Mortgage Digital Loan Application also include ease of use, faster transaction times, timely notifications, and a streamlined loan experience. E-Insignia is available for download via The App Store. To learn more about Insignia Mortgage, click here.

Insignia Ranks In Top 10 Brokers In Country For 6th Year

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Insignia Mortgage’s co-founders, Damon Germanides and Chris Furie were both ranked in the Top 10 Mortgage Brokers in the country by The Scotsman Guide for 2022. Damon and Chris were ranked as #7 and #9 respectively, with a total collective volume of nearly $743 million, and a total of 309 closed loans between them. Also featured on the list of the Top 100 Mortgage Brokers is Neil Patel, Insignia’s resident CPA and broker, ranking at #73 with over $135 million in loan volume and 54 closed loans. What separates the Insignia team from other brokers in the ranking is their decade-long focus on placing niche jumbo loans with local banks and credit unions. Chris, Damon, and Neil have the largest loans by size in the rankings. The total loan volume for the company in 2021 alone was close to $1 billion. 

Insignia has focused on this jumbo niche area of the market for over a decade. Damon and Chris saw a need in the marketplace to locate lenders willing to fund multi-million-dollar loans for self-employed borrowers, foreign nationals, real estate investors, and retirees. As a result, the Insignia team has helped create customized loan programs with their lending sources to meet this need.

2022 marks the 6th time Insignia’s team has had the honor of ranking within the Top 100 on this list. View the full Top Mortgage Brokers List under The Scotsman Guide’s Top Originators 2022 here. https://www.scotsmanguide.com/rankings/top-originators/2022/top-mortgage-brokers