Mortgage leaders dive deep into diversity and inclusion

“We market across the country through so many different marketing avenues to get the message across that homeownership is important, and it’s available,” Walker said. “I think the mortgage industry has changed, and it’s evolved over the years and companies like ours work to accommodate all.”

In addition to external efforts, Verrette pointed out that more must be done internally to combat redlining, a housing policy that has hindered Black and Hispanic families from qualifying for a home loan for decades.

“We have folks who wish not to choose because they’re scared of being declined for a mortgage simply because of something completely out of their control. They didn’t choose to be born a certain race, color or sex,” Verrette said. “So, we’re attacking this imbalance within our country from different directions of how we staff internally, with how we mitigate risk from a credit risk perspective of extending mortgages out to borrowers, how we market to them, and how we educate them.”

“You have to give people hope. And the only way that you’re going to introduce people to this industry is that the people that are in the industry have to be out there showing them and teaching them about it. So it’s really up to us. We have to be the change that we want to see in the world.”

Watch the full panel discussion here: Do women enjoy a level playing field in the mortgage industry?