Danielle “Dani” Courtemanche became interested in mortgage lending while working as a real estate agent.

“I quickly realized my passion and skillset were better suited for mortgages,” says Courtemanche, branch manager, NewFed Mortgage in Reading, Massachusetts.

She entered lending in 2017, taking a “loan opener” position at the mortgage company where her sister worked. It eventually grew into a processing role. While working there, she met team lead Eric Portnoy, now executive vice president of sales, Eastern Division at NewFed Mortgage, and her career quickly progressed. “Shortly after Eric joined the NewFed team in 2018, I followed, looking to advance my career with a familiar team,” she recalls.

Courtemanche reached top producer status her first year at NewFed Mortgage and has maintained it ever since. She’s part of the Portnoy team and leads a team of loan officers, many bilingual, as branch manager. “My experience in real estate has been valuable to growing my book of business and understanding how to interpret the market and work with buyers,” she says.

Knowledgeable, easy to work with and always available, she assists borrowers with varying buying power and financial backgrounds. Courtemanche makes clients feel confident she’ll find the best solution for them or create a solid plan, so they’re ready to act when the time is right. 

Starting with real estate and moving to the operational side of mortgage lending uniquely positions her to understand the process from all sides. She knows what agents need and when, and realizes why operations might have questions or concerns about a file. “As a solution-oriented person, it helps me approach roadblocks with everyone’s success and happiness in mind, bridging the gap between sales and operations most loan officers naturally struggle with.”