Women reshaping mortgage industry’s ‘boys’ club’

Lessons from decades in the industry

Starting her career in the 80s, Sonnek recalls a time when women were a rarity in mortgage sales. Despite the male-dominated environment, she focused on learning from her colleagues rather than feeling sidelined.

“I never saw myself as different from men in terms of qualifications,” she said. “I wanted to understand what they were doing and integrate that knowledge into my work.”

She sought to learn from her male colleagues, observing their strategies and applying them in her own career. This mindset helped her navigate an industry that, at the time, was not designed with women in mind.

Today, Sonnek is proud of the industry’s progress, noting that women now hold top roles in sales, underwriting, and management. She attributes part of this success to the inherent perseverance of women in the field.

“Where a man might give up on a loan, a woman will dig deeper to find a way,” she said. “We have that nurturing instinct to see things through.”