Partner, Chief Growth Officer and CEO of Lighthouse Lending Capital Division since April of 2022, Laura Brandao brings her unique, energetic style of leadership to motivate EPM’s world-class, team of mortgage experts. The culture at EPM is what first drew Laura to EPM.

1. Laura Brandao: An Intellectual Leader Redefining
Business Empathetically
Today’s women are more eager than ever to drive change in all spheres of their
lives, including their families, careers, neighborhoods, and the global community.
They have advanced from being unnoticed to taking on leadership positions and
increasingly promoting inclusivity, especially in Africa. An excellent example of a
powerful women leader is Laura Brandao.
Partner, Chief Growth Officer and CEO of Lighthouse Lending Capital Division
since April of 2022, Laura Brandao brings her unique, energetic style of
leadership to motivate EPM’s world-class, team of mortgage experts. The culture
at EPM is what first drew Laura to EPM. Their passion for what they do, coupled
with their mission to help the underserved in our communities realize their
dream of home ownership aligned perfectly with Laura’s Why.
Laura Brandao, a 20+ year mortgage veteran, is fueled by her belief that helping
families obtain a home is a one of the most rewarding ways to serve
communities. Home is more than just a roof over your head. Home is where your

2. family and children are provided for, kept warm and protected. Homeownership
also is a contributing factor to generational wealth; something she strongly
supports.
At first glance, this charming, happy-go-lucky woman seems more like your
sister’s best friend, or someone you’d like to sit with at lunch. Once you have that
first conversation with her, you quickly realize she’s so MUCH MORE than your
first impression. This woman is dynamic! Her ability to focus on the big picture
and uncanny knack of how to efficiently get from point A to point B have been the
hallmark of her successes.
Laura Brandao has been recognized recently as 2022 Enterprising Woman of the
Year, MPA 2022 Elite Women, 2022 Mortgage Banker’s Legends in Lending, 2022
Leaders in Finance Award, Global Women in Leadership Award winner, Sparking
Change Award, 2022 10 Most Inspirational Businesspeople, 2022 NJBIZ leaders
in finance, 2022 Legends in Lending, 2021 MPA housing Industry Icon, a 4-time
winner of Most Powerful Women in Mortgage, a 3-time Woman of Influence, and
a four-time Women with Vision winner.
As leader in Mortgage and Real Estate industry , Laura Brandao has dedicated
herself to championing women by way of building interconnections,
relationships, and mentorships. She is chair of NAMMBA’s Visionary program,
the Chair of MBANJ Women’s Committee, Chair of Women with Vision, a Board
Member of MBANJ, and Board Member of Mortflix.
Laura, a 4-time bestselling author, writings leave the reader feeling inspired and
capable to achieve anything in life they put their mind to. (Say Yes Everyday, Say
YES Everyday-
Everyone has a Story, 1 Habit for Women Action Takers, Win or Learn- the Naked
Truth)
Every buyer has their own set of needs and sometimes even challenges – with
that in mind, as Chief Growth Officer, Laura Brandao has made it her mission to
continually seek out programs that will provide lending options to more
Borrowers and enhance EPM’s dynamic loan programs. Realizing how under-
utilized Down Payment Assistance Programs are, she worked with EPM’s
Marketing department to relaunch their DPA’s.
Currently, EPM has over 60 DPA programs – and growing. Sometimes, all that is
needed is a fresh perspective, and Laura has brought that to EPM. As part of her
growth initiative, they have recently relaunched their VA Renovation, Non-QM,

3. and Jumbo Express programs. “2023 is on track to bring more exciting programs
to EPM”.
Laura Brandao has been referred to as a “servant leader” in the past, and she is
continually seen in that light. She leads from the ground floor in order to have the
most impact on the teams she leads. One of the most important components of
my personal leadership style is to get to know the people I hire on a personal
level that allows me to understand what lights them up and makes them excited
and motivated to get up every morning and come to work. I have a sincere desire
to encourage their personal success and provide them an environment that
nurtures their unique talents and personal goals.
Meeting with each employee for a casual “MacGyver” conversation to find out
about who they are, how their days are, and what challenges they face, Laura
Brandao is more than just a C-level executive at EPM. The staff know her – and
respect her because she actively listens – and gets things done.
“Early in my career, I found myself in a workplace that was more of a
homogeneous treadmill with little encouragement for staff to strive for better or
enjoy their work. For me, true leadership is working to bring out the very best in
the people you lead. To do that, it is essential to recognize that each employee is
unique and comes with their own, singular set of skills, strengths, and
capabilities.
I believe a firm will be more productive and successful when they give their staff
the latitude and encouragement to express themselves through their work, and
that involving employees in the entire process, allows them to take pride in
whatever contributions they made to the overall outcome of their labor.
“When I made it to the C-suite, I focused on working with my staff and leading by
example and encouragement, as opposed to insisting on tight dedication to
mundane task lists and tight control of the daily details. I made it part of my
leadership mission to empower my employees to take responsibility and feel
pride in their part in the work we did and the outcomes that we achieved as a
team.
I do not believe in micromanaging, but rather, empowering and supporting my
staff to be the very best they can be at the job they have chosen. One of the most
fundamental ways I do this is by encouraging them to understand the entire
mortgage process and to understand the impact their role will have in
completing the home purchase or refinance for our clients.”

4. The pandemic and the current market conditions have brought challenges to our
industry on an unprecedented scale. Remote work is now not only common but
preferred by many employees who used to commute to the office every day but
have now discovered that those hours in the car or on transit have more value to
them spent with their families and loved ones.
For leaders and managers, remote employees have added another layer of
required creativity and communication skills with staff. My approach, and the
approach of our organization, is to support remote work while at the same time,
providing reasonable parameters for work-from-home employees that are
designed to trust their commitment while providing management with tools to
monitor productivity in a transparent and cooperative manner.
We have also encouraged activities that provide our team with a chance to enjoy
themselves and blow off some steam while spending time with each other
outside of their daily work. There are virtual movie nights and other fun
activities that encourage personal interaction and the building of stronger
relationships among the staff. This allows for remote based staff to engage with
in-house staff seamlessly.
Our mission as an organization is focused on empowering our people and the
clients we serve. This is very important to me. One very important aspect of
getting the best from our staff is fostering and maintaining transparency and
trust. When there is transparency and trust between colleagues, managers and
staff, everyone feels included and valued.
Involving staff at all levels in decisions and changes or improvements we make to
our processes allows for their input and gives them the confidence to speak up
when they have contributions to make. There is no way to know where the next
best idea may come from and when employees are invested, trusted, and feel
empowered, they will never be hesitant to offer suggestions knowing they will be
taken with due deference and consideration.
I have several favourite books but one I have just discovered is Alive at Work by
social psychologist Daniel Cable. The book talks about how people are not
inspired by repetitive tasks but rather through experimentation, exploration, and
learning. Employee engagement and motivation is dependent on encouragement
and support of individual interests and talents. Reading the book has reinforced
my opinion on treating staff as individual and important contributors to the
overall mission of the organization.

5. Many organizations are focused on their competitors and what they are doing.
They spend a lot of time and resources on analysis of the competition and what is
contributing to their success or failure.
My opinion of competition is a bit different. While I agree that being aware of
your competitors is not without merit, it should only be given a minor
consideration. I am of the firm belief that focusing on what your own company is
doing is a far more vital to its success.
An organization that is staffed with happy, motivated and supported people is far
more likely to be productive, growing, and successful than one which is worried
about what the company down the street is doing. An organization with
employees who are engaged and invested will reflect that to their clients and be
subsequently in the word-of-mouth advertising those clients pass on to their
friends and family.
As a final word, I’d like to reiterate my belief that treating staff as team members
and valuable assets as opposed to warm bodies in desks doing isolated and
repetitive tasks is the true key to organizational success. An organization that
values its people and offers them opportunities for personal growth and
creativity will be able to better serve the clients and communities they work
within.
Why Choose EPM?
Foundation of EPM- Laura Brandao
EPM prides itself on providing life-long relationships and lending to support your
home-buying journey. EPM’s objective is to empower the people and clients that
it serves. Upfront Credit Approval
Give your offer an edge over rival proposals. Use your influence to bargain with
the seller. Look at homes you know you can afford to save time.
The Core: 4CORE
The 4CORE basic philosophy is the cornerstone of EPM. The major tenets of
4CORE are “Show the Way, Struggle Well, Own Unique, and Unify Through
Collaboration.” EPM is a firm believer in leaders, not bosses, and that starting at
the bottom and working your way up is the most effective method to accomplish
business objectives while enabling both clients and employees to pursue their

6. aspirations. Everybody involved gains from the entire process, which has a good
and significant impact on their lives and professions.
EPM is also concerned with giving the Broker Partners the best chance for
success. The mission of the EPM organization and the company’s goals are to link
partners, clients, and workers in ways that foster inclusivity, diversity, and
community progress.
EPM’s policy of contributing 5% of each loan it closes to deserving charities is
only one example of the company’s dedication to the communities it serves. This
approach not only helps individuals who use the services and supports that
finance offers, but it also makes clients and staff members feel good about
helping those in need.
Government-Approved Direct Lender
Engage a reputable FHA Direct Endorsement Lender. Deal with the decision-
maker; your loan is approved and funded. All of your inquiries are addressed
thanks to our personalized approach.
Choose From Multiple Loan Products
EPM provides a variety of loan products, including Down Payment Assistance
options, FHA, VA, Conventional, Jumbo, and Reverse Mortgage loans.
Quote
“EPM is committed to family, and nothing brings a family together more than
their home.”