Marogy’s drive to succeed helped spark United Wholesale Mortgage’s meteoric ascension
United Wholesale Mortgage Senior Director of West Coast Development Danny Marogy is pictured with his wife and three sons in their Shelby Township home.
UWM’s Senior Director of West Coast Development embraces work/family balance
Danny Marogy rises two hours before the sun on weekdays.
By 6:30 p.m., he’s usually home in Shelby Township with his wife and three sons, enjoying some all-important family time.
In the hours between, Marogy works his tail off, which isn’t surprising considering he’s been part of United Wholesale Mortgage’s ascension to its status as the No. 1 wholesale mortgage lender in the United States for the past 12 years.
As a wholesale lender, UWM funds home loans originated by independent mortgage brokers across the United States. Its reputation for providing exceptional rates and closing deals at a measurably faster and more-efficient rate than its competitors — while offering invaluable training and technology to the brokers it works with — is what has sparked UWM’s skyrocketing success, Marogy said.
“I learned my work ethic from my parents, who are first-generation Americans,” said Marogy, UWM’s Senior Director of West Coast Development. “My dad came to this country with barely a nickel to his name and he built his own business empire from scratch. He had no education, no college degree — just a guy with a dream.
“Watching him, I adopted that same mentality in order to create something for myself and my family.”
Marogy was a superstar account executive in the mortgage-lending industry when he met UWM CEO Mat Ishbia in 2010. The two gelled immediately during a 30-minute meeting that preceded Marogy’s success-drenched tenure with the company.
“When Mat and I first met, he shared with me his vision of becoming a top-20 wholesale lender in the nation,” Marogy recounted. “He explained how the business-to-business model worked and I bought into it right away.
“Mat has the most ridiculous work ethic I have ever seen in my life. The guy wants to win. We both came from sports backgrounds — Mat played basketball at Michigan State and I played club soccer when I was young — so we related really well to each other. We share the belief that if you dream and focus on winning, developing and grinding every day, nothing can stop you from achieving your goals.”
UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH
When Marogy started at UWM, its headquarters were located in a converted 3,000-square-foot grocery store in Birmingham.
“I still remember the address — 555 Adams Road,” Marogy said, smiling. “We had about 100 team members then. That building is still there. When I drive by, it gives me perspective from where we were then to how far we’ve come.”
The company has grown to approximately 8,000 employees and its headquarters shifted to a massive campus in Pontiac that includes, among other amenities, a state-of-the-art gymnasium.
“The energy you feel when you walk in our building every day is amazing,” Marogy said. “Everybody has a smile on their face. When our employees walk in, everybody says, ‘Good morning!’. Everybody is there to help one another.
“We wanted to create an atmosphere in which our team members can thrive, where they know they’re supported from start to finish. We didn’t become the No. 1 wholesale lender in the nation by working remotely or with everybody working on their own. We emphasize team. It’s such a fun atmosphere; it doesn’t feel like work.”
Marogy said his early days at UWM were challenging until he developed a mindset that he still utilizes today.
“Instead of simply trying to convince brokers to work with me, I started asking myself: How can I help people?” he said. “Once I did that, I started seeing a lot more success. When you truly focus on helping brokers — not just bringing in their loans and closing them, but actually helping them grow — it helped accelerate my career and UWM’s success.”
FAMILY TIME IS SPECIAL
While Marogy’s enthusiasm is off-the-charts electric as he talks about UWM’s growth, it ramps up to an even higher level when he is asked about his family.
“No matter how busy my day is at work, I make it a point to leave the office at 6 p.m. to get home to my family,” he said. “I coach my 6-year-old son’s soccer team. He loves soccer — just like his dad (smile). We have him on video kicking a ball around when he was 11 months old.
“My middle son loves martial arts and I love taking my 1-year-old to the park and playing on the swing sets and slide. The most therapeutic thing in the world to me is watching my oldest son score a goal, my middle son complete a roundhouse kick and my youngest smiling as he goes down a slide.”
Marogy said he and his family take three special trips every year — at least one to Disney World — while he and his wife make an annual visit to Las Vegas around Memorial Day.
“It’s important that I spend my chill time with my family,” Marogy said. “They’re so important to me.”
Marogy asserted UWM’s future will be even brighter than its recent past.
“Approximately 20% of mortgages in 2021 were done by mortgage brokers and that number is only going to go up,” he said. “We’re going to get you a mortgage faster, easier and cheaper — even if the rates are trickling up — so that 20% is going to be 33% in the next five years. With some of the things we’re doing, it could be 40% or higher.
“We have the best technology and best pricing in the industry, which we’re passing on to our customers, who are saving roughly $9,400 on their individual mortgages just by talking to a mortgage broker who anyone can find in their local community by visiting www.findamortgagebroker.com. That’s why we’re No. 1.”
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