Miguel Zepeda, Director of Mortgage Banking, Gives A Look Inside Our Phoenix Sales Office and Culture

When I first walked into the new Phoenix office in 2018, I experienced a moment of awe as I took in how fortunate I was to be able to work in such an incredible environment. The high-rise windows overlooked the buzzing city of Phoenix which had recently become our new home. From the colorful graphics displaying our company ISMs throughout the building, to the team member Fatheads hovering over our desks, I knew this was going to be a place where I not only felt the work I did was meaningful, but that I was going to have an enjoyable time doing it.

The open space and designated team areas promote a culture of collaboration and competition that make our jobs both exciting and educational. It’s not uncommon to see scoreboards set up in the hallway as teams take each other on in a friendly contest or to hear a team theme song playing in the morning as everyone settles in for the day. The openness allows for quick huddles to strategize and share best practices or to get a question answered quickly. It’s no wonder that so many of our bonds strengthened in this setting. We were encouraged to work together and in doing so, grew as professionals and on our teams which have become more like family.

I’m a Director of Mortgage Banking in our Spanish region. While grateful for my experiences as a banker and leader in the English market, I knew that I’d found my passion when I discovered our Spanish sector. It has allowed me to connect to and empower a community that instilled the values I have and raised me to be the man I am today. I’m grateful to work for a company that recognizes the importance of creating solutions and opportunities for people of all races and backgrounds.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, our work environment, like many others, changed rapidly. One day we were working in a bustling building and the next we were confined to our homes, with some substituting the same areas they slept in for their new office space. Thankfully, leadership did not miss a beat to support us. There were Microsoft Teams tutorials, clear instructions, motivational talks and even care boxes sent out to team members. We’ve found new ways to use the “inches” around us in a virtual and socially distanced world and continue to focus on how to best show up for our clients who are facing challenges of their own. Because of this, we had our best year ever in 2020! I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in these circumstances.

Talks have started about reintegrating our team to the Phoenix office in thoughtful, safe phases. Because our leaders know that change can be a challenge, in true Rocket Mortgage® fashion, they are taking the time to determine the best way to go about this transition for our clients, team members and our overall company mission. 

This last year has changed many of us in different ways. We have a newfound appreciation for the work that we do to help improve the lives of our clients, as well as for each other. We worked together to find our footing (quickly) in a workforce that looked and felt differently than what we were accustomed to­ – and succeeded. I’m certain that when we’re able to safely reunite in the Phoenix office, we’ll continue to be a team that strives, thrives and puts our company ISMs into action for every client, every time.