Independent Banker - July 2024 - 46

LENDERS
ICBA's
TOP
2024
and pulling payroll and account
information directly from bank
records. It off ers Fannie and Freddie
loans that require fewer documents
than in the past and can sometimes
permit online appraisals. Skipping
in-person appraisals saves these
applicants money and time.
Of course, when online mortgage
applicants have questions, they
still can talk directly to a bank
employee. " People don't want to
talk to a computer when they have a
question, " Hufnagel says, adding that
Dart employees-not an automated
system-answer every call.
Dart treats consumer loan
applicants the same way it treats
mortgage borrowers. Customers can
apply online, upload documents and
bring questions to a bank employee.
A loan portal lets both mortgage
" Technology, manager support,
flexibility and treating people
like professionals-the right
people love that. "
-WILLIAM J. HUFNAGEL, DART BANK
and consumer loan borrowers set up
recurring and one-time payments,
see loan balance and escrow account
activity, retrieve statements and
otherwise manage their lending
relationship with the bank.
Flexibility is everything
The community bank's employees are
based in four traditional branches,
located in Mason and three other
Michigan towns. Dart Bank also
has nine loan production offi ces
where employees only handle
lending administration. But unlike
the majority of banks, 80% of Dart
employees work either hybrid or
full-time from home.
Hufnagel says that fl exibility and
professional respect help Dart hire
Rank Bank name
Dart Bank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Roscoe State Bank, a division of
Cornerstone Capital Bank, SSB
Main Street Bank
Evolve Bank & Trust
Pioneer Bank
Apex Bank
Bradesco Bank
First Federal Savings and Loan Association
of Lakewood
Central Bank
Fidelity Bank
First Federal Savings Bank of Twin Falls
1st Security Bank of Washington
Shore United Bank, National Association
Two Rivers Bank & Trust
Stifel Bank
PeoplesBank
The Farmers National Bank Of Canfield
First State Bank
First Savings Bank
BayFirst National Bank
Consumer/mortgage: More than $1B in assets
City
Mason
Roscoe
Marlborough
Memphis
Albany
Camden
Coral Gables
Lakewood
Houston
Metairie
Twin Falls
State
MI
TX
MA
TN
NY
TN
FL
OH
TX
LA
ID
Mountlake Terrace WA
Easton
Burlington
St. Louis
Holyoke
Canfield
MD
IA
MO
MA
OH
Saint Clair Shores MI
Jeff ersonville
Saint Petersburg
IN
FL
92.4
91.6
91.1
89.6
86.3
86.0
85.4
84.6
84.3
84.0
82.7
82.7
81.7
81.6
81.0
80.7
80.6
80.4
79.0
Consumer lender score
93.3
and retain high-quality employees.
" We empower people to make
decisions and take care of clients,
and no one gets in trouble for
making decisions, " he says.
Workplace fl exibility, especially
letting employees work from home,
also helps attract and retain quality
workers. Dart has employees living
and working in 19 states, which
has helped it fi nd more customers
throughout the U.S.
" Technology, manager support,
fl exibility and treating people like
professionals, " Hufnagel says. " The
right people love that. "
Ingrid Case is a writer in Minnesota.
Want to hear more
from lending stars?
Check out what prior
years' winners had to say
about their success as
ICBA's top lenders. Search
for " top lenders " on
independentbanker.org
46 /// ICBA Independent Banker // July 2024
/
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - July 2024

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