Buying your first home is one of life’s defining moments. From getting the keys at closing to sleeping on an air mattress the first night – surrounded by unopened boxes and a mountain of work ahead of you – it’s the start of an adventure not soon to be forgotten. Being part of that experience is exactly what motivates top mortgage professional in Delaware Brian Atallian, mortgage consultant at Pike Creek Mortgage Services, Inc. “My main focus is the first-time homebuyer market,” Brian says. “I love the excitement they have during the process. Everybody remembers their first time and it’s a fun honor to help people realize the benefits of homeownership.”

It was 13 years ago that Brian joined Pike Creek in Newark, Delaware, although his experience in the mortgage industry didn’t start there. As a college student at the University of Delaware, he worked for MBNA Corporation, the world’s largest credit-card issuer at the time. Brian went through the company’s management development program and was placed in the mortgage department, where he quickly became its top performer helping clients refinance their home loans to pay off credit-card debt. He later joined Pike Creek, then a small brokerage shop with half a dozen workers on the cusp of the refinance boom. The company thrived and today has 46 employees – and a business volume that puts it on par with the likes of Wells Fargo. Also during this time, the Scotsman Guide repeatedly recognized Brian as one of the nation’s top mortgage originators.

Brian credits the firm’s success to its strong connections with various referral partners, including REALTORS^®, divorce attorneys and accountants. “When I started with Pike Creek, we worked a lot with builders,” he says. “Over time we’ve cultivated excellent relationships with many REALTORS^® and other professionals, while also expanding those earlier partnerships to two national and 11 local builders among all the states in which we do business. But we’ve never changed our focus from quality borrowers seeking to purchase a home. When everyone was doing hybrid ARMs, for example, they weren’t a main source of business for us.”

Clients tend to value Brian’s knowledge and ability to get the job done, even if problems arise along the way. “We would like to thank you for all your professional courtesy in working with us to purchase our new home,” reads one of several notes to Brian from clients expressing their gratitude. “It is never easy trying to gather all the financial and personal information together without forgetting something or driving people crazy with all the phone calls. In working with you, everything went smoothly and even though we had a few surprises along the way, you handled everything with a smile and a great attitude that helped the process along. It was a great pleasure to work with you!”

Brian brings the same determined mindset to his work with various nonprofits and professional organizations, including as a volunteer with The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation (which supports kids battling cancer) and as president of the Delaware Economic Summit, an annual event that brings together members of the state’s business community. But even as he continues to help Pike Creek expand its industry presence, Brian’s longtime approach to business – one that has served him well – isn’t likely to change. “There is no ‘no’ in this industry,” he says. “If there’s a way to make a deal, I’m always going to get it done.”

For more information about Brian Atallian of Pike Creek Mortgage Services, Inc. in Newark, Delaware, please call 302-563-5599 or email batallian@pikecreekloans.com