The HousingWire award spotlight series highlights the individuals and organizations that have been recognized through our Editors’ Choice Awards. Nominations for HousingWire’s 2025 Rising Stars Award are open now through February 28, 2025. Click here to nominate.
The mortgage industry is undergoing rapid transformation, with rising competition pushing lenders to enhance borrower experiences and embrace new technologies. At the forefront of this evolution are young leaders like Melinda Maloney, who are driving meaningful change through innovation and strategic thinking. As Assistant Vice President of Business Line and Field Marketing at ServiceLink and a 2023 HousingWire Rising Star, Maloney has distinguished herself by bridging the gap between lenders and the technology they need to streamline the mortgage process. From her leadership journey to her insights on industry trends, Maloney exemplifies the qualities that the Rising Stars award celebrates.
As nominations for the 2025 Rising Stars open, HousingWire sat down with Maloney to discuss her career path, advice for future leaders, and the innovations shaping the future of housing.
HousingWire: Looking back at your career journey, what key moments or decisions helped you rise as a leader in the industry?
Melinda Maloney: Volunteering at several nonprofits has helped me rise as a leader in the housing industry by allowing me to connect with and learn from experienced leaders across a wide spectrum of industries and apply the skills that I learn from them in my role. I serve as vice president of two boards – Kelly Strayhorn Theater and Respect Together – and am a member of United Way’s Women United of Southeastern Michigan. This is a great opportunity to provide meaningful contributions to these essential organizations, and I’m also learning to be a better leader from those around me.
Additionally, my manager, Caitlin Green, has created a seat at the table for me more times than I can count. She’s given me many opportunities to participate in strategic discussions with other leaders at ServiceLink, moderate webinars, attend industry events and has nominated me for professional development programs, like ServiceLink’s Leadership Academy. Her mentorship has helped me rise as a leader in the housing industry
HousingWire: The Rising Stars award recognizes young professionals making a major impact. What advice would you give to the next generation of industry leaders who are looking to stand out and drive meaningful change?
Melinda Maloney: We’re all new to this industry at some point, and my advice is to embrace that. An outsider’s perspective is valuable! Know what unique point of view you bring to the table – and use it to challenge the status quo and elevate opportunities for your organization to evolve. At the same time, knowing when to ask for help and advice is important. Building a broad network of peers and mentors with whom you can discuss challenges, test ideas and ask questions will help you find opportunities to stand out and drive meaningful change.
HousingWire: The mortgage and real estate industries are constantly evolving—what innovations or trends are you most excited about, and how do you see them shaping the future?
Melinda Maloney: It’s no secret that today’s real estate lending market is highly competitive. In this challenging environment, lenders have had to find opportunities to stand out and because of this necessity, we’ve seen a shift in focus to hone in on the borrower experience throughout the origination process. This emphasis on the borrower means lenders are looking to optimize the few face-to-face (whether in person or virtual!) touch points of the origination process – like appraisal and closing – and realizing that those interactions are opportunities for them to stand out.
Our annual ServiceLink State of Homebuying Report consistently shows that borrowers want more transparency, a speedier mortgage process and less paperwork, and we’re seeing lenders focus on delivering. Lenders are adopting borrower-centric technology, like remote online notarization and instant appraisal and closing scheduling. In the near-term, I think this focus will help lenders to stand out in a competitive market and also encourage them to adopt innovative technologies that accelerate their origination process, such as automated title. Both borrowers and lenders benefit from faster closing timelines, and I’m excited to see just how much we can shrink them.
Click here to nominate a 2025 Rising Star.
