Victor Ciardelli

Victor Ciardelli is the President and CEO of Guaranteed Rate. He’s known as an innovative and driven entrepreneur, and an inspirational and approachable leader who loves new thinking and creative ideas. He’s a passionate father of four, a great friend to people from all walks of life, and a believer in the law of attraction, positivity and healthy living.

Victor founded Guaranteed Rate, now the fifth largest retail mortgage lender in the United States, in June of 2000 with the mission of delivering more value to customers than any other bank or mortgage company. The company was built on the principles of low rates, groundbreaking technology, complete transparency, excellent customer service and a quick, easy mortgage experience.

Victor knew that to achieve his mission of being the best mortgage company for customers, he also needed to be the best mortgage company for employees and referral partners. He achieved that by innovating superior systems and technology to make the mortgage process easier and more transparent for everyone, and by creating a culture of positivity in which people have the opportunities to improve their lives and achieve their dreams. For Victor, that work never stops.

Victor’s mission has led Guaranteed Rate through an impressive journey of growth. Within its first three years, the company became Chicago’s largest independent mortgage lender. The last ten years have seen year-over-year double-digit growth, funding over $37 billion in 2019 with over 5,000 employees in a total of 700 offices across the United States. In 2020, Guaranteed Rate is experiencing unprecedented growth, on track to fund over $70 billion while providing jobs to more than 8,000 employees, despite the disruption due to the pandemic.

Victor has also led Guaranteed Rate through an impressive journey of innovation. In July 2015 he oversaw the launch of the world’s first digital mortgage that brought the mortgage process, and industry, into the 21st century with online applications and real loan approval in less than 20 minutes. In 2018 the company launched Toto™, which put Loan Officer’s entire loan pipeline into one easy app, providing complete loan management in the palm of their hand and enabling them to spend more time on revenue-generating activities outside their office. In 2019, Guaranteed Rate launched another digital innovation with FlashClose™, which vastly simplified the traditional closing process, saving customers and real estate agents time at the closing table by allowing most paperwork to be reviewed and signed ahead of closing.

Over the past five years, Guaranteed Rate has also built strong partnerships with industry peers to expand on capabilities and consumer offerings. In 2017, Guaranteed Rate entered into a joint venture with Realogy Holdings Corporation, the largest Real Estate brokerage in the U.S., with brands like Coldwell Banker and Sotheby’s International Realty. Together they formed Guaranteed Rate Affinity, which originates and markets mortgage lending services to Realogy subsidiaries. In 2020 Guaranteed Rate and @properties formed a joint venture, Proper Rate, LLC, offering a customer-focused retail mortgage lending experience in select markets. Expanding on Guaranteed Rate’s family of companies, Victor also established Guaranteed Rate Insurance, LLC, and Ravenswood Title to provide clients with a complete home purchase experience fueled by modern technology and personalized service. And most recently, Victor announced a new AI technology company entitled Gateless LLC, which will once again move the entire industry forward by using AI to speed the mortgage documentation process while improving quality.

Victor also spearheaded a naming rights agreement between Guaranteed Rate and the Chicago White Sox in August 2016 to name their home stadium Guaranteed Rate Field, linking Guaranteed Rate to America’s favorite pastime.

Victor’s unprecedented impact on the mortgage industry has not gone unnoticed. He has earned recognition as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, has been named “CEO of the Year” by Mortgage Executive Magazine and the CityLights Awards, and has also been named to MPA Magazine’s “Hot 100” list of the most influential people in the mortgage industry every year since 2013.

The company he leads continues to receive accolades as well. Guaranteed Rate was listed in HousingWire’s 2020 Tech 100 for advances in its FlashCloseSM technology. Guaranteed Rate has been included in the Chicago Tribune’s “Top Workplaces” for seven consecutive years and has also been featured in Crain’s as one of the largest and fastest-growing privately held companies in Chicago. In 2019, the company received its sixth consecutive Agents’ Choice award for “Mortgage Company of the Year” by Chicago Agent Magazine.

Victor cares about growing the people of Guaranteed Rate as much as he cares about growing the business, viewing the two as inseparable. Almost all of the company’s top management are long term employees, many of whom started in regional roles or as loan officers. That’s a reflection of Victor’s belief in the importance of company culture and vibe. Creating an environment where people want to do and be their best, and where they see a path for themselves to rise, is crucial to their loyalty and success.

This is reflected in Victor’s innumerable, deep personal relationships with people from all walks of life. He cherishes these relationships that all find a way to give him perspective and wisdom. As a diversity champion, Victor has encouraged the development of numerous company organizations like GROW (Guaranteed Rate Organization of Women), PROUD (supporting LGBTQ employees) and most recently LEAD (Leadership for Equality and Development) promoting a greater role for people of color within the mortgage industry.

Victor views his professional success as a means of doing good and making a lasting impact on the lives of others. The first line of Guaranteed Rate’s Mission Statement is “Our mission is to be the #1 retail mortgage lender in the country with the commitment that the more we grow, the more good we will do for our GR family, our customers and the communities we serve.” And the very first company Core Value is “We grow for good.”

To that end, Victor founded the Guaranteed Rate Foundation in 2012 as a way to provide support to individuals and families experiencing crisis. From family tragedies to children with special needs to women overcoming domestic violence, the Foundation has assisted more than 1,300 individuals across the country and as of 2020, distributed over $4 million in aid since its establishment. Guaranteed Rate covers 100% of all expenses, meaning every penny donated to the Foundation goes directly to people in need. In 2020, the Foundation anticipates granting $1.3 million to individuals across the country.

On a personal level, and way more important than being founder and CEO of Guaranteed Rate, Victor is a passionate family man whose greatest accomplishment is being a dad to his four kids, Victor, Tristan, Chloe and Ava. They will always be his greatest achievement and deepest joy.