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The top lenders in Connecticut say they got that way by helping buyers navigate a single-family housing market defined by affordability issues and a lack of inventory.
Liberty Bank was the top lender in the single-family market based on the number of loans they comlpeted (535) in 2025 according to data compiled by The Warren Group, the publisher of The Commercial Record. In an interview, a top bank executive highlighted the importance bank leaders place on their loan officers.
“Our loan officers are second to none when it comes to helping customers navigate through the process,” Liberty Bank Head of Retail Lending Matthew Cammarota said. “Our loan officers do a terrific job of finding first time homebuyer and down payment assistance programs that are available.”
For American Eagle Financial Credit Union – who came in second among credit unions by total number of loans and third by loan volume – the investment in employees helps the credit union differentiate itself when potential new members are evaluating rates amongst competitors.
The credit union encourages its sales team to continue their education and utilize artificial intelligence tools, Vice President of Real Estate Lending Patricia Mason said. Additionally, a lack of turnover has helped the credit union build up an experienced staff.
“We’ve all worked so well together for so many years, but the investment in education is really critical,” Mason said. “We do ask that each employee, at minimum, take one to two continuing ed classes through the MBA or some of our other business partners.”
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But buying a home is more than just a transaction. It is a highly emotional experience and is likely to be the most expensive purchase of a person’s life.
It is crucial for bank employees to not only be good at marketing its products but to also have relationship skills and pick up on emotional cues, said Chase Home Lending Atlantic Divisional Director Darcie Gore.
“We’re providing a lot of upskilling training to our bank associates so they can have confidence talking to a customer,” Gore said. “We have home lending advisors that sit in our bank branches so it’s not like a loan officer in a call center if they’re in our branch. They’re working directly with all the partners in the branch to really figure out what our customers need. It’s not about selling to our customers. It’s about finding out what they need.”
Diverse Product Lines Were Key
Experienced loan originators also help when trying to help buyers afford homes in today’s high-priced market. This can be especially crucial for first-time home buyers.
Liberty Bank helps its customers stack down payment assistance programs to maximize their savings.
“We’ve really put ourselves out there to do as much education on what those resources are,” Liberty Bank Residential Sales Manager Fanita Borges said. “This is a big differentiator from Liberty Bank to other lenders. We’re able to stack a multitude of down payment resources for our customers.”
Liberty Bank makes a concerted effort to not stick loan originators in a call center and have them be visible to customers, Liberty Bank’s Cammarota said, to make sure they know their communities.
“We have a strong team of loan officers,” he said. “These are teammates of Liberty Bank that are in their communities. They know their communities. The fact that we invest in that channel, and that we choose not to send people to a call center is paramount. In addition to investing in our people and making sure that they have the right training, our affordable loan officer team, and all of our loan officers, for that matter, do a lot of community engagement.”
Even so, the highly competitive Connecticut housing market means lenders need to offer a diverse product suite for all kinds of buyers, American Eagle’s Mason said. The credit union is currently going through test cases in order to get its FHA lending certification, she added.
“We want to give folks an opportunity with any of the products that we have, and we’re still working,” Mason said. “We’re still trying to develop a down payment assistance [program]. So, we’re constantly trying to provide as much concierge service as we can to our membership.”
Future Investments Planned
In 2026, the commitment to community and closing quickly appears set to continue, according to executives The Commercial Record interviewed at Connecticut’s 2025 top lenders.
American Eagle is already getting involved with community events and is hosting a “Pathway to Homeownership” seminar. Additionally, the credit union is hosting other programs centered on credit and financial wellness.
“That’s the beauty about what credit unions do,” Mason said. “We invest in our employees. We invest in the community. “It’s really critical that we get out there and continue to educate our membership and new people.”
Liberty Bank executives noted that their bank will continue to invest in its staff, also the processes and technology it uses to do even better in 2026.
So far, the single-family market has been plagued with a lack of activity thanks to poor weather earlier in the year followed by a roller-coaster of economic and geopolitical news.
But now that the sun is out and temperatures are increasing, activity is starting to pick up, Mason said.
“Now that the school year is winding down you do see a lot more purchase contracts coming in,” she said. “So we’re really excited about what 2026 holds, and hopefully it’ll be even better than 2025.”
