News

April 13, 2021

M&T Bank Grows Mortgage Team in Capital Region

M&T Bank announced that it has added three area professionals to its mortgage team in the Capital Region. They join a 182-person local mortgage team that works with customers to provide lending solutions and assistance throughout the homebuying experience.

Marisa Milanese, Laura Murphy, and Derek Paradise have all been hired as mortgage loan officers and will serve communities in Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren counties.

The additions of Milanese, Murphy and Paradise will meet a growing demand for home-purchase and refinance specialists in the area. They will advise residents of the Capital Region and help secure financing—such as jumbo, conventional, or first-time homebuyer loans—appropriate to their clients’ needs.

“We are focused on delivering homeownership solutions for our friends and neighbors. More and more, they are coming to us for assistance on mortgage options—one of the most significant financial decisions they’ll face. Marisa, Laura and Derek will listen to customers’ needs and concerns, help them navigate their choices and make the most of the opportunities in today’s market,” said Ron Zuba, M&T Bank Manager of Mortgage Productions and Sales. “Our local mortgage team is not just larger—it is stronger with these three aboard.”

Milanese has three years of financial services experience, most recently serving as a Branch Manager at Trustco Bank, where she also held the roles of Assistant Branch Manager and Customer Service Representative. She graduated from Maria College in Albany after studying business administration and management. She currently resides in Troy, N.Y.

Murphy has more than three years of real estate experience as a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Prime Properties and, before that, was a Hospitality Manager in the restaurant industry. She studied Business Administration at SUNY Adirondack and attained her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and Marketing from Johnson and Wales University. She currently resides in Glens Falls, N.Y.

Paradise brings a unique blend of experience in real estate, customer service and business development to the role. Most recently, Paradise worked at Subway Development of Albany, serving as Director of Franchise Sales. Before that he worked in business development at Hawk Solutions Group and was Executive Sales Manager with Armory Automotive. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Communications from the College of Saint Rose. He currently resides in Clifton Park, N.Y.

M&T is actively recruiting additional mortgage sales and operations professionals in the Capital Region to keep up with growing demand. Open positions include Mortgage Processor, Mortgage Underwriter, Draw Administration Specialist and Mortgage Closing Specialist. Most professionals on the local mortgage team remain in remote, work-from-home settings.

“The housing market has been one of the bright spots for our economy, both regionally and nationally,” Zuba said. “With demand for mortgages and refinancing consistently strong, we’ll continue to hire and expand our team to meet our customers’ needs.”

M&T Bank’s mortgage operations center in Clifton Park serves as a hub for mortgage processes and helps close loan applications for customers in the Capital Region, Hudson Valley, Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region. The bank also operates a regional headquarters at Great Oaks Boulevard in Albany and has 12 branches throughout the area.

For more information, visit mtb.com/home-loans.