Lessons from Local Leaders:

Laura Triplett

Laura Triplett: From Bank Teller to Executive VP—Decades of Turning “Never” into “Home”

Laura Triplett was training a group at the bank when the president of a mortgage company—whom she didn’t realize was the president—asked her a bold question: “Young lady, how much do you make per year?”

“That’s an awfully private question,” she responded. “I don’t know if I should answer that.”

His reply changed everything: “Whatever it is, I’m going to triple it.”

At the time, Laura was commuting in traffic to Washington DC. Anything that would triple her income and eliminate that commute sounded perfect. She said yes without knowing it was commission-based, without understanding she’d be finding her own clients, without even knowing how to spell “mortgage.”

“But I was ready to give it a try,” she recalls. “And that’s pretty much how it all got started.”

Decades later, Laura Triplett is now Executive Vice President at Atlantic Coast Mortgage, a mortgage coaching professional through Cindy Mann’s program, an educator at major housing events, and—most importantly to her—a specialist in first-time homebuyers who she describes with genuine affection: “I love them.”

Her favorite story from 2025? Helping a woman who’d been told her entire life she’d never own a home—orphaned young, working in medical home care, left money in a trust—finally close on her own place. The video the client sent from the parking garage afterward, overwhelmed with emotion, is something Laura talks about constantly because it represents everything she loves about this work.

After so many years, what keeps her passionate? “People depend on me. I like that. I love what I do. And what I’ve been able to do for my family.”

From bank teller to industry leader, Laura’s journey shows that sometimes saying yes to an unexpected opportunity—even when you don’t know how to spell the product you’ll be selling—leads exactly where you’re meant to be.

The Accidental Beginning: Traffic and Triple the Income

Laura never planned on mortgage lending. She graduated through different positions at a bank—teller, various roles, eventually landing in training and development. She was good at what she did, good enough that she ended up training people without always knowing their titles or seniority.

That anonymity proved fortunate when she trained the president of a mortgage company. Had she known his position, she might have been too nervous to be herself. Instead, she just did what she always did—taught well, connected authentically, demonstrated competence.

His offer to triple her income and the promise of escaping DC traffic was enough to make her jump without fully understanding what she was jumping into. No one mentioned commission. No one explained client acquisition. She didn’t even know mortgage basics.

But she was willing to try, and that willingness opened doors she couldn’t have anticipated.

Learning from Legends: The Foundation of Leadership

Laura credits her success to being “really lucky to be under the leadership of some really great people.” Chief among them was Gene Merrill, founder of Atlantic Coast Mortgage, whom everyone lovingly called “Mr. Merrill.”

“For some reason we just really connected,” Laura reflects.

From that connection, opportunities flowed—or perhaps Laura was led to them. She became the person who rallied troops when something new emerged or stress levels rose. She welcomed newest team members. She brought positivity when it was needed most.

Those early experiences under strong leadership taught her not just technical skills but how to lead with encouragement, how to build culture, how to make people feel valued and supported.

“I think that positivity along with being led by some really great people is mainly what got me here today,” she acknowledges.

Now, as Executive Vice President and a mortgage coach, Laura passes that leadership forward—teaching loan officers, mentoring newcomers, sharing knowledge accumulated over decades in an industry that’s transformed dramatically since she started.

The Power of Story: Every Client Comes with One

When clients walk into Laura’s office, she doesn’t immediately jump into financial details or start running numbers. She focuses on the story first.

“A lot of times people come to me with a story,” she explains. Sometimes it’s heartbreaking—a widow holding her husband’s dog tags, lost in grief but needing to move forward. Sometimes it’s joyful—a couple expecting a baby, ready for more space.

“It’s not always sad, but there’s always a story.”

By starting with the human element rather than the transaction, Laura creates space for clients to be seen as people, not credit scores. This approach also relieves anxiety clients carry about their financial situations.

“They might be like, ‘Oh, and my credit might not be the greatest,'” Laura notes. “Guess what? Sometimes that happens. It’s life. A credit score is a snapshot in time.”

That reassurance matters profoundly. And Laura has learned something interesting over the years: “The people that worry the most about their credit are the ones that have the best credit.”

If you’re worried, don’t worry.

Education Without Jargon: Making Complexity Clear

The mortgage world is full of industry jargon that confuses rather than clarifies. People think mortgages are banking products when they’re actually specialties requiring extensive expertise and licensing.

Laura’s gift is explaining complex processes in language people actually understand. She doesn’t talk down to clients or overwhelm them with technical terminology—she guides them thoughtfully so they feel informed, empowered, and confident.

Her approach starts with the end in mind. When taking a loan application, she thinks about the moment clients will hold keys in their hand. Will they be in town? Going away? Do they need something special? Will the deed be held in trust?

Starting at the destination and working backwards helps clients understand why certain things matter upfront. It makes the ending less stressful when they know what to expect throughout the journey.

“If you’re doing it right, it is” a seamless process, Laura notes. She describes herself as “the orchestra conductor of many people”—coordinating lenders, realtors, title professionals, inspectors, and clients into harmonious forward movement.

The Biggest Shift: Technology, AI, and Educated Clients

Laura has witnessed dramatic changes across her decades in mortgage lending. She started in an era with no computers, no cell phones (just pagers), Xerox machines instead of digital documents, and MLS listings in catalogs like old library card files.

But the transformation happening right now? “We’re in the biggest shift of our life,” she declares.

Technology and AI have changed everything. Clients arrive far more educated than in previous generations, armed with research from Zillow and online calculators, ready with informed questions.

“I thrive on that. I love education. I love that they come in with the right questions,” Laura says. But the shift also means loan officers must stay sharper than ever. “Sometimes your clients might know a little bit more than you do if you’re not really keeping yourself up to date.”

This is where experience becomes invaluable. Seasoned professionals like Laura understand that while AI is a useful tool, it’s not always right. It doesn’t see the whole picture. Clients need human expertise to interpret information, understand context, and navigate nuances that algorithms miss.

“I think that the experience is really showing right now in the shift,” Laura observes.

Budget First: Balancing Excitement with Reality

Homeownership can be a powerful long-term investment, but excitement needs to be balanced with realistic financial planning. For Laura, it all starts with budgeting.

“Finding out where you spend your money,” she explains as the crucial first step.

Before letting first-time buyers put in contracts (not that she “lets” them do anything—they make their own choices—but she “highly suggests”), Laura recommends taking home buyer education courses. They’re free, and the main benefit is learning to budget properly.

“There is no landlord,” she reminds clients. When the hot water heater breaks—like it did in Laura’s first house—that’s you going to Home Depot, figuring out installation, or hiring someone to handle it. Either way, it’s your expense.

Understanding the age of major systems during home inspection matters. Roofs can cost $20,000 or more these days. Coming in on a shoestring budget with no reserves for emergencies is a recipe for stress.

Laura wants clients ready for homeownership in every sense—financially prepared, emotionally ready, practically equipped to handle what comes with owning property.

Breaking Misconceptions: You Need Less Than You Think

The biggest misconception Laura helps clients overcome? That they need massive down payments to buy homes.

“They don’t understand there’s a lot of help right now, in some cases even if you’re not a first-time homebuyer,” she explains.

People who’ve been in homes for short periods may not have accumulated much equity. Selling and buying again without huge down payments is possible through various programs tailored to different circumstances.

Another misconception centers on affordability calculations. People don’t realize that owning a home provides tax benefits they’ve never experienced as renters.

“Buying a house is the only investment that can grow tax-free, where you’re not paying every year on the profits,” Laura teaches. “You’re putting that money down on a mortgage, but you’re also putting it into an invisible investment account that you really can’t see.”

Understanding these realities helps clients recognize that homeownership might be more accessible than they assumed.

Teaching as Love: Honoring Her Father’s Legacy

Laura’s passion for education runs deep, rooted in memories of her father who taught statistics at Johns Hopkins. She observed him once and correctly identified that a student in the front row was failing.

“How did you know?” he asked.

The memory makes her smile even decades later. The interview for this podcast falls on the anniversary of his passing, making the conversation especially meaningful.

“Teaching is my love,” Laura states simply. “I love to teach people about everything.”

That teaching extends far beyond one-on-one client interactions. Laura actively educates first-time homebuyers at major housing events, including the Northern Virginia Housing Expo—an opportunity she describes as “gold” for buyers.

“You get to meet everybody that has down payment assistance all in one room, whether it be through the state, through the county, through a nonprofit. They’re all right there.”

Getting these resources and representatives in one place, able to answer questions face-to-face, provides value that’s nearly impossible to replicate afterward. For parents hoping to “get rid of your kids from the basement,” Laura jokes, it’s an invaluable resource.

The Story That Defines 2025

Every year brings memorable clients, but 2025 has a standout story Laura can’t stop sharing.

A woman working in medical home care approached her. She’d been orphaned at a young age and told repeatedly throughout her life that she’d never own a home, that she’d never amount to anything. But one of the patients she’d cared for had passed away and left her money in a trust.

When the woman explained this history, Laura saw possibility where others had seen impossibility. The money in the trust could be used as trust income, creating a path to qualification that other lenders had missed.

The woman closed on her own home—a milestone she’d been told would never happen.

The video she sent from the parking garage afterward, overwhelmed with emotion, captures everything Laura loves about this work. The client has already referred people because of how transformative the experience was.

“It literally was everything to her,” Laura reflects, fighting tears even in the retelling. “I was part of that story.”

These moments—turning “never” into “home”—are why Laura continues showing up after so many years.

What Keeps Her Going: Purpose, Passion, and Disney World

This career isn’t easy, Laura acknowledges. But it’s deeply fulfilling.

“People depend on me. I like that. I love what I do,” she explains.

There’s also what this work has enabled for her family. Three grandchildren who love Disney World (and Disney World is expensive, she notes with a laugh). A family compound being built from years of hard work. A daughter who’s grown up watching her mother build something meaningful.

Laura listens to podcasts about purpose and passion, and everything she hears confirms what she’s living: it’s not just about going to a job doing something you don’t love. It’s about loving what you do and what that enables—growth, giving back, providing for family.

When she started, there were no grandchildren. Just Laura and her husband. Then a daughter. Then grandchildren. Each phase brought new meaning to the work.

Advice for the Overwhelmed: Don’t Assume Anything

For anyone feeling unsure or overwhelmed about home buying, Laura’s guidance is clear and direct: “Don’t assume anything.”

Don’t assume you can’t buy. Don’t assume it’s not the right time. Don’t assume rates or prices are too high or inventory is too limited. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity—there’s no such thing as perfection.

“The right time to buy a home or to consider buying a home is when you’re ready,” Laura states.

She bought her first home in 1988 with her husband when rates were 9.5%. Prices were lower then, but so was their combined income: $24,000 annually.

“Could you imagine buying a house with $24,000 a year in income?” she asks.

It’s all relative. Every era has its challenges. Every market has its complexities. What matters is readiness—mental, emotional, financial preparation to take the step.

Listen to advice from parents if you want, Laura suggests, but remember they bought 20 or 30 years ago. Things are different now. Lots has changed.

The only way to know your real options is to talk to professionals who understand current realities and can assess your specific situation.

The Full Circle: From Teacher’s Daughter to Industry Educator

Laura’s father was a teacher. She fell in love with teaching by watching him. Now she teaches mortgage professionals, first-time buyers, and anyone willing to learn.

“If you’re really passionate about something and you’re really knowledgeable about something, there’s somebody that needs to hear your words,” she reflects.

That’s why opportunities to share knowledge matter so much to her. Platforms like podcasts, housing expos, coaching programs—they allow her to reach people who need exactly what she has to offer.

Recently promoted to Executive Vice President at Atlantic Coast Mortgage while simultaneously coaching loan officers through Cindy Mann’s program, Laura operates at a leadership level while staying deeply connected to individual client stories.

The balance works because both roles feed the same passion: helping people, sharing knowledge, turning impossibilities into realities.

A Legacy Built on Yes

Laura Triplett didn’t plan to become a mortgage professional. She said yes to an unexpected job offer because it promised to triple her income and eliminate traffic. She didn’t know how to spell mortgage.

But she was willing to try.

Decades later, that willingness has transformed into expertise, leadership, and countless families guided into homeownership. From bank teller to Executive Vice President, from traffic-weary commuter to passionate educator, Laura has built a career on saying yes to opportunities, learning from great leaders, focusing on human stories before financial numbers, and believing that “never” can become “home” with the right guidance.

For first-time homebuyers navigating overwhelming complexity, for families told they’ll never qualify, for anyone standing at the threshold wondering if homeownership is possible—Laura represents decades of experience, genuine care, and the kind of knowledge that turns confusion into clarity.

She’s the orchestra conductor making many moving pieces work in harmony. She’s the teacher honoring her father’s legacy. She’s the person clients depend on, and she likes that.

Most of all, she’s someone who still gets teary-eyed over parking garage videos from clients experiencing joy they thought would never be theirs.

Because at the end of the day, this work isn’t about mortgages. It’s about people, stories, and the profound satisfaction of being part of life-changing moments.

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