History

Beginning in early 2009, Desirée Patno, a prominent REO Broker with 19 years in the industry, had an idea to found an organization dedicated solely to the promotion of women in the REO industry. Working to set the organization’s structure, Desirée decided that she wanted to highlight the success of women-owned brokerages across the industry. The National Association of Women REO Brokerages was born, emphasizing the strengths and accomplishments of women-owned brokerages in the REO Industry.

Officially forming in late August 2009, NAWRB premiered the brand new organization at the Five Star Default Servicing Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Immediately receiving praise from everyone in attendance, the organization was seen as a long overdue necessity in an industry that, until recently, frequently undervalued female contributions.

NAWRB continued its success across several more conferences through the fall of 2009, with brokerages quickly joining from across the United States. Soon women-owned businesses involved with the wider Distressed Services Industry were requesting to join. The NAWRB Executive Board met in late November 2009, and decided to open membership to all women-owned companies involved in all aspects of the Distressed Services Industry.

The non-profit NAWRB Community Enhancement program was established in early 2010 as a way to achieve Desirée’s goal of utilizing NAWRB’s success to give back to the community. The initiative donates funding to neighborhood parks and public spaces in order to improve communities that may be struggling due to high vacancy rates. Completing the inaugural donation to the Welsh Green Park in Hemet, California in February, NAWRB Community Enhancement continues to invest in communities hardest hit by the current economic conditions.

As an organization dedicated to representing elite women-owned businesses, NAWRB established the Education Series to further inform and educate our members regarding the latest industry topics as well as broader topics covering business building. The premier webinar covered the demands and expectations for working with distressed properties and featured expert presenters from major banks. With several dozen attendees, the event was a success and started a series of bi-monthly webinars for NAWRB members.

The National Association of Women REO Brokerages is continuously expanding and evolving. The organization constantly adds new programs and initiatives for members to continue NAWRB’s success as a premier organization representing women ownership in the Distressed Services Industry.