Global Branch Solutions Closes $5 Billion in Loans
through Ellie Mae's Encompass LOS

Company becomes an industry leader and the fastest-growing net branch in only two years

DUBLIN, CA—November 14, 2005—Ellie Mae, an award-winning provider of innovative software and services for the mortgage industry, has announced that Global Branch Solutions, one of the nation's top five net branch organizations with over 4,000 brokers and 400 branches, has closed a record five billion dollars in loans through Ellie Mae's Encompass Mortgage Automation System.

Since Global Branch Solutions was first established two years ago, it has become the fastest growing net branch organization in the country, a segment which accounts for approximately 30-40 percent of the nation's loans. "We have been growing at an enormous pace, adding an average of 40 branches per month," states Mitch Freifeld, president and founder of Global Branch Solutions of Clearwater, Florida. "Fortune magazine has been evaluating our growth, and we're expected to be ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing companies in the nation."

Global Branch Solutions attributes its success to forethought and planning. "Before we got into this business we were brokers, so we understood what it took to be successful," explains Freifeld. "Prior to enlisting even our first branch, we spent millions to build an infrastructure which enabled us to excel at areas where many net branch organizations failed: technology, service, and compliance."

For technology, Global Branch Solutions invested in Ellie Mae's Encompass Mortgage Automation System. "We set out to find a loan origination solution that would help us effectively manage our branches, and help them efficiently close loans," says Freifeld. "After evaluating our options, Encompass was a clear choice."

To achieve optimal service, the company's infrastructure and staffing levels were built up. "We staffed up to ensure that people were getting the service they needed, and we built an infrastructure which guaranteed that our brokers got answers quickly," states Freifeld. "We understood that brokers have time constraints, so the ability to produce timely responses was very important."

Compliance was deemed essential in order to achieve long term success. "Keeping compliant as a broker or a net branch organization can be no easy feat," explains Freifeld. "With that said, Encompass has made it far easier to be compliant, since all the data resides in a central database and not locally at each broker's desktop computer. With most loan origination systems, compliance is dependent on human involvement. Net branches depend on their brokers manually downloading loan files into a secure site so that management can review each file. The problem with this system is that it relies on individuals remembering to undertake this process, and at the end of a busy day, this can be the last thing on a broker's mind. With Encompass, we've removed the dependence on human involvement. Loan files reside in our central database so that files don't need to be transmitted."

Every loan processed by Global Branch Solutions' 400 branches passes through the company's compliance department and must get authorization to close. "We intend to be a dominant force for years to come, so we have zero tolerance for fraud," asserts Freifeld. "If we were to see anything that looked fraudulent, that broker would be gone. The only way we can monitor files this closely is because we use Encompass. No other loan origination system allows you to do this."

Global Branch Solutions makes the use of Encompass mandatory among its brokers. "Thanks to Encompass, we can take a loan from origination through closing about 45 percent faster than with other loan origination systems," says Freifeld. "We rely on our branches being successful, and Encompass enables that success. There's no loan origination system that holds a candle to Encompass, and I get pitched on origination software systems virtually every day.

While branches have been known to enlist with Global Branch Solutions because they use Encompass, the majority have experienced a switch from other loan origination systems. "About 80 percent have switched from Calyx Point," states Freifeld. "The overwhelming feedback from our brokers is that the switch is easy, and after using Encompass, brokers wonder how they could have ever done business without it. It opens the door to a lot of possibilities, whether brokers are operating a small operation or a large one."

Encompass equips Global Branch Solutions with a centrally accessible repository where all loan data is stored. This aggregation of companywide data enables the company to better manage each of its dispersed branches. "Our business benefits immensely from having visibility into all company-wide loans," says Freifeld. "At any point in time, we know what loan volume is at any of our branches. For instance, if I see a rise in closings in Michigan, I'll be able to review the flow of loans, and I can talk to the loan officers in Michigan to see why they are doing so well and share lessons learned with the rest of the branches. Another great aspect of having loan data in a central repository is that the loan file does not need to be routed. Instead, processors and loan officers can efficiently collaborate thanks to simultaneous electronic access to a single loan file."

Global Branch Solutions attributes much of its ability to grow at a pace of 40 new branches per month to Ellie Mae's ongoing commitment to broker training. "The back-end support you get for Encompass is very strong," explains Freifeld. "They regularly do seminars and train our staff. They don't just give you a disk and wish you best of luck. This is training that I would normally have to pay for myself, so it's a big savings."

"The speed at which Global Branch Solutions has grown is phenomenal," states Jeff Benjamin, director of sales at Ellie Mae. "The management's vision has been critical to this success. Their continued search for excellence is what makes them highly successful at what they do-and makes them devoted Encompass fans. Clients with high standards seem to be the ones that appreciate Encompass most."

About Ellie Mae, Inc.
Ellie Mae is an award-winning provider of software and services for the mortgage industry, which was recently named to the Inc. 500 list of America's fastest growing private companies. Ellie Mae provides a comprehensive line of products and services including the company's flagship Encompass® mortgage automation system, Contour™ and Genesis 2000® loan origination software, Encompass Websites™ for mortgage brokers, and Ellie Mae Docs™ services for document processing. Ellie Mae's ePASS® Network is the mortgage industry's online transaction platform enabling all mortgage companies in the United States to easily do business online with dozens of leading lenders and thousands of settlement service providers. Ellie Mae is based in Dublin, California. To learn more about Ellie Mae, visit www.elliemae.com or call (888) 955-9100.

About Global Branch Solutions
Global Branch Solutions is a full service mortgage broker that serves the lending needs of real estate professionals, builders and individual homebuyers nationwide, offering expertise in every area of mortgage lending from purchase to refinance to construction lending. The company is the nation's fourth largest and fastest growing net branch organization. Through Global Branch Solutions, customers not only have access to the best loan programs available in the marketplace, but can also review loan alternatives, and even apply for loans online, 24 hours a day. Global Branch Solutions is currently licensed in over 40 states, with license approval pending in additional states. The company has over 400 branches and 4,000 professional loan officers nationwide, and is approved with more than 260 leading wholesale lenders. For more information, visit www.NetBranch101.com or call 877-866-1098.

Ellie Mae, Inc. and its products are not affiliated or associated with Calyx Software or Point. Point is a registered trademark of Calyx Software.

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Ellie Mae, Encompass, ePASS, and Genesis 2000 are registered trademarks, and Contour, Executive Websites, and Ellie Mae Docs are trademarks, of Ellie Mae, Inc. All rights reserved.