Carrollton-based VRM Mortgage Services earned an industry accolade, Bright Realty announced dirt had been turned on its latest phase of the Castle Hills planned community, and TREC announces changes to brokerage branch office licensure, all in this week’s roundup of real estate news.

VRM Mortgage Services Receives Industry Accolade

Carrollton-based VRM Mortgage Services was named one of the Top 25 Best Places to Work for Women and Minorities by the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America, the company announced last week.

The company was founded in 2006 by Keith D. Murray, and provides various real estate and mortgage services including asset management, servicing coordination, property preservation, and default management. The recognition from NAMMBA is awarded to companies who consistently show a commitment to diversity through best-practices and company culture and programs.

VRM has received the honor in 2017 and 2018 as well.

“Diversity and Inclusion take daily effort and a multi-layered approach,” Cheryl Travis-Johnson, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of VRM, said in a press release. “We believe it starts with sharing tools that deepen understanding of diversity and inclusion, data proving the business case for D&I, shaping strong leaders as advocates, and the recruiting and retention of a diverse team—ultimately equipping our vendors and partners for success in an increasingly diverse landscape.”

“We are honored to receive the NAMMBA Best Places to Work for Women and Minorities recognition, as cultivating a diverse and inclusive company and vendor network is a priority at VRM,” said Tiffany Fletcher, Senior Vice-President of Operations Support and Risk Management at VRM. “VRM takes pride in providing access and opportunities to veteran-owned, minority-owned and small businesses that they might not have otherwise been afforded.”

Bright Realty Turns Dirt on Crown Centre

The newest addition to the Castle Hills master-planned community in Lewisville, a 109,000-square-foot office building, has broken ground, Bright Realty announced.

The Crown Centre will feature open floor plans, flexible spaces, an outdoor seating area with green space, a lake, and garage parking. The development team includes 505Design, Corgan, LandDesign, Hill & Wilkinson, and Prosperity Bank.

The first phase will be complete next summer.

Source: Bright Realty

Branch Office Licensure Changes, TREC Says

Branch offices no longer need a separate license from their broker or brokerage, TREC announced. The change was spurred by agency recommendations to the sunset bill.

Previously, separate license certificates for each branch office address maintained by a broker or brokerage were required. As of September 1, that will no longer be the case.

The commission will stop accepting initial applications for branch office licenses next month, and existing licenses will remain valid until they expire, and won’t need to be renewed.

Source: TREC