RVP, Mortgage Banker

Melissa Cohn is a pioneer in the mortgage industry as we know it today, with nearly 40 years in the business. Cohn remains one of the industry’s top-ranked mortgage brokers and continues to hit past her billion-dollar mark. She began her career with CitiMortgage before launching her own successful mortgage company, The Manhattan Mortgage Company, in 1985. As one of the very first independent mortgage brokers, Melissa was able to exponentially grow her business into the #1 residential mortgage broker on the East Coast with more than $5 billion in annual volume. In 2020, she joined William Raveis Mortgage as Regional Vice President and has been the top originator in the company ever since.

Year after year, Melissa is consistently recognized in the industry for top production. She was named in Crain's 40 Under 40 Class of 1996, Ernst & Young Metropolitan New York 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year for Financial Services, and The 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate, 2009, In 2023 she was recognized by Scotsman Guide for total volume: #50 Top Originator nationwide, #10 Top Women Originator nationwide, and #1 Top Originator in Connecticut.

She has been on any number of boards including the Child Development Center Of The Hamptons Charter School, Volunteers of America, The Lighthouse for the Blind, and Real Estate Board of New York. She currently sits on two boards, at the Ellen Hermanson Foundation which supports The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and at Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

As if all her accomplishments weren’t enough, she has also been recognized as a female trailblazer, driving change and personally helping to promote more women into the still male-dominated mortgage field. One of her biggest moments of pride was getting her daughter to join her. Melissa's business comes from word-of-mouth referrals from REALTORS®, attorneys, financial planners, and past clients with whom she has built a relationship over the past four decades. She also seeks new relationships that can offer her clients more options. Her expertise and insights are regularly featured in the press including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC/Acorns and Mansion Global.

• 2024 Elite Women | Female Leaders in the Mortgage Industry NMP Magazine
• #1 Top CT Dollar Vollume | 2024 Scotsman Guide Top Originators
• #10 Leading LO by Volume Nationwide | 2024 National Mortgage Professional Magazine
• #16 Top Mortgage Brokers | 2024 Scotsman Guide Top Originators
• #35 Top National Dollar Volume | 2024 Sootsman Guide Top Women Originators
• #1 Top Units Companywide 2023 | William Raveis Mortgage
• #1 Top Volume Companywide 2023 | William Raveis Mortgage
• #2 Leading LOs by Total Dollar Volume | 2023 National Mortgage Professional - Mortgage Women's Magazine
• #10 Nationwide Total Volume | Scotsman Guide 2023 Top Originators
• #1 Connecticut Total Volume | Scotsman Guide 2023 Top Originators
• Top 100 | 2021 National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America
• The 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate, 2009
• Ernst & Young Metropolitan New York 2003 Entrepreneur of the Year for Financial Services
• Crain's 40 Under 40 Class of 1996

CBS News-"MoneyWatch: 3 mortgage moves to make before the July Fed meeting."

MarketWatch.com-"Mortgage rates just dropped to a four-month low. Should you buy a house now- or wait?"

CNBC-"Some renters may be ‘mortgage-ready’ and not know it. Here’s how to tell"

CBS News-"When will mortgage rates drop to 6%? Here's what some experts predict"

Yahoo! Finance-"The future of inflation and whether the election could shake markets: Wealth!"

Brick Underground-"What are the risks of buying with a pricey mortgage if my goal is to refinance later?"

GoBankingRates.com-"’I'm a Real Estate Pro: Here’s Why a Trump Win Could Make Buying Homes More Expensive."

Newsweek-"Mortgage Forecasters Predict Rates at End of 2024"/a>

MSN.com-"How a 2024 Fed rate cut will affect mortgages, according to experts"

National Mortgage News-"Mortgage and total jobs rise amid a mixed read for rates"

HousingWire-"Resilient economy keeps mortgage rates above 7%"

Mortgage Professional America Magazine-"What's holding back the US housing market?"

Bankrate-"Should I buy a house now, or wait?"

National Mortgage News-"Mortgage rates fall to lowest point in over a month"

MPA-"What's key for brokers in navigating current market turbulence?"

Yahoo! Finance-"Bloomberg: Wall Street South Adjusts to a Soggy 'Business as Usual"

Forbes Advisor-"Mortgage Rates Forecast For 2024: Experts Predict How Much Rates Will Drop"

Scotsman Guide-"Fed holds steady on benchmark interest rate, signals just one cut this year"

CoStar-"Mortgage Rates Trend Downward After Inflation Report"

Yahoo! Financing-"Tips for job hunting, diversifying your portfolio: Wealth!"

CoStar -"Mortgage Rates Ease on Slower Economic Growth"

Yahoo! Finance -"Homeownership is still the 'American Dream' despite high rates"

CNN Business -"You’ve retired. Can you get a mortgage — and should you?"

MSN Money - "How Student Loan Debt Affects Your Ability To Buy a House"

CNBC - "Hurricane season will bring 4 to 7 major storms, NOAA predicts. How to prevent catastrophic damage to your home"

Forbes Advisor - "Mortgage Rates Forecast For 2024: Experts Predict How Much Rates Will Drop"

CBS News - "Does an assumable mortgage make sense in today's rate environment?"

Yahoo! Finance - "Why now is the time to buy a house: William Raveis VP"

Scotsman Guide - "April CPI report shows slight inflation easing, modestly beats expectations"

Schwab Network - "Tight Housing Inventory Is Keeping Prices High, For Now"

Bloomberg -"William Raveis VP Expects Housing Market to Pick Up"

WSJ - "Age Is Just a Number—Except When You’re Applying for a Mortgage"

Newsday - "Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, other East End groups gets $363G in grants for breast cancer screenings, education"

Yahoo News - "Housing: ‘People can’t expect’ to go back to a 3% mortgage rate, expert says"

WSJ - "How to Boost Your Credit Score to Get a Lower Mortgage Rate"

MPA - "Mortgage industry vet embodies spirit of International Women's Day’"