Digital mortgage lending startup Better.com is making an internal push to hire laid-off hospitality industry workers, as the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) wrecks the hospitality industry, closing bars, restaurants and hotels across the country.

“The Coronavirus pandemic has made an unprecedented impact on each of our lives,” Better.com CEO Vishal Garg said, in an internal memo obtained by Inman.

“One of the things that I find most heartbreaking to see, every time I turn on the news, is the devastation caused to local businesses with thousands of hard-working individuals being laid off in cities around the country,” Garg added. “The hospitality industry, in particular, has suffered a historic blow.”

In most states, real estate is still considered an essential service and with mortgage rates at an all-time low, mortgage and refinance rates are high. Garg, in the memo, said the growing digital mortgage startup has a need to hire approximately 150 colleagues a month in sales and mortgage operations to meet growing demand. The company plans to hire a total of 1,000 new employees this year.

The company is specifically targeting laid-off hospitality workers in New York City, as well as Charlotte, North Carolina and Orange County, California. The company isn’t requiring a college degree for the roles and is offering virtual onboarding.

“The hard-working people of the hospitality industry will bring a continued high level of service and customer first-ethos to our sales and ops teams as we grow,” Garg said. “Working in hospitality requires a customer-centric mindset and an ability to be level-headed and calm under pressure.”

“These attributes are very valuable and transferable to our sales and ops teams and college degrees are not required,” Garg added. “All new joiners will take part in our virtual onboarding program through Better University and we’ll make every effort for them to feel at home, productive and able to do their best work here.”

Email Patrick Kearns

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×