Jay Barbour

V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. was launched on the idea that the mortgage lending process could be simplified, and the dream of homeownership is alive and well.

Since its founding by Jay Barbour in 2006, V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. has grown from a single office with two loan officers in Scottsdale to over 20 brick-andmortar branches with a few hundred licensed loan officers. The company funds several billion dollars in loans annually and consistently ranks at the top of numerous industry rankings.

Barbour is a Marine veteran and served in the Gulf War in Iraq. Upon returning from the war, he entered the loan business and became a top-rated loan officer. He formed V.I.P. Mortgage in 2006, and under his leadership as president, it has become one of the top mortgage companies in Arizona. To date, V.I.P. is licensed to do business in 28 states and has physical offices in eight states and over 30 individual branches.

The Phoenix Business Journal has named V.I.P. a Best Place to Work for five years running. As a veteran, Barbour is proud that his company has been named a top veteran-owned business in Arizona for several years and hopes to continue that designation, his team said. V.I.P. has grown its book of business to a $5 billion company, from six employees in 2006 to 700 in 2022, while offering customers a range of products and programs.

In the past five years, V.I.P. has grown its markets in Colorado and Hawaii to include over 100 employees and eight physical branches. The company is looking to expand in the Midwest and, in the past six months, has opened two new offices in Iowa with plans to grow its footprint elsewhere. “Being able to serve more communities, more individuals, and more charitable causes is what V.I.P. is all about, and through growth, all of those goals can become reality,” Barbour’s team said.

V.I.P. supports dozens of charitable causes throughout the year and, in 2021, formed and launched its own nonprofit, the V.I.P. Foundation. The Foundation has given close to $50,000 to Maricopa County-based charities. Every year, all V.I.P. employees are given 16 paid hours to be used in the service of others.

“Understanding the importance of giving back and what it means to truly serve others is the most important lesson I’ve learned during my tenure as president and founder of V.I.P. Mortgage Inc,” Barbour said. “True leadership is leading with a servant’s heart and understanding that you are never the smartest or most important person in the room. True leadership is building others up and giving people the opportunity to succeed in an industry that is 100% defined by how hard you are willing to work.”