Bob Vila hired as spokesman for Home123
By MortgageDaily.com staff
1/14/2005

New Century Financial Corp. has renamed its retail unit and hired a familiar home improvement figure as its new spokesman.

The real estate investment trust announced Thursday the retail division is now Home123. The 74 retail-branch offices will transition to the new brand identity beginning next quarter.

The wholesale unit will retain the New Century Mortgage name.

New Century said it conducted extensive research, developed marketing materials and trained its employees to deliver on the brand promise to make the mortgage-loan-origination process easier for the borrower. Customers will be provided with tools informing what can be expected throughout the loan process.

"At the core of Home123 is a promise to our customers that we will strive to make the mortgage origination process easier for the borrower," said the newly branded unit's president Carl Vernon in the announcement. "Our goal is to cut through the loan clutter to make the loan application process as easy as 1-2-3."

The mortgage operation acquired the rights to the name Home123 last May along with other related brand assets, including a loan origination center in New Jersey. The new brand rollout began this month with media advertising featuring "home expert" Bob Vila as its spokesman, according to the announcement.

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