Who we are
We’ve raised the bar
We’re a well-established, all-star marketing, PR and social media team with deep mortgage and real estate experience. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We’ve made it easy
As a one-stop shop for all your marketing needs, there’s no need to assemble a team or find and train new resources.
We are flexible
We cater to companies of all sizes, from simple projects to sophisticated campaigns and year-round marketing support.
Our team
We are staffed by highly driven and creative, award-winning marketers, publicists and writers.
Rosalie Berg founded Strategic Vantage in 2002 and has grown the company into one of the largest marketing, public relations and social media agencies serving the mortgage industry. She has more than 25 years of marketing, public relations and social media experience, dedicating 23+ of those years to the real estate and housing finance industries.
A nationally recognized mortgage industry leader, Rosalie has a legacy of crafting strategic marketing and PR campaigns that have led to double-digit revenue growth and lucrative company sales. Her accolades include being named a “HW Marketing Leader” by HousingWire, a “Sales, Marketing & PR Trailblazer” by Progress in Lending Association, and one of “Mortgage Banking’s Most Powerful Women” by National Mortgage Professional. Furthermore, she’s been celebrated as a “Woman with Vision” by WWV Magazine and spotlighted among “The Most Powerful Women in Fintech” by Progress in Lending Association. She has also been featured on the cover of Mortgage Women Magazine.
Rosalie is actively involved in client accounts at Strategic Vantage, overseeing all agency work and assisting in the creation and execution of marketing, public relations and social media campaigns.
Prior to founding Strategic Vantage, Rosalie worked as Vice President of Marketing for mortgage technology provider OpenClose Technologies. She has held executive marketing positions at Oracle® consulting firm Dataforce Corporation and packaged software provider Expert Software (now Activision®). At the public relations agency Publicis Sanchez & Levitan, her clients included Absolut Vodka, Lennar Homes, Marshalls and Seagram’s. Rosalie has also worked at Mercer Management Consulting doing analysis for Fortune 500 companies.
Rosalie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Brown University, and resides in Miami, Florida.
Mary McGarity expertly manages the public relations and marketing needs of agency clients. She has more than 20 years of experience serving the mortgage and financial services industry. Prior to joining Strategic Vantage in 2011, she was a longtime contributor to Mortgage Banking magazine, authoring articles on a wide range of topics. Prior to that, she worked for several years as a senior reporter at the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Mary began her career on Wall Street covering futures markets for a large investment bank. She later worked in New York as an energy reporter for Telerate Inc., a Dow Jones company, and has served as the Washington correspondent for a Dealers Digest newsletter, covering mortgage securities.
Mary completed the Commodities Futures Trading Commission certification course, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Albany. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Warren Lutz actively manages the accounts of agency clients in the mortgage and financial services industries. He is an experienced marketing and public relations executive, with proven experience in the creation of websites, email campaigns, brochures, press releases, articles and much more.
Prior to joining the agency in 2009, Warren was a professional writer and journalist, authoring hundreds of articles for consumer and trade publications, newsletters and websites, including Mortgage Banking magazine, Realtor.com, Commercial Investment Real Estate, Urban Land, Banking Strategies, SNL Financial and Property Protection Report.
Warren is a former Managing Editor at Inman News Features, a nationally syndicated real estate news service, where he edited the work of nationally syndicated real estate columnists and penned his own column that ran in news outlets such as The Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal Online. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and has won several statewide and national reporting awards covering business, health, government, legal and social issues, and the environment.
Warren is a graduate of San Francisco State University and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he is a licensed Realtor.
With over 20 years in the financial services and mortgage industry, Mike Murray brings great depth of knowledge to each agency account he manages.
Mike’s tenure with Strategic Vantage dates back to 2011. Prior to that, he spent 12 years working for the Mortgage Bankers Association as editorial manager of online communications and as writer for MBA NewsLink and Real Estate Finance Today. Mike also contributed articles to Mortgage Banking magazine and hosted a public affairs program, This Month in Housing, heard on local Washington, D.C. radio stations.
Mike has worked in loan production and loan counseling positions for Navy Federal Credit Union, Pentagon Federal Credit Union and ComNet Mortgage, a branch of First Commonwealth Bank.
Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of William and Mary, and resides in Maryland.
Jacob Critz is a seasoned marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in developing and executing innovative, multi-channel marketing strategies that drive brand growth. He excels in managing marketing projects for agency clients, employing a dynamic approach to crafting marketing and branding campaigns that deliver tangible results.
Previously, he served as Director of Brand Marketing at Amherst Holdings, Director of Marketing at SWBC Mortgage and Director of Marketing at Oak Mortgage Group.
Jacob is a certified StoryBrand trainer and possesses invaluable expertise in creating compelling brand narratives that connect with customers, enhancing marketing strategies and boosting business outcomes. He has also been certified by HubSpot for inbound marketing.
Jacob studied at the University of Arkansas and Texas State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.
Will Atencio is a forward-thinking marketing and business strategy executive with nearly two decades of experience driving revenue growth in the real estate finance industry. His expertise encompasses strategic planning, launching innovative marketing initiatives, developing comprehensive strategies, and introducing groundbreaking sales techniques.
Throughout his career, Will has held several executive positions. At Motivity Solutions, he served as Chief Marketing Officer, playing a key role in the company’s successful acquisition by Black Knight. Later, as SVP of Sales Operations and Marketing at Black Knight, he led the implementation and adoption of a cutting-edge marketing and sales framework, contributing to unprecedented sales milestones.
In his role as Director of Marketing and Communications at First American Data & Analytics, Will headed a dynamic marketing team, crafting and executing strategic marketing initiatives focused on customer acquisition, retention, and market penetration with innovative go-to-market strategies. Earlier in his career, Will founded and was the CEO of a boutique go-to-market agency.
Will holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Colorado State University and is based in Centennial, Colorado.
Sam Garcia plays a key role at Strategic Vantage as Director of Public Relations. He is a critical liaison with the press, ensuring the effective communication of client initiatives. Sam leverages the deep knowledge he has gained after having worked 20 years in mortgage lending and 20 years as a reporter and publisher for the mortgage industry to guide agency clients with their public relations, marketing and social media campaigns.
Sam gained deep experience in mortgage lending during his career. He was the owner of the Dallas-based mortgage brokerage Nations Mortgage Co. and the founding partner of KPG Financial, a Dallas-based wholesale lender. Then in 1998 he started MortgageDaily.com, an online, subscription-based trade journal that over the years became a source of critical mortgage statistics and information for journalists and industry participants. He oversaw all aspects of the news operation and personally authored thousands of articles important to real estate finance.
Sam’s unique career path has provided him with the ideal set of skills to help firms within the mortgage and financial services sectors raise their profiles. He understands how to capture the interest of a reporter and improve clients’ social media effectiveness. He’s an expert at utilizing email, social media and publicity to generate interest.
Sam studied business at the University of North Texas and resides in the Orange County, California area.
As Account Supervisor, Henry Drennan specializes in overseeing and executing effective public relations, social media and marketing campaigns for clients in the banking and financial services industries. He leverages his deep industry experience in everything he does, from securing sought-after press coverage, to implementing results-driven marketing and social media campaigns.
Prior to joining Strategic Vantage in 2011, Henry was co-owner of a commercial brokerage company dealing with small business loans. His company later focused on originating residential mortgages, including all types of conventional and government loans. During this time, he became nationally registered as a mortgage loan officer, with four individual state licenses as well. Henry has extensive experience with FHA, conventional, streamline, and VA loans in addition to being an accomplished writer.
Henry received a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. His minors include English and Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Henry resides in Georgia.
Cora Nader is a skilled marketing coordinator who excels in orchestrating and executing marketing, social media and public relations initiatives. Her positive attitude and outstanding organizational skills ensure projects stay on track and have a smooth completion.
Prior to joining Strategic Vantage, Cora spearheaded marketing campaigns for multiple companies and non-profits. She also founded a lifestyle brand and successfully managed its marketing and social media initiatives. Her array of talents encompasses devising content strategies, crafting compelling social media posts, graphic design, video production, and overseeing Google Analytics for data-driven decision-making. Cora lives in Orlando, Florida.
With his remarkable command of technology, Archit Singhal adds a dynamic dimension to our agency. His commitment to detail, prompt response times, and quick project turnaround make the process of designing, developing, maintaining websites, and SEO optimization seamless for Strategic Vantage and its clients. Adept in the latest technologies, Archit delivers cutting-edge solutions that cater to the unique needs of each client. His dedication to excellence and his nuanced understanding of the ever-evolving digital landscape enable Strategic Vantage to surpass client expectations and set new industry benchmarks. Archit holds degrees in engineering and computer science.
Julie Tomlinson is an experienced business manager who oversees the agency’s operations and administrative processes with precision and care. She plays a vital support role for marketing and public relations projects, meticulously tracking project details and ensuring immaculate follow-up with clients, account executives, vendors, advertising reps and other third parties.
Prior to joining Strategic Vantage, Julie held multiple administrative, marketing, and financial roles and worked as a small business consultant. She ran her own educational services firm for 10 years and worked as a professional teacher in Texas, Hawaii and New Zealand. Julie earned her B.S. in Education from Indiana University and lives in Rogers, Arkansas.
If you’re a rock star and would like to join our team, we invite you to reach out.
“Strategic Vantage has delivered exactly what we needed. They have really increased awareness of who we are and what our product does, and that is making a huge difference in our business successes. They have given our small business a large identity, and have made us well known as thought leaders and innovators.”
Jane Mason
CEO
Clarifire
“Strategic Vantage has done a fantastic job of raising the visibility of Cherry Creek Mortgage and our family of companies under Cherry Creek Holdings. They have excellent connections and PR expertise combined with a real can-do attitude and deep knowledge of the mortgage and real estate business. They’ve been invaluable to us, especially as we reorganized our business and are expanding into real estate, property and casualty insurance, title and settlement services. This is not just another PR agency. They’re the real deal.”
Rick Seehausen
Vice Chairman, President and COO
Cherry Creek Holdings