Partner Agency
Winning Strategy
Winning Strategy #3 | PARTNER AGENCY: H.O.P.E. FINANCIAL, OXON HILL, MARYLAND
AGENCY’S GOAL
“ option is very popular
The eHome online
To continue to offer homebuyer education classes and workshops, but use
eHome America’s online course to reach younger buyers in the region.
with the largest down
STRATEGY FOR PARTNERSHIP WITH eHOME AMERICA
payment lender in
Maryland. Most of the
buyers using eHome
are younger and have
higher incomes than
the buyers who attend
our popular classroom
option.
”– Jan McNerney,
H.O.P.E. Financial
Housing Director
eHome Partner Agency Summary:
Housing Options and
Planning Enterprises
(H.O.P.E.) Financial
Jan McNerney, Housing Director
[email protected]
(301) 567-3330
www.hopefinancial.org
eHome America completed
customers since 2012: 928
Partner with the largest down-payment providers in the state to receive
referrals for both classroom and online education.
OUTCOMES
From spring 2014 to spring 2015, 384 homebuyers received education
through H.O.P.E. Financial using eHome America. H.O.P.E. Financial
assisted another 300 homebuyers through its in-person classes. All told,
H.O.P.E. Financial is the #1 provider of homebuyer education for Prince
George County (Md.) homebuyers receiving down-payment assistance.
SUMMARY
eHome America provided H.O.P.E. Financial with a new and needed product
that was quickly embraced by both lender partners and millennial buyers.
Through “lunch and learn” seminars, H.O.P.E. Financial leadership promotes
the value and convenience of online homebuyer education to lender partners
and real estate agents. As a result, these partners are increasingly requiring
education for their homebuying customers. Real estate agents appreciate the
additional support and coaching H.O.P.E. can offer, especially to first-time
buyers with a lot of questions.
H.O.P.E. continues to offer classroom education on three Saturdays a month.
These courses are well attended, largely by minority homebuyers. Even
within these demographic groups, however, eHome is receiving more
interest, as made evident by recent eHome registrations of which 29% were
African American clients.
LESSONS LEARNED
 Online education can be successfully combined with regular classroom
offerings to reach a more diverse group of buyers — in terms of both age
and income.
 Without the convenience of an online option, many younger buyers
would likely choose not to receive homebuyer education.
June 2015 | © eHome America