Building a Legacy With Homeownership

In January 2023, City National Bank entered into a DOJ settlement on lending discrimination, committing $29.5M to mortgage support for underserved communities.

 Many would have treated that as a checkbox. In my role, I partnered with marketing, compliance, and community lending to ensure we had a story worth telling and an offer worth taking. I led creative development rooted in campaign language that was straightforward and impossible to miss.

We built Ladder Up with two priorities:

  • Reach and empower first-time buyers in Black and Latino communities.

  • Lead with value, backed by operational readiness.

Grant amounts: Up to $20K for most eligible borrowers; up to $50K in select L.A. County neighborhoods.

Repayment: None.

Mortgage insurance: Not required.

Down payment: As low as 3%, with a HUD-approved homebuyer course.

I made sure we didn’t bury the lede. Why would you? $20,000 was the headline. The tone stayed clear and benefit-focused. Supported by real borrower testimonials, so audiences could see themselves in the program.

Integrated media built for impact.

Owned Media

  • Landing page with clear eligibility criteria, FAQs, and lead capture.

  • Educational blog content to boost organic reach.

Paid Media

  • $500K in targeted advertising to majority-Black and Latino neighborhoods.

  • Regional TV, geo-targeted social/search, billboards, and trusted community media buys.

Community Partnerships

Nonprofit and housing partner activations with $500K in educational funding, including first-time buyer workshops and high school “financial reality” events.

The Results

Because we paired a high-value offer with a clear, consistent, multi-channel message, we were able to see exceptional lifts benchmarked against typical mortgage marketing.

2x

Increase in Conversion (1.5% → 3%)

⬇️ 23%

Cost Per Lead

⬆️ 24%

Lift in Click Through Rates

4,000

Qualified Leads Generated

The Takeaway

Value-led creative

Anxious homebuyers don’t need more nuance. The grant amount stayed the hero across all channels, with helpful educational materials available to guide them every step of the way.

Consistency

Unified messaging across owned, paid, and grassroots touchpoints amplified the impact. When Rep. Maxine Waters can quote your messaging hierarchy in a tweet, you’ve done something right.

Community credibility

We stayed close to where our audiences live and work. Partner organizations carried our message directly to buyers we might not have reached otherwise.

Operational proof

Qualified leads mean nothing if you don’t have the right teams in place to make home happen. Developing language and sales materials to keep a consistent message for our Community Lending team reinforced credibility.