Mother-Daughter Duo Takes on Hamptons Mortgage Industry

Family First Funding LLC Private Client Group announces that Sarah Alvarez has joined the team led by her mother, one of the nation's leading residential originators and Executive Vice President, Melissa Cohn.

Prior to joining Family First Funding LLC, Ms. Alvarez served as Director of Referrals at prominent New York City real estate brokerage Stribling & Associates (recently bought by Compass) where she worked for nearly a decade. She was responsible for creating and maintaining an extensive international referral network which represented over $100 million in annual sales and generated $2 million in gross commission income last year. In addition, she earned two national referral awards from Leading Real Estate Companies of The World, including the coveted Pinnacle Award, recognizing Stribling as one of the top referral departments in the Country.

In her new role as Mortgage Loan Associate, Sarah will draw upon her vast knowledge of the real estate industry and global client network to work alongside her mother, a tour-de-force in the mortgage business with more than 35 years of experience.

“I am passionate about women’s issues - women in finance in particular - and I can think of no better testament to this mission than having my daughter Sarah come work with me at the Private Client Group at Family First Funding. With her skill set, she could have gone anywhere,” said Ms. Cohn. “Sarah already has a strong foundation in real estate and an incredible client network, and she will transition seamlessly to this new role. I am positive she will be just as successful in the mortgage field as she was in residential real estate.”

Ms. Cohn started her career with CitiMortgage before launching her own mortgage brokerage company, The Manhattan Mortgage Co, Inc., in 1985. As one of the very first independent mortgage brokers, Cohn was a pioneer in the industry , eventually growing her business into the #1 residential mortgage broker on the East Coast with more than $5 billion in annual volume. Ms. Cohn eventually sold her company, and was subsequently tapped by several other mortgage bankers before joining Family First Funding LLC Private Client Group in 2018 where she is currently a top originator in the company.

Ms. Cohn’s daughter Sarah says that her mother’s illustrious career trajectory makes her the perfect teacher. “Most daughters learn a lot from their mothers, but how many can say they are getting an A+ vocational education from an industry leader? I have always admired my mother greatly but even more so now seeing how seamlessly she navigates the complex world of mortgages. She makes a significant difference in people’s lives and it is a very powerful thing to witness. Not only is she successful, but my mother is also a tireless advocate for women helping women, and I’m so proud I get to go to work with her every day,” said Ms. Alvarez.

Ms. Cohn and Ms. Alvarez hope to raise more awareness and funds for Cohn’s non-profit A Home of Her Own, which works with organizations to provide aid to women in need to get them on the path to financial independence. Cohn also hosts a podcast dedicated to finance, real estate, and women's issues.

Along with her mother, Ms. Alvarez will be based out of Family First Funding Private Client Group’s offices in Manhattan and East Hampton at 14 Main Street.