Vice President of Mortgage Lending · Guaranteed Rate Affinity
NMLS #228868
In the early 2000’s, when Robin Baran entered the mortgage business, she developed a successful strategy for landing agent partners.
Rather than drop off rate sheets and donuts, she hosted fun events and informative lunch and learns to form connections that gradually moved to the transaction table. Baran, vice president of mortgage lending at Guaranteed Rate Affinity, was a Realtor for five years and worked in corporate relocation before she made the switch to lending. The experiences allowed her to see all sides of a transaction and better understand the needs of each party involved.
The strong partnerships she has formed with Realtors give buyers confidence in her ability to get them to the closing table. They often tell her that she took the mystery and fear out of the transaction, was a great problem-solver, and went above and beyond to make their real estate dreams come true.
“Buyers are not just a number,” she says. “They know they can call me at any time, and I won’t give up until I find a solution.”
Honest and transparent, she takes the time to educate and discuss options with buyers to help them choose the path that best suits their needs. Most of Baran’s clients are repeat customers and referrals from past customers and Realtor partnerships. “I am just now focusing on using social media to attract consumers,” she says.
In her free time, she knits hats for NICU babies and every year, she tries to learn a new hobby. This year, she tackled making sourdough bread. A penchant for reading has earned her influencer status. “Publishers provide me books before they hit the market in exchange for honest reviews,” she says. “I read approximately 125 books a year for entertainment.”
Guaranteed Rate Affinity, Inc. is a private corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware. It has no affiliation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture or any other government agency.
Profile summarized from Chicago Agent Magazine’s 2026 Who’s Who in Chicagoland Real Estate: https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/whos-who-2026/robin-baran-3/