E-LOAN and RE/MAX Regional Services Team up to Serve the 56% of Homebuyers Who Are Making the Internet Their First Stop in the Home Buying Process PLEASANTON, Calif., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- E-LOAN(R), an online consumer direct lender, and Mortgage Initiatives Inc., a division of RE/MAX Regional Services (which serves RE/MAX of Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Southern Ohio) today announced a strategic alliance designed to serve the 56 percent* of homebuyers who are making the Internet their first stop in the home buying process. "As we looked to enhance our website and educational offering by partnering with an online home loan provider, E-LOAN quickly emerged as the clear and best choice." said Darko Kapelina, Manager of Operations at RE/MAX Regional Services in Alpharetta, Georgia. "E-LOAN's continued focus on making the home loan purchase transaction as fast and easy as possible perfectly complements RE/MAX's commitment to leveraging training and technology to provide our team access to the best tools and partners available to help them meet the needs of their clients." "As the growth in the number of consumers who turn to the Internet to shop for homes and home loan financing continues to expand, E-LOAN is thrilled to partner with RE/MAX Regional Services -- a true innovator and leader in buying and selling homes nationwide," said Mark Lefanowicz, President of E-LOAN. "We're confident that by working together we can achieve our common goal of using technology to make the home buying experience faster, easier and more predictable for consumers and RE/MAX sales associates." As part of the alliance, the homepages of the RE/MAX Regional Services websites for Georgia, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Tennessee prominently display an E-LOAN(R) link to direct consumers to the E-LOAN(R) pre- qualification and pre-approval center. From there, consumers can shop for home mortgage rates, submit an application and get an online approval decision all within minutes. Once they're pre-qualified or pre-approved, sales associates and their clients are empowered to be taken seriously by prospective sellers. After their offer has been accepted on a house or condo, sales associates and their clients can depend on E-LOAN's on-time closing guarantee and the personal attention provided by experienced loan consultants dedicated to RE/MAX Regional Services seven days a week. *California Association of Realtors -- Internet vs. Traditional Buyer 2004 About E-LOAN(R) E-LOAN is an online consumer direct lender dedicated to providing borrowers with a simple, easy and open way to obtain mortgage, auto loans, and home equity loans. Since its launch in 1997, E-LOAN has drawn upon its pro consumer values to improve the lending experience in revolutionary ways. By eliminating the traditional incentive structure to charge consumers higher rates, giving consumers free access to credit scores and eliminating lender fees, E-LOAN is providing a uniquely open, fair and honest loan process. Protecting consumers' financial privacy is also a paramount concern, leading E-LOAN to implement industry leading privacy practices and advocate strong consumer financial privacy protection laws. Consumers have recognized E-LOAN for its trustworthiness and respect for customers. Two independent studies conducted by TRUSTe and The Ponemon Institute ranked E-LOAN as one of the Top 20 Most Trusted Companies for Privacy in America. In another independent study conducted by The Customer Respect Group, E-LOAN received the overall highest rating in the Online Customer Respect Study of North America's largest financial services firms. E-LOAN has originated and sold over $27 billion in consumer loans. E-LOAN is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Popular Financial Holdings, Inc., in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Popular, Inc., a full service financial services provider with operations in Puerto Rico, the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. To find out more about E-LOAN and its products and services, logon to http://www.eloan.com/ or call 1-888-E-LOAN-22. DATASOURCE: E-LOAN CONTACT: Laurie Azzano, Cosmo Public Relations for E-LOAN, +1-415-786-3317, , or Keith Bratz, Vice President, Corporate Communications for E-LOAN, Popular Financial Holdings, Inc., +1-856-396-3762, Web site: http://www.eloan.com/

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