Leah More All Star Card

Leah More grew up in Los Angeles, famously known as the show-business capital of the world. While her immediate family worked in the entertainment industry, she had a path of her own. From a young age, Leah discovered that she had a natural talent for designing jewelry. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a business. As a young girl, she was holding jewelry shows and selling her pieces in stores, turning a significant profit.

Her early success with the jewelry business fueled her entrepreneurial spirit, leading her to take a course in New York City on fashion and design. Once there, she realized that she was pulling a lot of inspiration from various buildings and architecture seen throughout the city. This prompted her to consider applying to colleges with architecture and urban design programs.

After much deliberation, she attended the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to pinpoint the kind of career she wanted to pursue. At Ross, she was able to merge her established interests in real estate and business. Leah enrolled in as many real estate focused courses as possible, which led her to fall in love with the industry.

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in business and having maintained her curiosity for New York City all those years later, she was connected with an opportunity at Freddie Mac, and the rest was history. Leah joined as an analyst on the SBL Production & Sales team and later moved over to the underwriting side. Now, just over five years later, she is back on the production team as a senior producer, overseeing lender relationships and working alongside underwriting counterparts in the Eastern region.

Now that Leah is a producer, you could say she finally fits in with the rest of her family in a different capacity. Let’s hear more from Leah on her experience at Freddie Mac and what Women’s History Month means to her.

March is Women’s History Month; what does that mean to you?

A: I think this time of year is an important reminder for women to reflect on what we have accomplished and the obstacles each of us has overcome. I feel lucky to have a strong network of women, both professionally and personally, who have instilled in me the belief that being a woman is a superpower. That is something we can and should take full advantage of. Beyond just this month, it’s essential that we recognize our accomplishments and raise each other up every chance we get. Growing up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by many strong women in their respective fields who lifted me up and showed me that I could be successful in anything I set my mind to. Now, I want nothing more than to help empower other women to gain that same perspective.

What does Freddie Mac’s mission of “Making Home Possible” mean to you?

A: I recently moved to a neighborhood in Brooklyn where I'm surrounded by many buildings that I've had a hand in working on. Since coming here, I’ve noticed a shift in my mindset because the work that I am doing is directly impacting my own community. It’s not uncommon to get caught up in the transactional nature of what we do. We work on a deal, and then once it’s done, we move on to the next. Now, I have the privilege of walking by many of these properties every day, and I love seeing the life after the transaction. Being able to live and breathe in the communities I’m impacting gives me a great sense of purpose and provides me with a unique perspective on what it means to make home possible.

Leah More Family

Leah with her family on the beachside

Favorite part about working at Freddie Mac?

A: It really comes down to the people and the incredible support I’ve had in my career here. Our network has led me to a ton of great opportunities, and I’ve been fortunate enough to try my hand at several roles, experiencing different sides of the business. In each role change, I’ve had the full support of my managers and teams, which has been pivotal to my journey at Freddie Mac. Being able to have that open dialogue creates a welcoming and collaborative environment. The support network at Freddie has greatly contributed to my success, and it continuously motivates me to help new employees who are still navigating their careers.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

A: There’s this concept I’ve been thinking about lately; that our current selves are very similar to who we were as children, and over time, we veer away from our inner child due to external factors.

The advice I’d give to my younger self would be to always remain curious, approach life with a fearless attitude, and embrace as many opportunities as you can. I like to think that as I grew older, I embraced these qualities more and more. I tried a lot of different things before I got here, and my willingness to stay curious and seize new opportunities has been the guiding force in leading me to the path I am on now.

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