Interviewing at Walker and Dunlop can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. As one of the largest providers of capital to the multifamily industry, Walker and Dunlop is a prestigious company with high standards for hiring Knowing what to expect and being prepared with strong answers can make all the difference in landing your dream job there.
This guide has everything you need to know to do well in your Walker and Dunlop interviews, from how to apply and get screened to the final round. Find out how to stand out from the other applicants with help from current employees, sample questions and model answers, and important facts.
Overview of the Walker and Dunlop Interview Process
The typical Walker and Dunlop interview process consists of:
- Initial phone screening with HR
- 1-3 rounds of video/in-person interviews
- Potential technical assessment
The number of rounds can vary based on the role, but most candidates can expect 2-3 total interviews. Here is a breakdown of what to expect in each:
Phone Screening
- 30 minutes
- HR manager or recruiter
- High level background and fit questions
1st Round
- 1 hour
- Hiring manager and potential senior team members
- Behavioral and fit focused
2nd Round
- 2-4 back-to-back 60 minute interviews
- Cross-functional group including senior executives
- Technical and behavioral questions
3rd Round
- 1-2 hour case study or presentation
- Final meeting with executives/leadership team
How to Prepare for the Interview Rounds
Succeeding in Walker and Dunlop’s multifaceted interview process requires thorough preparation. Here are some tips from insiders on how to get ready:
Learn the business model: Understand Walker and Dunlop’s core products and revenue drivers. Be able to speak intelligently about the company’s competitive advantages.
Research the role: Carefully review the role description and understand how the position fits into the broader team/department goals.
Practice technical skills: Ensure you are comfortable with any technical skills listed for the role, especially financial modeling for finance positions.
Prepare stories: Reflect on experiences that showcases desired competencies like leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, etc.
Review your resume: Be ready to talk in-depth about any items on your resume. Know key stats and details from your accomplishments.
Practice aloud: Rehearse your answers out loud to common questions. Practice maintaining poise and think on your feet.
Get good rest: Arrive well-rested and ready to bring your A-game. You want to make the best impression possible.
With diligent preparation, you can feel empowered tackling whatever questions come your way.
8 Sample Walker and Dunlop Interview Questions and Answers
Let’s look at some common Walker and Dunlop interview questions along with strong sample responses:
1. Tell me about yourself.
This open-ended prompt is frequently used to kick off Walker and Dunlop interviews. The interviewer wants a quick yet compelling overview of your background. Focus on highlights that make you an ideal fit for the role.
Sample Answer: As a recent finance graduate with experience in banking and real estate, I’m excited to build a career leveraging my passion for housing at Walker and Dunlop. My analytical skills and relationship-building experience equip me well for this Mortgage Banking Associate role. At my previous internships, I supported $100M+ transactions and consistently received recognition for modeling expertise. I’m drawn to Walker and Dunlop because of your focus on tech innovation in multifamily lending. I look forward to contributing to your digital transformation efforts to improve the financing experience.
2. Why do you want to work for Walker and Dunlop?
Hiring managers want to gauge your genuine interest and knowledge of the company. Show you’ve done your research and connect their values to your own.
Sample Answer: I’m truly inspired by Walker and Dunlop’s mission to be the premier capital provider financing affordable housing in America. Having volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, I’m passionate about expanding access to safe, quality housing. Walker and Dunlop’s growth as an industry leader and innovations like your proprietary app Zelman really excite me. I’d love to be part of a team that makes such an impact.
3. How does your experience make you a strong fit for this role?
This question allows you to tie your background directly to the position’s requirements. Emphasize transferable skills from previous jobs or coursework.
Sample Answer: With 2 years of experience on Deutsche Bank’s real estate finance team, I’ve developed expertise that aligns well with the Multifamily Underwriting Associate role. Key strengths I will bring include my ability to underwrite complex deals, knowledge of multifamily loan products, and relationships with national agency partners. For example, at Deutsche I underwrote a $250M multi-property acquisition which sharpened my structuring skills. I also streamlined our financial model leading to 20% time savings. These abilities to handle large transactions and improve processes would enable me to make an immediate impact.
4. What do you know about Walker and Dunlop?
Interviewers want to confirm you’ve researched the company beyond just the job description. Highlight facts that interest you and show your commitment.
Sample Answer: I’m impressed by Walker and Dunlop’s track record of growth since going public in 2010, such as surpassing $1 billion in annual profits in just 6 years. Your strategic acquisitions like CWCapital and GeoPhy have expanded your capabilities in new asset classes. And under CEO Willy Walker’s leadership, you’ve focused on technology like appraisal management software and processed over $42 billion of volume on your transaction management platform. It’s clear Walker and Dunlop has fostered a culture of innovation, collaboration, and mentorship. This is an environment I would be proud to learn and grow in.
5. How would you describe your work style?
For this behavioral question, pick 1-2 adjectives that characterize your work ethic and elaborate with relevant examples.
Sample Answer: I would describe my work style as meticulous yet energetic. For example, when I build financial models, I rigorously check my formulas and outputs to produce high-quality deliverables. I also enjoy opportunities to collaborate, whether whiteboarding solutions with my team or presenting to clients. At my last firm, I spearheaded a training seminar for new analysts that received outstanding feedback for my energy and clear communication. I thrive on tackling challenges with tenacity and positivity.
6. Tell me about a time you showed strong leadership.
With this question, provide a concise yet compelling story that spotlights your leadership capabilities. Emphasize skills like vision, motivating others, and decision-making.
Sample Answer: As president of my university’s finance club, I demonstrated leadership when membership growth had stagnated. I formulated a vision to rebrand the club as more hands-on and career-driven by organizing field trips, workshops, and networking events with top firms. Recruiting a team to help design activities, we increased membership 50% that semester. My proudest moment was receiving an excellence award for the club’s revitalization. This experience showed my skills for strategic planning, motivating teams, and delivering results.
7. How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects?
Hiring managers want to understand your approach to staying organized and efficient with competing priorities. Outline your go-to productivity methods.
Sample Answer: With any heavy workload, I use tools like Excel or Asana to map out all deadlines and break projects into smaller tasks. I identify items needing others’ input to get them queued up. Then I block time in my calendar to tackle high-priority items first, while balancing reactive needs. Within projects, I focus on the 20% of work driving 80% of value. I also communicate frequently with managers if capacities change. This rigorous prioritization helps me stay on track with quality outputs, even with shifting timelines.
8. Do you have any questions for us?
Always prepare 2-3 thoughtful questions to ask at the end. This demonstrates your engagement and curiosity about the company.
Sample Questions:
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How does Walker and Dunlop support professional development and career growth?
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What are the top skills that make someone successful in this role?
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What exciting projects or initiatives are on the horizon that I could be involved in?
Key Takeaways for Walker and Dunlop Interviews
With a mix of fit, behavioral, and technical questions, Walker and Dunlop interviews rigorously screen for top talent. Set yourself up for success by:
- Researching the company’s services, values, and growth strategy
- Reviewing your resume and preparing stories that highlight desired competencies
- Practicing answers aloud to common questions like motivation and leadership
- Being prepared to discuss your qualifications for the role
- Having thoughtful questions ready to demonstrate your interest
Stay confident and authentic, and your passion and preparation will shine through. Consider your Walker and Dunlop interviews as a chance to show how your skills and experience can contribute to their mission. With these helpful tips
Walker and DunlopReal Estate
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Experience is a score between 1 star (very bad) and 5 stars (very good).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. If you move your mouse over the different parts of the doughnut, you’ll see exactly how each score was calculated.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. The confidence in a “true score” rises as more reviews are given about a business. This causes the score to move closer to its simple average and away from the average of the whole dataset. 4. 1.
Based on the Interview Insights at this company, the Interview Difficulty is a score that goes from “very difficult” (red) to “very easy” (green).
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. The higher the number, the more difficult the interviews on average. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
The title percentile score is based on an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates that is applied to the whole Company Database. This is done to account for companies that don’t have many interview insights. That is, as a business learns more, it becomes more sure of a “true score,” which moves it closer to its own simple average and away from the overall average of the data set. 2. 1.
Based on reviews at this company, the 20% of interns getting full-time offers chart is meant to give you a good idea of how the company hires people.
The number in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the mean of all these scores. This doughnut has different parts that, when you move your mouse over them, show you the 20% breakdown of each score given.
It uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates to account for companies that don’t have many reviews, which is how the percentile score in the title is found. To put it simply, when a business gets more reviews, the “true score” becomes more likely to be accurate. This makes it move closer to the simple company average and away from the average of all the data points. 30%.
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