An underwriting decision, a looming closing deadline, or a problem requiring executive attention can put a lender’s support into focus. For Jeff Gilmore and Matt Gray, two years away reinforced its value.
The regional managers returned to Fairway Home Mortgage in September with their 28-member Fairway Custom Mortgage team, based in Matthews, North Carolina, the lender announced Oct. 20. The managers had spent two years at Novus Home Mortgage after the group’s 2010–2024 tenure at Fairway.
Fairway attributed $250 million in loan production to the returning team.
“When we originally left Fairway, it wasn't because we had stopped believing in the company or the people,” Gilmore said. “We saw an opportunity to grow and build something and thought it was worth pursuing. But our time away made us realize how much we valued Fairway's speed, willingness to find solutions, accessible leadership, and genuine desire to help one another succeed.”
Putting A Value On Operational Support
Gilmore described the appeal as extending across underwriting, closing, technology, appraisals, branch support, and executive leadership.
“From underwriting and closing to technology, appraisals, branch support, and executive leadership, there is an incredible mindset of doing whatever we can to help our teammates and the families we serve,” he said.
For originators evaluating a platform, those functions carry an economic value. Time spent chasing decisions or resolving operational problems reduces the hours available to develop referral relationships, serve borrowers, and manage a team. A lender’s ability to address problems can also affect the relationships an originator brings to the company.
Gray said the move sharpened his appreciation for leadership with firsthand origination experience.
“One of the biggest things we underestimated, but came to appreciate during our time away, was the value of having a company led by people who have originated loans themselves,” Gray said. “That perspective influences decisions in ways that are easy to underestimate until you've experienced something different. At Fairway, originators are the top priority.”
Team member Travis Nicolaysen offered a similar explanation in a public LinkedIn post about his own return. He cited responsiveness, lending tools, and his relationships with colleagues, specifically naming Gilmore and Gray.
Recruiting People Who Already Know The Company
Fairway is framing the team’s return as part of a broader effort to bring former employees back.
The lender said 159 employees rejoined over the past year, including 52 originators representing $558 million in loan production.
“What we hear so often is that producers miss Fairway's culture,” said Holly Mattson, Fairway’s co-president of recruiting. “Fairway is committed to speed. Our underwriters are responsive and share the same sales mentality as our originators, and our executive team is known for its personal involvement in helping win deals.”
For team leaders weighing a move, underwriting response times, escalation procedures, and closing support belong in the calculation alongside compensation and pricing. Those resources influence how much time leaders can devote to growing the business and how reliably their teams can deliver for borrowers and referral partners.
