San Diego-based Guild Mortgage is growing again, this time creating a new district by adding a team of 40 employees — all hired from Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.
Fairway's chief executive officer, however, says the group was let go due to 'lack of production.'
In a news release this week, Guild said it added 40 new “high-performing” employees who will operate in a new district with eight branch offices in California. The new unit is led by District Manager John Lowe, formerly a division manager and senior vice president with Fairway. He will report to Guild Regional Vice President Mike Ferreira, the company said.
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Guild said “the Lowe group” joined the company in early March, and serves customers from California offices in Auburn, Corvallis, Folsom, Gardnerville, Riverside, Santa Rosa, Vacaville, and Yuba City.
Lowe’s team includes area managers Joanne Hender and Chris Owen; branch managers Gwyn Chyz, Doug Grenz, Marco Guerra, Jeremy Kurtz, Don Petty, and Steve Weninger; and Sales Manager Debra Marsan — all formerly executives with Fairway.
In addition 20 loan officers from Fairway also joined Guild: Tommy Allums, Alex Alvarez, Joanna Busalacchi, Kandice Castro, Kelly Cort, Monica Cuevas, Meghan Dinublio, Cecilia Duran, Cameron Elkins, Carolyn Gregory, Jennifer Guerra, Alex Innocentes, Lisa Jones, Caleb Kurtz, Jeremy Massari, Vincent Piegaro, Mari Sanchez, Alejandra Torres, Crystal Turben, and Cole Wilson. In its news release, Guild described all 20 as "high performing."
The team also includes six transaction coordinators and four processors, the company said, though it did not identify them by name.
“We welcome John Lowe and his team and are gratified they selected Guild to continue to serve their customers and meet the needs of new homebuyers,” Ferreira said. “While this was an organic move for the team, the size and annual production of this group — coming in at more than $350 million — is equal to that of a mini acquisition.”
Ferreira added that, “A shift this large speaks volumes about the quality of John’s leadership and is a direct reflection of the trust and loyalty he has earned from this group; something we know will continue to prosper here at Guild.”
Guild recorded loan originations of $1.9 billion in the California region in 2022. It now has some 4,000 employees and 300 branches serving customers in 49 states.
“Guild’s reputation and history of stability were a major draw for our group, giving us the confidence to make the move, become part of one of the best organizations in the industry, and continue to build on the success we’ve achieved together,” Lowe said. “Guild’s business model and ability to service the majority of its home loans means each member of our team can make a long-term commitment to help every customer beyond the closing of a loan, which is a major differentiator.”
In an email to NMP, Fairway CEO Steve Jacobson said he was surprised by Guild's announcement.
"We let the group go for lack of production and out of respect — WE DID not attempt to recruit/retain any of the originators," he wrote.
He added that, "Fairway closed over [$]42B — Guild over [$]19B. Surprised to see the article. We have documentation. The truth……is the truth."
Jacobson's comments put to rest any questions about whether Guild had "poached" the Lowe team from Fairway. The shift of a large group of employees from Fairway to Guild was notable in part because Guild had previously accused a different competitor of "poaching" an entire branch in Washington state.
In October 2021, Guild filed a lawsuit in federal district court in Washington against CrossCountry Mortgage, alleging it had conspired with three Guild employees to poach the entire Kirkland, Wash., branch. Guild also claimed the employees conspired to divert loans in process at Guild to be closed at CrossCountry instead.
Guild's lawsuit, however, was dismissed in December 2022 on jurisdictional grounds.
Guild did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on the announcement of its new unit, or on Jacobson's comments.
Guild is a growth-oriented mortgage lending company that has originated and serviced residential loans since 1960. In the past five months, the company has expanded by acquiring Inlanta Mortgage, Legacy Mortgage, and Cherry Creek Mortgage in separate transactions.
Founded in April 1996, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. is based in Madison, Wis. It has over 10,000 employees and over 345 branches nationwide.
