Fairway Home Mortgage announced on Tuesday the reinstatement of Jeff Gilmore, Matt Gray, and their 28-member Fairway Custom Mortgage team based in Matthews, North Carolina, following a two-year stint at another company.
This team previously worked at Fairway from 2010 until 2024 and officially returned in September, according to a company press release.
As of August 10, data from RETR indicates that the team has handled 418 loans amounting to $125.5 million in volume so far this year. In comparison, they completed 814 units worth $251.4 million in 2025 and 708 units totaling $218 million in 2024, reflecting full-year performance in those years.
“Our departure from Fairway was not due to any loss of faith in the company or its people,” stated Gilmore, a regional manager at Fairway. “We sought an opportunity to expand and innovate, which seemed worthwhile at the time. However, our time away made us realize how much we appreciated Fairway’s efficiency, problem-solving approach, accessible leadership, and genuine commitment to mutual success.”
Gilmore emphasized that the team’s experiences outside reinforced their appreciation for Fairway’s robust support in areas such as underwriting, closing, technology, appraisals, branch operations, and executive leadership.
The team’s return coincides with a trend of other former employees and mortgage originators rejoining Fairway. Over the past year, 159 employees have come back, including 52 originators whose combined return accounts for $558 million in loan production.
“Feedback often indicates that producers miss the culture at Fairway,” commented Holly Mattson, co-president of recruiting at Fairway. “We are dedicated to delivering speed. Our underwriters are responsive and share the same sales mindset as our originators, and our executive team is renowned for being personally involved in securing deals.”
Gray, another regional manager, noted that his experience elsewhere underscored the significance of leadership with hands-on mortgage origination experience.
“One major lesson we learned during our time away is the importance of having a company led by individuals who have personally originated loans,” Gray explained. “That perspective shapes decisions in ways that are often overlooked until one has experienced a different environment. At Fairway, originators are always the top priority.”
