28-member Fairway Custom Mortgage team returns, bringing $250 million in loan production and reaffirming the value of Fairway's originator-focused culture.

MADISON, Wis., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeff Gilmore, Matt Gray and the 28-member Fairway Custom Mortgage team based in Matthews, North Carolina, returned to Fairway Home Mortgage in September after two years with another company. The team, which previously worked at Fairway from 2010 to 2024, brings $250 million in loan production back to the company.

"When we originally left Fairway, it wasn't because we had stopped believing in the company or the people," said Jeff Gilmore, Fairway Regional Manager. "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.

"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."

The team's return reflects a broader trend of employees and mortgage originators returning to Fairway. Over the past year, 159 employees have rejoined the company, including 52 originators whose return represents $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."

Matt Gray, the Fairway Regional Manager who is returning with the Fairway Custom Mortgage team, said the experience of working elsewhere reinforced the importance of leadership that understands the realities of mortgage origination.

"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."

The return of Gilmore, Gray and their team underscores Fairway Home Mortgage's focus on supporting mortgage originators through responsive operations, accessible leadership and a culture centered on helping employees serve borrowers and close loans successfully. Fairway encourages anyone interested to reach out to careers@fairwaymc.com.

About Fairway Home Mortgage

Madison, WI- and Carrollton, TX-based Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (NMLS #2289) is a full-service mortgage lender licensed in all 50 states. Fairway is the #2 overall retail lender in the U.S.

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SOURCE Fairway Home Mortgage