HousingWireHousingWire
Wednesday was a busy — and unusual — day for Brian Covey. He started it at Revolution Mortgage, where he’s been EVP of strategy and development since late 2022, and ended it at CrossCountry Mortgage.
“What I’ve learned is, the most important thing is your vision and that your values align,” Covey said in an interview Wednesday. “For me, those guide where you go. And my vision has been to build a team, my own team that i’m involved in day-to-day — make decisions, coach, mentor, train, all that…My role at Revolution was not that, so I want to get back into that.”
At CCM, Covey is a divisional senior vice president. He is tasked with recruiting large, high-producing teams across the country and helping them scale their business. It’s what he did at loanDepot and Movement Mortgage, and it’s where his passions lie.
“That’s my jam, and I also wanted to be around a dynamic CEO,” he said.
Ron Leonardt, the charismatic founder and CEO of CCM, was a key factor in Covey joining. Leonhardt got to know him, asked what he wanted to build and explored a few roles that could fit before implementing a strategy, he said.
The Cleveland-based lender has servicing, tons of products, a setup that is desirable to LOs, tech integrations, secondary, a great sales culture and strong onboarding, Covey said.
“They have all these things LOs want and really demand today. If you’re going to compete with what Rocket’s building and what Zillow‘s building, you need these things.”
At loanDepot, he took a team that went from about $250 million to $2.5 billion in five years. He says he can do that at an even larger scale at CCM — they have the resources and infrastructure to notch $40 billion in volume in a down market, with more Scotsman Guide top producers than anyone.
Teams joining CCM can choose a retail model or a P&L, and he said it’s a collaborative process with leadership at the company. Covey said some heavy-hitters are already on their way.
In a LinkedIn post announcing the deal to his 40,000 followers, Covey, a former professional soccer player, wrote:
“As an activator, I move fast, love to innovate, and take action. That’s where the magic is. And that’s what CCM is all about.
But beyond the accolades and infrastructure, what truly excites me is the culture: a team of elite performers who challenge, inspire, and support one another, just like the best sports teams I’ve ever been part of.
This isn’t just about me. It’s about who I get to build with next.“
