Interfirst Mortgage Company [1] has named Austen Richards Wholesale Senior AE for its Western Division, where he will be responsible for developing new B2B relationships with conventional mortgage brokers, credit unions, and community banks. Richards, who is based in Draper, Utah, will report to Mike Tague, SVP, Western Division Production for the Wholesale Channel.
“We are extremely pleased to have Austen join the Interfirst wholesale team and expand our presence in Utah,” said Tague. “Austen has a proven track record of developing sustainable relationships throughout the mortgage broker community by delivering a best-in-class customer service experience throughout the mortgage process. He will be an essential part of our team as we enable our mortgage broker partners to operate more efficiently through a fiction free technology-driven model based on service, speed and competitive pricing.”
Richards brings 15 years of mortgage industry experience to Interfirst, primarily in the wholesale channel. Before joining Interfirst, he was an AE, Wholesale, for Rocket Pro-TPO/Quicken Loans, where he was in the President’s Club, a 10% producer, and closed more than $750 million in loans in the last 12 months. Previously, he was a Senior AE, Wholesale, for U.S. Bank Home Mortgage, a Mortgage Broker for Flagship Financial Group, Sales and Marketing Manager for S&H Professional Recruiting, and Mortgage Planner and Senior Loan Consultant for New Freedom Mortgage and Utah Financial, Inc.
“I am excited to join Interfirst at such an exciting time for the company and the wholesale channel,” said Richards. “Today, the mortgage broker community is looking for the right mix of technology and personal interactions to help them close more loans quicker. Interfirst empowers its wholesale AEs to take control over their business and put mortgage brokers first so they can better meet the needs of their customers and build market share.”