RCG Mortgage becomes part of the nation’s #1 retail mortgage lender; Russell’s team rebrands as The Andrew Russell Team
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. — August 10, 2026 — Andrew Russell, founder of RCG Mortgage, today announced that his RCG team has joined CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), the nation’s number one retail mortgage lender and number one non-QM lender. Russell has been named Regional Executive Vice President, and his movement will operate under a new name: The Andrew Russell Team, based out of CCM’s Hauppauge, New York branch.
The move brings one of Long Island’s most recognized mortgage professionals to a platform that finances one in every 35 homes sold in America, expanding the resources, operational capabilities, and long-term support available to the clients and real estate professionals who have trusted Russell throughout his career.
For existing clients and referral partners, the message is simple: the relationships, the team, and the personalized service remain the same. What changes is the platform behind them.
“This is the biggest move of my career, and I didn’t make it for me. I made it for the people who trust me with one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives,” said Andrew Russell, Regional Executive Vice President of The Andrew Russell Team at CrossCountry Mortgage.
“As a broker, I fought for every client. I shopped the market, found the right loan, and advocated for them every step of the way. But once I found the loan, I still had to hand the file to someone else and wait on their underwriting, their operations, and their timeline. I didn’t want to keep handing people off. So I didn’t go looking for a better lender. I aligned with one. Now the process happens under one roof, giving our clients greater speed, greater certainty, and a better overall experience.”
The transition from the brokerage model to CrossCountry Mortgage’s retail platform gives Russell and The Andrew Russell Team access to in-house underwriting, in-house operations, an expanded portfolio of mortgage solutions, and one of the industry’s deepest lending platforms. By bringing more of the lending process under one roof, the team is positioned to deliver faster communication, greater efficiency, and more control throughout the mortgage experience.
The move also strengthens long-term client relationships. CrossCountry Mortgage retains servicing on approximately 90% of the loans it funds, allowing many borrowers to continue working with the same trusted team long after closing rather than being transferred to an unfamiliar servicing company.
“This wasn’t simply a career move,” Russell added. “It was a strategic decision to create a better experience for every family, investor, and real estate professional we serve. We protected everything our clients already valued while building something even stronger around it.”
CrossCountry Mortgage continues to be one of the nation’s fastest-growing mortgage lenders, financing one in every 35 homes sold in America. Through The Andrew Russell Team, Russell’s clients and referral partners now benefit from the strength, scale, and operational resources of a national leader while continuing to receive the local expertise and relationship-first approach that has defined his business for years.
The Andrew Russell Team is now accepting new clients and continuing to serve Russell’s existing pipeline of borrowers and referral partners without interruption.
About The Andrew Russell Team at CrossCountry Mortgage. The Andrew Russell Team, led by Regional Executive Vice President Andrew Russell, is a mortgage lending team operating out of CrossCountry Mortgage’s Hauppauge, New York branch. The team serves homebuyers, homeowners, and real estate professionals with a focus on speed, certainty, and a relationship that lasts well beyond the closing table. Andrew Russell, Personal NMLS#217975.
About CrossCountry Mortgage. CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC is the number one distributed retail mortgage lender in the nation. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, CCM services loans across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and has helped more than one million families achieve homeownership. The company has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies ten times and is consistently recognized for its growth, innovation, and culture.
*Underwriting turn times are based on CrossCountry Mortgage’s internal standards and are not guaranteed. All loans subject to underwriting approval.
CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC NMLS3029 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Equal Housing Opportunity. All loans subject to underwriting approval. Certain restrictions apply. Call for details. Statistics cited are CrossCountry Mortgage figures; “1 in 35 homes” reflects Q4 2025 purchase volume per CCM’s reported data.