With a strong psychology background, mortgage loan originator Andrew Russell has built a thriving business that puts people first. Before heading into the mortgage industry, he earned a Master’s degree in psychology and was a guidance counselor and a football coach.
He first dipped his toe into the mortgage industry by working as a telemarketer for a broker — a job that would help him realize his love for sales. While he started this new career in his early thirties right at the crash of 07/08, he found that he loved the work and the challenge.
Andrew’s vision was to open his own company and his dream became a reality in 2017. RCG Mortgage, based in Long Island, New York, started with only two other people. Since that time RCG has grown to over forty employees. Andrew Russell was named the number one mortgage broker loan originator in the Long Island market by Scotsman Guide two years in a row.
Building on that momentum, Andrew has partnered with CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing lenders. The move gives his team a deeper product menu, in-house operations, and the resources of a national platform, while keeping the same local, people-first approach that built RCG. For Andrew, joining CCM is about doing more for clients and realtor partners without changing what has always set the team apart: service, speed, and a genuine relationship with every borrower.
As a referral-driven team, Andrew and his group complete hundreds of loans a year and continue to scale. His mantra: putting people first, every step of the way.
While Andrew leads the team, he also continues to help buyers get the best mortgage that fits their needs. “I would never move away from working with clients and doing what I love,” he says. “However, I also have a granular understanding of how to build a team and how to offer great service to our clients and our realtor clients.” The team’s value proposition is geared toward their realtor partners, with an in-house digital marketing division that offers in-depth training. Realtors receive high-end skills training focused on digital marketing and social media, including how to grow and scale their presence online. “We’re helping realtors grow their business, which in turn has resulted in our team building up a large following,” Andrew says.
When he’s not working, Andrew spends time with his family — his beautiful wife and amazing children. He’s active in the community and is a member of multiple chambers of commerce. The team also gives back wherever possible through fundraising efforts. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they donated over five figures to the Northwell hospitals to support their time of need.
Looking to the future, Andrew plans to keep expanding while taking care of his clients. “Automations are key to our growth,” he explains. “We reach out by land, air, and sea, making phone calls to realtors and clients as well as doing check-ins with automated texts, emails, and voicemail drops.” Staying in front of people is a top priority and his team meets to go over a daily success plan each morning to ensure that everything is handled efficiently. When you’re working with Andrew or his team, you’ll find that you are walked through every step of the process with a high level of detail and instruction. Andrew says, “It is my greatest honor to help homebuyers achieve the American Dream of homeownership.”
Where it all started. Learned the fundamentals of finance, client relationships, and what it means to move money with precision.
Got deeper into mortgage lending and started seeing what this business could really be. The foundation for what was coming next.
Started building real momentum. More responsibility, more clients, and more clarity on the kind of leader I wanted to become.
Leveled up my loan knowledge and helped build scalable systems that served both clients and loan officers.
Brought everything full circle: leadership, production, growth. This was the pressure cooker before the next big leap.
Started my own brokerage from scratch and built it into a billion-dollar brand. A modern mortgage company driven by strategy, culture, and performance.
Brought my business to CrossCountry Mortgage, one of the largest lenders in the country. It’s the next chapter: more products, more markets, and the operational muscle to close faster and take care of even more clients without losing the personal touch that got me here.
