Real REMAX Group pressing pause on Motto Mortgage
The combined company previously told Motto owners that “business will continue to move forward as it does today” but has now said franchise growth will cease.
Days after The Real Brokerage closed on its acquisition of REMAX Holdings, the newly combined company has confirmed that it will not pursue additional franchising of REMAX's Motto Mortgage business.
Unification, not growth: Real REMAX Group will no longer sell new Motto Mortgage franchises, HousingWire was first to report, but will instead redirect its resources toward supporting a unified mortgage platform, the company said. Vic Lombardo, who was named president of Motto Mortgage a year ago, has also reportedly stepped down, and Kate Gurevich is moving into the role of CEO of One Real Mortgage as other leadership changes fall into place at the combined company.
Among those changes is the departure of Kelly Gill, who had been SVP of mortgage marketing at REMAX. Earlier this week, Gill posted on LinkedIn that her role at the franchisor was over "as part of organizational changes." Gill was with Motto Mortgage for over eight years and spent six years at wemlo, a mortgage processing company acquired by REMAX in 2020.
"I've had the opportunity to help build and grow these brands, navigate an ever-changing mortgage market, support an incredible network of entrepreneurs and mortgage professionals, and lead through growth, transformation, challenge and change," Gill wrote, noting that several other members of her team were also impacted by staffing changes.
The Motto Mortgage business had already been experiencing negative growth, with franchise office count declining by 32% year-over-year in Q2.
Representatives for Real and REMAX did not immediately answer Real Estate News' questions about the future of Motto Mortgage.
Previous statements about Motto: When Real first announced its planned acquisition of REMAX in late April, both companies said that REMAX and Motto "will continue to operate under their current brands." In an SEC filing submitted at that time, the companies also said the REMAX and Motto Mortgage franchise brands "will be maintained and continue to operate."
An April 27 email to Motto Mortgage franchise owners and loan originators cited in the SEC filing added that "business will continue to move forward as it does today" and owners should "continue running their business as usual."
Other recent REMAX shakeups: Former REMAX president Chris Lim and former EVP of Strategy Travis Saxton announced at the 2026 REMAX Broker Owner Conference earlier this month that they would not be moving forward with the new company.
Jenna Rozenblat has been named president of the new Real REMAX Group.
Press reps for Real REMAX Group also confirmed that REMAX Holdings CEO Erik Carlson would be stepping down from his role following the transaction's close, and joining the Real REMAX board.
Other recently announced leadership appointments have included Amy Somerville as COO; Ravi Jani as CFO; Pritesh Damani as CTO; Abigail Lee as CMO; Alexandra Lumpkin as chief legal officer; and Leah Jenkins as chief accounting officer.