For 38 years, lauren maxwell has done every job there is to do in the mortgage lending industry, from processor to underwriter to operations manager and loan originator. She stumbled upon the career by happenstance out of college and immediately fell in love with the industry. Today, she and her Maxwell Mortgage Team with CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) regularly close $500 million annually in residential loans. Even amid the COVID shutdown, she helped more than a thousand families close more than $329 million in loans. CCM is the nation’s number one retail and nonqualified mortgage lender and finances one out of every 36 homes coast to coast. As one of the nation’s leading loan originators, Maxwell has branches in Florida and Georgia.
She recently crossed paths with mortgage loan officer Liz Coffey and convinced her to join CCM to form the Maxwell & Coffey Dynamic Duo Team to serve Georgia homebuyers. “I spend summers in Georgia and started handling mortgage loans there,” says Maxwell. “I found Liz working in the industry and knew she would be a great addition to the team to run a Georgia branch.”
Coffey serves as the branch manager of the Georgia office and began working in the mortgage industry in 2014. She was awarded Rookie of the Year in 2022 during her first year as a loan originator, and the next year she received the President’s Club award. “I have a passion for helping people,” Coffey says. “It gives me great satisfaction to help my clients cross the finish line on one of the biggest transactions of their lives.”
A Boston native, Maxwell is licensed in 27 states and provides loans to homebuyers nationwide. “I am personally involved in every loan,” says Maxwell. “I am a workaholic, but I love what I do and look forward to it every day, so it doesn’t feel like work.”
Maxwell is the number seven female mortgage originator in the country. She was recently named to the top 50 by the 2025 Scotsman Guide in its annual ranking of six categories of mortgage professionals and has held the position as number one woman originator in Florida for the last two years. She also holds the rank of number one woman loan officer out of CCM’s 4,000 professionals and has been recognized as the mortgage executive with the Most Loans Closed, Top Dollar Volume, Top Purchase Volume and Top FHA Volume. Not bad for a woman who started at an entry-level position in the industry at a beginner’s salary 38 years ago.
Maxwell considers her job as one of service and education for her clients. “I help first-time homebuyers as well as those purchasing multimillion-dollar homes,” she explains. “I am transaction-motivated and want to help people who don’t understand the homebuying process. Anyone can loan money to those who easily qualify, but my heart and soul is attuned to helping those who need it the most. My mantra is ‘I finance the world one loan at a time.’” To this end, Maxwell searches out state grants and down payment assistance programs for those who need it so their dreams of owning a home can be fulfilled. She can be found setting homeowners up with mortgage loans wherever she goes. “I set up a loan for my housekeeper, my aesthetician, my mover and whoever else I meet in daily life who wants to buy a home,” she says. “There are thousands of loan officers that can do the job, but what puts me a step above is that I listen to my clients and give them solutions. I advise them to stop listening to neighbors, coworkers and family members and instead let a professional help them achieve their homebuying goal. It’s the biggest purchase of their lives, and who they hire matters.”
Maxwell makes sure her team follows her lead, never accepting a no answer. “I encourage my clients to not give up when they hear no and to get a second opinion,” she says. “No is not an option for me and my team. Maybe the answer is one we will find in the future and not right now, but we will find a solution. Ultimately, I want everyone to own a home.”
Her team, which is 80% bilingual to help them reach a larger percentage of their market, shares Maxwell’s never-say-no philosophy. “We don’t do drama, are never lazy and produce consistent results,” she says. “I never ask my team to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.”
While real estate agents are her biggest source of referrals, Maxwell develops strong relationships with her homebuyers as she helps them through the loan process. “When I get calls and notes after the loan has closed, it makes my heart happy,” she says.
Maxwell spends a significant amount of her time giving back to the community through CCM, including to Make-A-Wish, Youth Haven, Fostering Success, The Ann Children’s Fund, Take a Soldier Fishing, Teen Promise and Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples. She also speaks frequently at real estate conferences and meetings and at school functions. “I want to teach others never to give up on their dreams,” she says. “I don’t script these presentations; I just share the truth and speak from my heart.”
While the industry knows her as a can-do, take-charge professional, her grandchildren know her simply as LaLa. One of her great joys is living life with her three children and three grandchildren. “If I died tomorrow, I would feel good about my life because I have independent, amazing and responsible children,” she says. “My tombstone should read, ‘Mortgage Master and Magnificent Mother.’”
For those in the Metro Atlanta area looking to secure a home loan, the Maxwell & Coffey Mortgage Team will guide them with clarity and care, whether it’s a first home or a forever dream home. The team walks homebuyers through every step, eliminating industry jargon and providing the guidance and solid support homebuyers need to make the best decision for their particular situation. For luxury buyers, the team is well-versed in providing the discretion, strategy and seamless execution to finalize the deal, delivering the white-glove service the luxury lifestyle demands. The approach is always tailored to each buyer’s unique needs, with the end goal of turning each vision into keys in hand. *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
The approach is always tailored to each buyer’s unique needs, with the end goal of turning each vision into keys in hand.
Anyone can loan money to those who easily qualify, but my heart and soul is attuned to helping those who need it the most.
