BWE, a national commercial and multifamily mortgage banking company, announced a significant expansion of the company’s footprint in Tennessee with the acquisition of First Southern Mortgage, a full service commercial real estate capital firm.
Jim Collins, executive vice president, Stephen Brink, executive vice president, Aaron Ball, vice president, Graham Gilreath, vice president, and Thomas Smith, senior transaction manager, each bring extensive experience arranging debt and equity financing for all types of commercial real estate assets to BWE, including multifamily, retail, industrial, office and self-storage facilities, and have deep relationships with a wide variety of lenders, such as life insurance companies, banks, and government agencies.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jim, Stephen, Aaron, Graham, Thomas and the rest of the team to BWE. Their deep roots in the Tennessee commercial real estate market combined with the full-service BWE platform makes for a great combination that will further benefit their existing and prospective clients,” said Todd Harrop, BWE’s national director of conventional production.
Collins and Ball will open a new BWE office in Knoxville, while Brink, Gilreath, and Smith will join BWE Senior Vice President Brittney Rowe in the Nashville office. Rowe is an accomplished producer with expertise in every aspect of the mortgage banking business, from originating loans to underwriting and financial analysis.
“BWE is a perfect home for our team, bringing together both best-in-class lending resources and market expertise with a track record of excellent client service that will allow us to serve the needs of both new and existing partners more effectively,” said Brink. “As the Tennessee market continues to grow, we know we’re in the right place to be effective.”
The expansion in Tennessee with First Southern Mortgage continues BWE’s strong period of growth despite the COVID-19 pandemic and a difficult economic environment. The firm has increased its producer base by 54 percent over the last five years and will continue to add additional talent throughout the country in 2024.
