Maybe I’m cutthroat, but you absolutely know what my intentions are.”

“I ended up having to kind of cut them out, because I grew that company so fast,” Kortas said. “I [used] my knowledge from the mortgage industry. I took this company to seven states and 13 metropolitan cities … within two years. So I grew this landscape company at this rapid rate.”

Kortas hated it, though. People looked down on him for being a landscaper while he was used to being treated like a mortgage professional. While building his landscaping company, he kept dabbling in mortgages, hoping that at some point the industry would turn around.

Up From The Mat

By 2010 he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to sell the landscape company, which funded his way back into mortgages. He got his licensing and was determined not to lose focus this time. However, it was the start of a very unhealthy work-life balance.

Kortas worked 18 to 20 hour days six days a week with Saturday being his “crash day” to catch up on sleep. During that time he didn’t see his family for weeks or months on end.

Eventually, Kortas began averaging 24 loans a month as an individual loan officer with no support. He was the first loan officer to be ranked in Scottsman’s Guide

thought it was great at first.”

In the end, though, none of the other loan originators wanted to leave. They were too comfortable and decidedly satisfied with the money they were already making. They didn’t want to follow Kortas down an unknown path.

Kortas, on the other hand, was miserable. Although the money was piling up, his work-life balance was wreaking havoc on his health and family time. So he left his job along with the 72 loans in his pipeline that amounted to six figures and followed his dream. n

Straight To The Top

“Idon’t think it was a hard shift to open up a business because by this point, I’d already failed at business a few times,” Kortas said. “My wife was like, ‘Oh, great, here we go again. You and your serial entrepreneurship.’”

But Kortas was unrelenting and knew he couldn’t let this opportunity pass. The entire business would be focused 100% on the staff and the loan officers, and thus NEXA Mortgage was created in Arizona.

Originally, Kortas thought he would go with the banking model, but found that brokering was much more beneficial to loan officers.

As the owner of NEXA Mortgage, Kortas receives residual income, and he decided his loan officers should as well. That’s why he set up lifelong residual income programs for his sales team so they could also reap the benefits of their hard work.

“You have an opportunity to make more money at NEXA Mortgage than any other mortgage company in the country,” Kortas said. “We believe in a few core things, though. We like to be the best at just one thing. We have just the best interest rates, and just from that alone you can grow a company very quickly. We believe we must provide loan officers the absolute best opportunity in that category, so we focus on that heavily.”

It wasn’t before long that other big players in the industry began recognizing Kortas. Networking is the name of the game in this industry and, as a talker, Kortas was able to do so easily. Of course, the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) was able to help him forge an even closer connection with UWM CEO Mat Ishbia and UMortgage’s Casa.

Facing Betrayals

Though some people see themselves as “big dogs” in this industry, Kortas says he doesn’t. He merely sees himself as an advocate for loan officers, and says it bothers him to no end when he sees them being deceived or lied to by higher-ups in the industry. As previously mentioned, transparency and honesty are key to earning his respect.

Kortas firmly believes Casa, former chairman of AIME, was using the association as a big database to recruit loan officers. Although Kortas said there is nothing illegal about that, he thinks the members of the association should be aware of it.

Deceit and lack of transparency go against Kortas’s core principles. He didn’t stand for it when he was a homeless teenager, and he won’t stand for it today.

“It bothers me when I see companies or people, like Anthony Casa, who has been deceiving people for years,” Kortas said. “And look, I followed his doctrine. I was one of his soldiers. But I realized there were these side door arrangements and I don’t like them. And I’m like, ‘That’s not what you told everybody, right?’ He himself said no broker should recruit from another broker. He was the one who regulated that with an iron fist.”

Casa did not respond to any of Kortas’s claims.

In September 2022, Kortas announced that he’d be leaving AIME due to a lack of transparency and claims over online bullying from other members. Though, Kortas admits he isn’t shy when it comes to firing back on social media, and claims it’s only to defend his company and its loan officers.

“Maybe I’m cutthroat, but you absolutely know what my intentions are in doing it,” Kortas said. “The one thing you’ll never question is what my intentions are and the transparency that I have on that.” n

Picture your dream home. Now look down. There’s a bright red line keeping you out. Join host Katie Jensen as we dive into redlining and the legacy of discrimination. You’ll hear first-hand accounts from those who’ve had to fight back to achieve their dreams. And we’ll challenge industry leaders on how to rewrite this legacy.

Most Connected Mortgage Professionals 2023

This month, National Mortgage Professional Magazine features its “Most Connected Mortgage Professionals of 2023.” They are the top industry professionals selected by editors for their participation in the world of social media. The winners were chosen in part based on the nominations we received and focused on these social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Winners were not selected based just on their numbers.

To be considered for a Gold Level Connection, a nominee must be among the top three of the categories; Silver Level Connection in two; and Bronze Level Connection in one. None of the nominees were among the top in all four platforms. All information was supplied by the nominees and reviewed by magazine staff. Social media stats are as of 5/15/2023.

All honorees are listed alphabetically by last name within each category.

John Cady

John Cady, SVP Retail at Cardinal Financial, is a 30+ year mortgage veteran and award-winning champion for leadership, sharing his take on mortgage news, lending strategy, teamwork, culture, building connections, and other trending topics. His industry outlook has proven invaluable for both seasoned professionals and those fresh to the business.

Twitter Followers: 2,948

Facebook Business Page Likes: 2,652

LinkedIn Connections: 27,070

Instagram Followers: 3,094

Jonathan Fowler

Jonny Fowler has been in the mortgage industry for 29 years, from the beginning his main goal has always been to help people. Now he travels the country teaching Realtors how to use social media to grow their business.

Twitter Followers: 398

Facebook Business Page Likes: 7,191

LinkedIn Connections: 28,080

Instagram Followers: 2646

Leti Ramos

Loan Officer Leti Ramos is an industry veteran and top producer at Academy Mortgage where she proudly serves her Dallas, Texas, community. Leti believes education is key in overcoming difficulties with homeownership. She is an advocate for non-English speakers and strives to bring awareness to affordable housing issues.

Twitter Followers: 606

Facebook Business

Page Likes: 5,200

LinkedIn Connections: 6,502 follower and over 500 connections

Instagram Followers: 6,253

Adam Smith

Adam Smith is one of the country’s leading minds in lead generation. After building a successful mortgage brokerage in Denver, he wanted to share his knowledge and Just The Tips Coaching was born. Just The Tips provides a no-nonsense approach to helping clients build repeat and referral businesses.

Twitter Followers: 952

Facebook Business

Page Likes: 6,300

LinkedIn Connections: 27,070

Instagram Followers: 1,941

Sean Uyehara

Sean, with 15 years’ experience, assists clients in achieving homeownership dreams. Originally pursuing financial planning in Las Vegas, he found his passion in loan origination. Expert in loan programs and problemsolving, he provides tailored guidance for all clients. Outside work, Sean loves fitness, reading, and family time.

Twitter Followers: 39

Facebook Business

Page Likes: 1,900

LinkedIn Connections: 3,403

Instagram Followers: 1,427