The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts Announces Expansion of Executive Leadership Team

The new structure will further reinforce AIME's mission to protect, support, and grow the wholesale channel.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers, has announced the appointment of AIME member Tom Ahles to President of Growth. Marc Summers and Brendan McKay will continue to serve as executive leaders of AIME, with McKay's new acting title being President of Advocacy, and Summers serving as President of Membership. Katie Sweeney will remain CEO of the organization.

Tom Ahles, Vice President, and Co-Founder of high-volume brokerage Edge Home Finance has 20 years of experience in financial services, including heading his mortgage brokerage. A dynamic entrepreneur and respected industry professional, Tom ranked among the top 100 mortgage brokers by Scotsman Guide in 2021. Edge Home Finance has grown from $71 million in originations to $2.8 billion in under ten years and has recently achieved a spot in the top ten AIME Broker Rankings, which are based on production in several categories. Within the past year, the brokerage has hired 150 loan officers, totaling 400 to date, and currently works with 42 different lending partners. Tom has personally recruited 20+ of the new hires from the retail mortgage industry.

"Tom is an excellent leader who strives to foster the advancement of independent mortgage brokers,” said Katie Sweeney, CEO of AIME. “His commitment to remain an expert, dependable, and ethical source for the mortgage needs of his local community and the broker channel is unparalleled. His strong leadership will help promote our membership’s continued development as well as accelerate market share growth.”

As consumers become more aware of independent mortgage brokers, a desire to support locally owned businesses to purchase or refinance a home is becoming more prevalent. As part of its new model, the AIME Presidents will embody the core message that "brokers are better" as part of their commitment to protecting, supporting, and growing the wholesale channel through education about expanded financing, superior service, innovative technology, and ongoing opportunities to outperform the market competition.

“I am very excited to be joining the AIME leadership team as a President driving important growth initiatives for our channel,” said Tom Ahles. “I have always had a passion for helping other people. It doesn't matter if you are a member of my team or with another brokerage. Together, we can advance and dominate the broker channel, ultimately benefiting our communities and consumers."

About Association of Independent Mortgage Experts

The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) is a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers. With over 40,000 members, AIME is committed to establishing a community of independent mortgage experts by creating an association that empowers them with unparalleled technology, continued education, and networking support necessary to successfully advise consumers nationwide with their residential mortgage needs. AIME operates with a growth-focused strategy, providing tools and resources to propel the wholesale channel beyond a 25% share of the mortgage market in 2022 and beyond.