Ryan Larussa Baton Rouge Real Producer

Ryan Larussa GMFS Mortgage Loan Officer at GMFS Mortgage Sherwood named Baton Rouge Real Producers’ May 2020 Partner Spotlight 

BATON ROUGE REAL PRODUCERS, MAY 2020 – Whether a client is looking to buy, build or refinance, every real estate agent should make sure their clients are taken care of when making any of these life-changing decisions.

Ryan Larussa, Senior Loan Officer and Team Lead of GMFS Mortgage Sherwood (NMLS #99209), has helped thousands of people confidently finance and refinance residential properties for 20 years with a value-added, client-based philosophy.

Being in business during the 2008 housing bubble burst, the 2016 flood and the most recent COVID-19 has seasoned Ryan and his team. From these catastrophes, they have learned how to optimize their business and come back even better. “When the chips are down, you have to push forward and do the best you can with the team around you,” Ryan said. Adding Value to Every Interaction Larussa and his team pride themselves on adding value to client interactions and make a point of evaluating every day through the same lens: “Did we learn something? How did we add value?” “If you don’t bring value, you’re going to get left out,” he said. Financing or refinancing a home is an important decision with significant financial repercussions. It’s a process that literally changes lives. Many clients like to focus on the numbers– the rate and closing costs–but Larussa said that’s not the most important question. “It’s what are your dreams and goals?”

He’s made a career of matching clients’ answers to that question with the right programs to get the best numbers for nearly two decades. GMFS Mortgage offers a variety of residential mortgage programs, like 100% mortgage financing, first responder mortgages, first-time homebuyer, rural development home loans and VA loans for veterans, just to name a few. And all with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company also earned the Torch Award for Marketplace Trust. Matching people with the right programs can easily become the best financial decision someone has ever made, Ryan said, and he’s honored to be in the role of helping fellow native Louisianians arrive at those successes. He counts the value- added, not the effort exerted. “We know that if we help enough people, and we do the right thing every single time for the client, we’re going to be taken care of and blessed throughout the process.” Even after nearly two decades, he admits he still gets “a pretty cool burn” in his belly when a first-time home buyer closes on a property. It’s a decision that can often leverage people into new and improved financial situations, helping them establish themselves for the future.

Client-Based Culture : GMFS services between 90 and 95 percent of their own clients which means they don’t sell off loans, instead they take care of them. To date, the Baton Rouge GMFS office has helped more than 100,000 clients. Larussa and his team worked with more than 260 families in 2019 alone, growing from the 200 families in 2018. The culture at GMFS Baton Rouge is centered around clients and exceptional service. It’s part dedication to high-quality service and a lot of good, old-fashioned southern hospitality you can expect from a Louisiana business. GMFS offers the comfort in knowing that when issues arise, there’s an office of people waiting to hand you a cup of coffee and solve the problem. After the devastating flood of 2016, Ryan said more than 4,000 of his clients’ homes were damaged. His team worked directly with each one of them to offer solutions, comfort and even a shoulder to lean on during an emotional time. Approximately 65% of Ryan’s February 2017 closed loans were from borrowers impacted by the Louisiana flood. His dedication to helping previous clients and people across the community earned him the National GMFS Mortgage Loan Officer of the Week title in March 2017.

Being local goes a long way, especially in Louisiana. While he predominantly works in the East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish areas, he is also licensed in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. He holds licenses in those areas so he can assist clients when life brings them outside of Louisiana. For Ryan and his team, the most important aspect of business is building relationships with real estate agents, builders and home-buyers. Not only is it good for business, it’s good for life. Ryan isn’t just after helping people who enter the walls of the GMFS Baton Rouge office, he often takes to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, where he posts helpful tips and videos for home buyers and property investors. It’s easy to see why Ryan Larussa and his team are ranked second in the Baton Rouge area and fifth in the state, but he gives all credit first to God, then to GMFS and his team members, Siedda Hines and Adam Woods, and Sarah Delaney who helps in day-today operations. Ryan and his team bring clarity to John C. Maxwell’s quote, “Adding value to others is the surest way to add value to our own lives.”

Thank you Breanna Smith and Aaron Cox for capturing their dynamic personalities and sharing their strong dedication and commitment to the lending side of real estate transactions.

Contact the Ryan Larussa Team