In 2009, Corrina Carter looked around and realized something unsettling. Every other mortgage broker in her market had closed up shop. The 2008 financial crisis had gutted the industry, and the people who once competed for business beside her were gone. Some switched careers entirely. Others simply disappeared.
Corrina stayed.
"When I was the only broker left standing in 2009, I did not quit. I rebuilt," she says. That single decision, made during the worst financial crisis in a generation, set the trajectory for everything that followed.
What Is CMS Mortgage Solutions?
CMS Mortgage Solutions is a nationally licensed mortgage brokerage founded by Corrina Carter, offering access to over 100 wholesale lenders. The company operates as a Top 50 national brokerage, closing more than 1,800 loan files per year with a consistent 14.5 business day average close time, a record the team has maintained for six consecutive years.
A Single Mom With a Mortgage License and a Mission
Before the crisis, before the accolades, before building a multi-generational business, Corrina was a single mother working to provide for her son Deshawn. She entered the mortgage industry more than 20 years ago, drawn not by a grand vision but by a practical need: she wanted to create a stable life for her family.
What she discovered was something deeper. Mortgages were not just financial transactions. They were the mechanism by which families built stability, equity, and generational wealth. For Corrina, every closed loan represented a family planting roots.
That belief carried her through the crisis years when the industry collapsed around her. While others saw an industry in ruins, she saw families who still needed homes. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the number of licensed mortgage brokers in the U.S. dropped by more than 70% between 2007 and 2010 (MBA Annual Report, 2011). Corrina was among the fraction who remained. She did not just survive the downturn. She used it as the foundation for what CMS Mortgage would become.
Building a Top 50 National Brokerage From the Ground Up
Over the next decade, Corrina built CMS Mortgage Solutions into a company that consistently ranks among the top mortgage brokerages in the country. The numbers tell part of the story: 1,800+ files closed last year, a 14.5 business day average close time sustained for six straight years, and a team of 136 loan officers operating across multiple states.
But numbers alone do not capture the way Corrina leads. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in a book that changed her perspective: "The Heart-Led Leader" by Tommy Spaulding. The book argues that the most effective leaders operate from a place of genuine care, not strategy alone. For Corrina, this was not a new idea. It was a confirmation of what she had always believed.
"We do not just do mortgages. We build legacies," she often tells her team. That phrase is not a tagline. It is the operating principle behind every decision she makes, from hiring to client experience to company culture.
The G.R.O.W.T.H. Values
Corrina developed the G.R.O.W.T.H. framework as a way to articulate the values that define CMS Mortgage from the inside out:
- Grit - The willingness to endure difficulty and keep building, especially when the path is unclear.
- Relationships - Prioritizing human connection over transactional efficiency.
- Ownership - Taking full responsibility for outcomes, both successes and setbacks.
- Willingness - Staying open to change, growth, and uncomfortable conversations.
- Trust - Building credibility through consistency and follow-through.
- Heart - Leading with empathy and genuine care for people.
These values are not displayed on a wall and forgotten. They are referenced in team meetings, hiring conversations, and the company's annual Vision Party, a tradition Corrina established where the entire CMS team comes together to align on goals, celebrate wins, and set the direction for the year ahead.
Street View vs. Drone View
One of Corrina's most recognizable leadership concepts is what she calls "street view vs. drone view." The idea is simple but effective. Street view is what you see when you are in the daily grind, handling individual files, solving immediate problems, responding to what is right in front of you. Drone view is the ability to rise above the details and see the bigger picture, where the company is headed, what patterns are forming, and what needs to change.
Corrina moves between these two perspectives constantly. She can be in the details of a loan file one moment and casting a five-year vision the next. That flexibility is part of what makes CMS Mortgage adaptive in an industry that shifts with every rate change and regulatory update.
A Multi-Generational Business and Family
One of the most distinctive aspects of CMS Mortgage is its family structure. Corrina's son, Deshawn Smith, serves as the company's Chief Operating Officer. Her husband John is part of the family foundation that supports the business. And her granddaughter Shalyn represents the next generation, the living proof of the legacy Corrina talks about building.
Working alongside family brings its own challenges, but Corrina sees it as one of the company's greatest strengths. The trust that comes from family relationships translates into a leadership dynamic where transparency is the default and accountability runs deep.
"You are not crazy. You are just first," Corrina has said, reflecting on the moments when her vision for CMS Mortgage seemed too ambitious to others. Building a multi-generational mortgage business, maintaining a family-first culture at scale, closing loans faster than industry averages for half a decade: these were ideas that sounded unrealistic until they became reality.
The Vision Party and Company Culture
Every year, CMS Mortgage holds a Vision Party. It is not a corporate retreat with slide decks and breakout sessions. It is a gathering where the team celebrates what they have accomplished and sets intentions for the year ahead. Corrina uses the event to reinforce the company's values, recognize individual contributions, and create alignment across a growing organization.
The Vision Party reflects Corrina's broader leadership style. She believes that people perform best when they feel seen, valued, and connected to a larger purpose. According to Gallup's 2024 State of the Global Workplace Report, employees who feel their work has purpose are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged (Gallup, 2024). Corrina did not need a study to tell her that. She built her company around it.
Heart-Led Leadership in an Industry That Forgot About Heart
The mortgage industry is often described in terms of rates, margins, and volume. Corrina does not ignore those realities. She runs a business that competes at the highest levels, with the metrics to prove it. But she insists that the human element is what separates CMS Mortgage from the rest.
Her approach to leadership starts with listening. She listens to her team before making decisions. She listens to borrowers before recommending loan products. She listens to the market before adjusting strategy. And she listens to her own instincts, the same instincts that told her to stay in 2009 when everyone else left.
That willingness to lead from a place of care, while still demanding excellence, is what defines Corrina Carter. She is not building a mortgage company. She is building something that will outlast her, a family business, a team culture, and a client experience that changes how people think about homeownership.
If you want to work with a team that operates with this level of intention, get started here.
---
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the CEO of CMS Mortgage Solutions?
Corrina Carter is the CEO and Founder of CMS Mortgage Solutions. She has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry and built CMS into a Top 50 national brokerage.
How many loans does CMS Mortgage close per year?
CMS Mortgage closes more than 1,800 loan files per year, with a consistent 14.5 business day average close time that the team has maintained for six consecutive years.
What are the G.R.O.W.T.H. values at CMS Mortgage?
G.R.O.W.T.H. stands for Grit, Relationships, Ownership, Willingness, Trust, and Heart. These six values form the cultural foundation of CMS Mortgage and guide hiring, leadership, and daily operations.
Is CMS Mortgage a family-owned business?
Yes. CMS Mortgage is a multi-generational business. Corrina Carter serves as CEO, her son Deshawn Smith is the COO, and her husband John is part of the family foundation. The company culture emphasizes legacy building and family values.
What makes CMS Mortgage different from other brokerages?
CMS Mortgage combines the scale of a Top 50 national brokerage with a heart-led leadership philosophy. The company prioritizes relationships, offers access to 100+ wholesale lenders, and maintains one of the fastest average close times in the industry. Explore the tools and resources available to CMS clients and partners.