Today we’d like to introduce you to Lakisha Russell.
Hi Lakisha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From “Just Needing a Job” to Building a Legacy in Homeownership: My Journey
Twenty years ago, I didn’t choose the mortgage industry with intention—I simply needed a job. It wasn’t a dream I chased or a career I planned. I stumbled into it by chance, but once I got inside, everything changed. What started as a way to provide for my family evolved into a passion, a purpose, and ultimately, a way of life.
In the early years, I dove in headfirst. I didn’t just process loans; I learned the business from the ground up—credit, underwriting, guidelines, programs, and all the moving parts that help families get into homes. The more I learned, the more I realized how powerful this work is. I wasn’t just helping people get loans—I was helping people build wealth, stability, and legacy.
I raised all three of my sons in this industry as a single mother, balancing motherhood with late nights, client calls, closings, and constant growth. This career didn’t just support us—it shaped us. My children grew up watching me help families become homeowners, and they saw firsthand what dedication, resilience, and faith can build.
By 2010, my work began receiving statewide recognition. I became the number one loan officer in Louisiana for helping buyers secure down payment assistance, opening doors for thousands who thought homeownership was out of reach. Over the years, I earned multiple Chairman’s Club honors with the companies I’ve worked for, a reflection of consistent performance and impact.
My journey didn’t stop at helping others buy homes—I became an investor myself. I own investment properties, Airbnbs, and a log cabin retreat. I don’t just talk about building wealth through real estate—I live it.
This isn’t just a career.
It’s my lifestyle.
It’s my legacy.
Today, I’m in Houston embracing a new chapter. I’m here to expand my reach, learn the market, and take on a new challenge in a city full of opportunity—first-time buyers, transplants, luxury communities, and new construction growth. My mission remains the same: help more families become homeowners, partner with builders and agents, and continue growing as both a lender and a real estate professional.
What started as “just needing a job” has become a lifelong journey of service, knowledge, real estate ownership, and generational impact. And I’m just getting started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The Struggle That Became My Superpower
One of my biggest challenges came from not having guidance early on. For the first 17 years of my career, I worked without an assistant. I didn’t even know I was supposed to have one—I handled every file, every task, every fire drill alone.
What felt like a struggle at the time turned into one of the greatest blessings of my career.
Because I had to do everything myself, I learned every step of the process firsthand. I understand this business on a deeper level because I’ve lived every role in it. Today, I do have an assistant and a stronger support system, but those early years sharpened my skills. They taught me to problem-solve with precision, speed, and confidence. To this day, I can troubleshoot a file like nobody’s business because I had to be my own team for nearly two decades.
That foundation built my efficiency, my leadership style, and my ability to serve clients with experience that can’t be taught—it had to be earned.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I help my buyers become homeowners by educating them on their credit, guiding them step-by-step through the entire process, and equipping them with the tools they need to qualify and sustain homeownership. I specialize in complex and challenging loan scenarios—those files that require creativity, strategy, and deep knowledge of guidelines. That’s the part of the work I’m most proud of because it allows me to problem-solve at the highest level.
I also specialize in down payment assistance programs. I’m genuinely passionate about understanding how each program works and matching the right solutions to the right buyers. While many loan officers have overlooked these programs or viewed them as difficult or undesirable, I embraced them. For me, they aren’t just a niche—they’re a calling.
Down payment assistance has always been a major key to homeownership for the clients I serve. I take pride in mastering these programs and knowing how to identify when a buyer needs one in order to purchase a home. In many cases, if these programs didn’t exist, my clients simply wouldn’t be able to buy.
What sets me apart is that I don’t shy away from complicated situations or unconventional financing options. I lean into them, study them, and apply them so families can own homes who may have otherwise been left out of the process.
What matters most to you?
It’s deeply important to me that anyone who is willing and deserving has the opportunity to receive guidance on how to become a homeowner. I’ve always been especially passionate about helping buyers whose income might make saving large amounts of money difficult—like those earning $15 an hour or working paycheck to paycheck. I understand that many of these individuals simply don’t have the resources to save thousands of dollars toward a down payment, yet they still deserve access to homeownership.
For me, people come first.
I carry my work with purpose, knowing that I am continuing a legacy for those who came before me. I often think about my ancestors and the sacrifices they made, and I feel a responsibility to carry the torch forward—helping minorities become homeowners, build wealth, and create generational change.
Homeownership isn’t just a transaction. It’s access, equity, and empowerment—and that’s why I do what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.loandepot.com/loan-officers/lakisharussell
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakisha_mortgagelender/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakishamrussell/
Image Credits
Image Credit goes to Femforce
