Introducing Alan Parris: 2022 HousingWire Marketing Leader
Alan Parris was one of the first handful of employees at Maxwell when it was an unknown startup. Since then, Maxwell’s VP of Marketing & Growth has grown his role from reaching the company’s first prospects to building a brand with national recognition in the mortgage industry. That journey has helped land Alan on the 2022 HousingWire Marketing Leaders list.
“It makes me proud to know that I’m in an environment with teammates who would nominate me for such an honor,” Alan says about making the list. “Seeing the breadth of the housing industry recognized on the HousingWire list, it’s humbling to be selected and to represent Maxwell and our commitment to connecting with our customers.”
Alan leads Maxwell’s brand positioning, content thought leadership, and community engagement in the mortgage industry as the head of the marketing and growth team. He has led the team to establish Maxwell’s new brand, expand the company’s influence, and reach new lender audiences who can benefit from Maxwell’s growing suite of solutions.
Growing the brand by building industry trust
To grow the company’s reach and customer base within the mortgage industry, Alan and his team work to grow Maxwell’s industry leadership, connecting lenders to Maxwell’s solutions. Doing that effectively requires trust both in the solution and the provider. For Alan, one of the greatest achievements during his tenure at Maxwell has been building trust among lenders as a function of brand building.
“As you start thinking about building the brand of a company, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he says. “Over my time at Maxwell, what I’m most proud of is having a hand in growing the amount of lenders who have entrusted us with their business. Being able to connect lender pain points with Maxwell’s value and unique offerings and to become that trusted provider is a great feeling.”
Owning the process
Within the framework of Maxwell, Alan places great value, as a teammate and a leader, in the shared value of ownership. One of the core values of the company, ownership is something Alan views as vital to employee, team, and organization success.
“It’s always felt very natural to me to treat my projects and contributions to the business with ownership—and to enable my team to treat their work the same way,” notes Alan. “When teammates feel like they have the resources they need to accomplish something and they display ownership as a core attribute, they can run with things and work towards success. It’s night and day how they work when they feel empowered.”
He has displayed the principles of ownership consistently throughout his tenure at Maxwell, particularly through rebranding efforts in 2021. During that process, Alan worked with internal and external stakeholders to comprehensively review Maxwell’s standing in the mortgage technology market. He spent time with lenders to refine his understanding of their needs and wants in the space to develop a brand strategy positioning Maxwell as the best partner to fulfill those needs.
Connecting with local lenders
Alan’s commitment can be seen in the wide-ranging campaigns, projects, and team expansion he has undertaken since COVID-19. He led the industry’s first virtual conference, MAXOUT, in May 2020, giving nearly 1,000 attendees access to thought leadership on how to manage their lending businesses through uncertain times. From there, Alan’s leadership through content, webinars, and as a host of Maxwell’s Clear to Close podcast has helped local lenders remain connected and informed.
Meanwhile, Alan has tripled the size of the marketing and growth team in the past year, enabling Maxwell to significantly expand its brand reach and customer base. Today, Maxwell serves more than 350 lenders and has facilitated over $175 billion in loan volume, thanks in part to the tireless work Alan has put into growing Maxwell’s marketing presence in the industry. With his ownership and leadership, Alan has helped Maxwell build relationships with local lenders to deliver the mortgage tech they need to turn the tide of homeownership.
“When you take a look back over the last five years, it’s unbelievable to see the continued growth in our relationships with lenders,” Alan says. “It’s great to see Maxwell’s impact on so many lenders and the mortgage experience across the country.”
Want to hear more insight from Alan? You can listen to him host of the Clear to Close podcast, along with Maxwell VP of Customer Success Bryan Traeger and Maxwell Capital Solutions Director Anthony Ianni as they take on the latest challenges facing the mortgage industry.