People on the Move: Motto Mortgage CEO retiring 

Editor's note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who've recently taken on, or stepped away from, roles that influence the residential real estate landscape. 

Ward Morrison will soon bring his two-decade career with RE/MAX Holdings to an end when he retires on June 15.

Morrison is currently the president and CEO of Motto Mortgage, a national mortgage brokerage that he helped launch in 2016, and wemlo, a mortgage processing company that RE/MAX acquired in 2020. 

Following Morrison's retirement, Motto Vice President of Franchise Growth & Development Adam Sartin will temporarily lead both brands during the search for a permanent replacement. Morrison will stay on as a part-time consultant through the end of the year, RE/MAX said in the announcement.

Morrison's decision to leave RE/MAX Holdings follows several shakeups at the company, including the departure of RE/MAX Canada President Christopher Alexander, who stepped down earlier this month after nearly four years in the role, and the resignation of RE/MAX President Amy Lessinger, who left 11 months into the job. 

The company also recently appointed a new executive vice president of strategy and a new chief growth officer.

Morrison, who will be getting married this summer, described his decision to retire as a "deeply personal" one that "didn't come easy."

"My time with Motto has been incredibly fulfilling — full of meaningful work, incredible colleagues and a shared commitment to helping families achieve their dream of homeownership," Morrison said in a news release. "I am proud to have been a part of the Motto journey from the beginning."

Morrison worked at RE/MAX for over 10 years — three of which he spent as the vice president of region operations — before he began leading the teams at Motto and wemlo. RE/MAX Holdings CEO Erik Carlson said Morrison's commitment to Motto had "a profound impact on the real estate and mortgage industries."

"He was the perfect leader for the visionary brand that has disrupted the mortgage brokerage landscape," Carlson said. "As happy as we are for Ward as he embarks on this new chapter, he will be missed."