Austin Niemiec signals deeper commitment to Rocket Pro after leadership shakeup
Austin Niemiec has a clear message for mortgage brokers: “We’re more committed to Rocket Pro than we’ve ever been,” he said in his first interview since stepping in to lead the channel in late January.
Niemiec’s return to Rocket Pro comes during a period of leadership transition at the third-party originations wing of Rocket Companies and Rocket Mortgage. Dan Sogorka — who held the role of general manager since September 2024 — departed last month, citing personal reasons. Shortly after, longtime executive Mike Fawaz announced he would leave the company after 15 years to pursue his next chapter.
“Evolutions are a sign of a very healthy business,” Niemiec said in an exclusive interview with HousingWire. “We’re more committed to Rocket Pro than we’ve ever been, and that’s why I made the decision to come back and lead the channel. When you look at our leadership team at Rocket Pro, it’s never been stronger.”
Niemiec is leading an operation that produced approximately $36.3 billion in mortgages from January through September 2025, up 15.3% year over year.
Rocket Pro, the nation’s second-largest wholesale lender, kicked off 2025 by hiring Katie Sweeney, the former CEO of the Broker Action Coalition (BAC) and a longtime advocate for the broker channel. Last year, the company unveiled 10 “partner promises” outlining its public commitments to brokers and launched new offerings, including debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) and bridge loans.
Nearly two weeks into his new role, Niemiec said he’s focused on “transforming what it means to be a wholesale lender in this new era.” But he declined to share specifics ahead of Ignite26, the company’s annual event scheduled for Feb. 26, where Rocket plans to make major announcements.
Niemiec will retain his title as chief revenue officer of Rocket Mortgage but will now focus exclusively on the broker and correspondent channel through Rocket Pro. He reports to Heather Lovier, chief operating officer of Rocket Companies, who oversees retail operations. Lovier reports to Jay Bray, the president and CEO of Rocket Mortgage, who joined the firm following the completion of the Mr. Cooper Group acquisition.
“I am our chief revenue officer, and I was leading all of retail and our partnerships business, and I am now fully focused on Rocket Pro,” Niemiec said. “The goal is to accelerate decision-making and increase our investment in the channel. That’s why I came back to do this.”
Niemiec said brokers can expect deeper integration with other parts of the business, including opportunities stemming from the acquisitions of Redfin and Mr. Cooper Group.
“We now have the largest servicing platform in America. We’ve launched AI tools for loan officers that are incredible. And over the last few years, we’ve significantly expanded the top of the funnel through our brand and the acquisition of Redfin,” Niemiec said.
“Yes, our plan is to use those benefits to help brokers win. When I say we’re going to redefine what it means to be a wholesale lender in this new era, those are going to be big pieces.”
At the Rocket Pro Experience event in September, the company unveiled BrokerNearMe.com, a consumer-facing site that connects borrowers with local brokers; Rocket Pro Assist, an AI-powered tool that delivers instant answers on loan guidelines, status and conditions; and Rocket Pro Navigate, an AI platform described as a “ChatGPT built exclusively for loan officers,” which offers sales coaching, lead discovery, document analysis and client communications to help move deals forward more efficiently.