Planet adds Javier Garcia to expand Southwest retail lending

Planet named mortgage veteran Javier Garcia as retail branch manager, bringing his bilingual team into the company as it grows in Texas, Arizona and the broader Southwest. The move is aimed at serving first-time homebuyers, Spanish-speaking families and borrowers with more complex financial needs.

Why it matters: - Planet is expanding its retail mortgage footprint in the Southwest. - Garcia’s team adds bilingual support for borrowers in Texas and Arizona. - The hire is positioned to strengthen service for first-time homebuyers, Spanish-speaking families and borrowers with unique financial situations.

What happened: - Planet welcomed Retail Branch Manager Javier Garcia and his team on July 23, 2026. - Garcia will help expand the company’s ability to serve homebuyers across the Southwest. - Garcia has more than 15 years of mortgage industry experience. - His background includes residential real estate, sales leadership and branch management.

The details: - Garcia has built a reputation for developing loan originators and helping them handle complex loan scenarios. - His team focuses on personalized guidance throughout the homebuying process. - The team serves borrowers in Texas and Arizona. - Garcia began his career in residential real estate before moving into mortgage lending during the 2009 market downturn. - His experience spans centralized sales, builder lending, retail origination and branch leadership. - Matt Payan, SVP National Production Distributed Retail, said Garcia’s people-first leadership and relationship focus fit Planet’s approach to customers. - Garcia said Planet’s in-house lending options include construction, renovation and manufactured housing loans. - Garcia said Planet’s servicing platform and operational model support a consistent customer experience while the team grows.

Between the lines: - Planet is leaning on experienced branch leadership to deepen regional growth. - The focus on bilingual service suggests Planet is targeting borrowers who may be underserved by traditional mortgage channels. - Garcia’s mix of real estate and lending experience could help the team navigate more complicated borrower profiles.

What's next: - Garcia said he plans to expand the team’s presence throughout the Southwest. - The team will continue serving underserved and Spanish-speaking communities with personalized guidance. - Planet is continuing to invest in growth across its retail platform.

The bottom line: - Planet is using a veteran branch leader to widen its Southwest reach and reinforce service to multilingual and first-time buyers.