Award-Winning Mortgage Lender
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For more than two decades, Sherry Riano and her team have helped North Carolina homebuyers, sellers, investors, and real estate agents close loans other lenders said couldn't be done. That work has earned consistent recognition from the most respected names in the mortgage industry, including Scotsman Guide, Expertise.com, Cary Magazine, and Triangle Real Producers every year since 2020.
These awards aren't the goal. They're a reflection of what our clients and partners experience every day: a strategy-first approach, relentless responsiveness, and the kind of creative problem-solving that keeps deals alive.
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Scotsman Guide Top Originators & Top Women Originators
Sherry Riano has been featured on Scotsman Guide rankings five years running:
2025 — Top Women Originators
2023 — Top Originators
2022 — Top Originators
2021 — Top Originators
2020 — Top Originators
Scotsman Guide is one of the most rigorous independent rankings in the mortgage industry, with verification requirements that include third-party documentation of every loan submitted. Being named year after year reflects sustained production, deep technical knowledge, and the trust of thousands of North Carolina families who've chosen Sherry to guide them home.
The Sherry Riano Team has been named one of the Best Mortgage Brokers Serving Raleigh by Expertise.com in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2026. Their independent editorial team reviews more than 100 Raleigh-area lenders annually and selects only the top 14 based on more than 25 variables across licensing, verified user reviews, and mystery-shopping calls. Repeat inclusion on this list signals consistent service quality, deep local market knowledge, and a documented track record of helping Raleigh homebuyers navigate the mortgage process with confidence.
The team has also been recognized by Expertise.com as one of the top mortgage brokers serving the Durham market in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2026. Triangle homebuyers — particularly those relocating for positions at Duke, Research Triangle Park, and the Durham healthcare corridor — rely on lenders who understand both the local market and the timeline pressure of a relocation. Four years of recognition reflects the team's continued investment in serving clients across every corner of the Triangle.
The Sherry Riano Team has been named a Triangle Real Producers Preferred Partner in both 2023 and 2026. Triangle Real Producers is an invitation-only network for the top 500 producing real estate agents in the Triangle. Being selected as a Preferred Partner places the team among a small group of vetted vendors trusted by the region's highest-performing agents. This recognition carries particular weight - it comes directly from the agents and partners who refer their clients to us every day and stake their own reputations on our work.
In 2022, The Sherry Riano Team was honored with a Maggy Award from Cary Magazine - a readers' choice recognition selected by the people who live and work in Cary, NC. As a team headquartered in downtown Cary, this award is especially meaningful: it came directly from our neighbors, our clients, and the community we've called home since 2008.
What These Awards Mean for You
Awards don't close loans. People do. But every recognition on this page points back to the same thing: a team that treats every borrower like the most important file in the office, every agent partner like a long-term relationship, and every challenging deal like a problem worth solving creatively.
Whether you're buying your first home, your forever home, or your fifteenth investment property, the same award-winning team is on your side from strategy call to closing day.
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