The Current Pulse of the Mortgage Industry

After spending 19 years as a mortgage lender, it’s been a fascinating experience for me to spend this last year interacting with our members and other mortgage lenders all across America on a daily basis. From our perspective, here’s what we find mortgage lenders talking about most these days.

The Race to Scale - Never before has there been more of a fervor to grow in this business, for all the reasons you see below.

Consolidation - Very hard to find anyone in this business not expecting record levels of consolidation and M&A these next 2-3 years. Many companies are looking to acquire or be acquired.

Operating Efficiency - Aggressive regulatory reform has led to increased operating costs, which results in higher rates and fees to borrowers and higher costs to originate for lenders.

Emerging Technology - Whether its “Rocket Mortgage-esque” consumer-direct online application products, e-closings, or other tech products - lenders are trying to make sense of what technology will be needed for their firms to continue to thrive.

Honorable Mention - TRID adjustments & the grey areas of regulation, Non QM, the vendor management process, opportunities with new/emerging demographics.

Rich Swerbinsky
rswerbinsky@mtgcoop.com