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Mortgage Market Intel #16 -  Apr 20, 2026

Picture of James Hooper

Market Movers

Last week, 284 originators switched companies and 1,285 individuals obtained their NMLS license. Notable originator movements last week include:

Figures are based on last 14 months’ production.

Market Movers (Companies)

Top Gainers (non-Bank/CU):

  1. Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation +17.28%
  2. Atlantic Avenue Mortgage, LLC +16.84%
  3. Mortgage Solutions FCS Inc. +8.39%
  4. United Lending Team, INC +8.19%
  5. M & M Mortgage, LLC +7.75%
  6. HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation +7.38%
  7. Bayshore Mortgage Funding, LLC +6.3%
  8. ClickStart Mortgage LLC +5.27%
  9. SUCCESS Lending, LLC +5.06%
  10. Iconic Mortgage Corp. +4.61%
  11. Loan Pronto, Inc. +4.2%
  12. Federal First Lending LLC +3.88%

Calculations based on last aggregate production of individual LO’s 14 months’ production for companies with at least 20 loan officers. Excludes companies below $100M in 14mo LO production value after gains factored in.

 

RETR Newsletter-16-LO-Movers-Grass-Is-Greener-Gemini_Generated_Image_waoahewaoahewaoa

Is the Grass Actually Greener? A Data-Driven Look at LO Movers 

Last week, we highlighted a clear trend: loan officer mobility is declining.

Fewer LOs are switching companies—even as the market begins to stabilize.

But that raises a more important question:

For those who do make the move… does it actually pay off?

We took a deeper look at the 2024 mover cohort—loan officers who switched companies that year—and tracked their performance from 2023 to 2025.

To keep the analysis clean, we focused only on those still active in 2026, removing ~20,000 LOs who exited the industry. That left us with a core group of ~26,000 active movers.

Here’s what we found:

Average loan volume
2023: $8.33M
2025: $10.18M
→ +22% growth

Average units
2023: 24
2025: 28
→ +17% growth

At face value, that’s a strong signal:

LOs who moved in 2024 are producing more after the switch.

But context matters.

Zooming out to the broader market:

Total loan volume
2023: $1.69T
2025: $2.03T
→ +20% growth

Total loan count
2023: 5.40M
2025: 5.87M
→ +9% growth

So what does that tell us?

1. Movers are outperforming the market—but not by as much as you might think
Volume growth for movers (+22%) is only slightly above the overall market (+20%). That suggests part of their lift is simply riding the macro recovery—not purely the result of switching.

2. Unit growth is more telling
Movers increased units by 17%, compared to ~9% market growth. That points to real productivity gains, not just bigger loan sizes.

3. Survivorship matters
By excluding those who left the industry, we’re looking at a stronger, more resilient subset of LOs. These are likely higher performers to begin with—so their success isn’t solely driven by the move itself.

And that leads to the real takeaway:

Switching companies can help—but it’s not a silver bullet.

The LOs who win after a move are typically the ones who already had the foundation:

    • Strong referral networks
    • Consistent production habits
    • The ability to adapt quickly

The move may unlock incremental growth—but it rarely creates it from scratch.

So while mobility is down, the data suggests something nuanced:

The grass can be greener… but only if you know how to grow.

For lenders, this reinforces two realities:

    • Recruiting matters—but who you recruit matters more
    • Retention strategies should focus on enabling performance, not just preventing exits

Because in this market, platform alone isn’t the differentiator.

Execution is.

Upcoming RETR Training

  • Mon, Apr 20 @ 2p ET - Intro to RETR: The Modern Loan Officer’s Data Advantage Register
    An overview of the many tools available to you in RETR – from agent and LO research, to list building and bulk contact exports, and borrower retention and refi finder tools, and more!
  • Wed, Apr 22 @ 1p ET - The RETR Recruiting Advantage: How to Attract and Hire the Right Candidate Register
    Learn how to identify, prioritize, and recruit the right loan officers using real production data, relationship intelligence, and proven insights. This class is for leaders who want to recruit with precision-not volume.
  • Thurs, Apr 23 @ 2p ET - Intro to RETR: The Modern Loan Officer’s Data Advantage Register
    An overview of the many tools available to you in RETR – from agent and LO research, to list building and bulk contact exports, and borrower retention and refi finder tools, and more!

Is RETR Better?

 When it comes to mortgage market intelligence, you have a handful of options, and RETR is one that truly stands out. Here’s what Jason Kindler, top producer at First Coast Mortgage Funding has to say about RETR: “RETR is a game changer for the way that I can prospect Realtor relationships, as well as for recruiting. Having data before I have conversations is powerful, so I can spend time on meaningful relationships. I have tried several platforms and RETR is the best!” 

RETR Newsletter-16-LO-Movers-Grass-Is-Greener-28_User Testimonial - Jason Kindler

But you don’t have to take their word for it. RETR offers a free trial to loan officers, branches, and mortgage companies to judge the quality of the data and insights for themselves.