A handful of mortgage companies went public in 2021, including:
· Rocket Mortgage
· United Wholesale Mortgage
· Home Point
· LoanDepot
· Guild Mortgage
· Finance of America
Revenge of the Nerds 🤓
But for mortgage originators, one of the more interesting companies to go public in 2021 isn’t even a “mortgage company” at all. NerdWallet (NRDS) began trading in November ’21 and hyped themselves to Wall Street with the following line:
“We attract users to our platform and use data science models to match them with relevant products from our financial services partners.”
Despite the cute ticker symbol 🤓 Nerdwallet is expected to close in on $400 Million in annual revenue, all without originating a single loan. They attract prospective borrowers to online mortgage calculators and steer them to the highest bidding lenders using sophisticated tracking pixels.
In light of these new “competitors”, a question that every originator needs to ask themselves is: When my borrower leaves my office, how are they computing their payments?
How The Nerds Do It 👀
"Mortgage calculator" is searched 4.1 million times a month and has 1.8 billion search results. Who's at the top of those results? The online lenders mentioned above.
There’s no doubt that pre-approval tech for customers is a good idea. In a competitive market, borrowers need to understand what their financial ability will allow and how that impacts them. With QuickQual, you can start the conversation ahead of their search by offering them a solution that's customized to their specific financials. This allows them to act fast on the house they find at 2 am in bed with a snack in hand. You get it, we get it, it's all a part of the process.
Confident buyers make informed decisions. Are you giving them everything they need to stay in your pipeline or are you losing out on leads? Get a sample sent to your phone to learn more.
Berry Interesting 🚨
We ordered lunch into the office recently and someone ordered a Loganberry milkshake. Here in Buffalo, NY, Loganberry flavored items are “a thing.” You’ve got Loganberry sodas, Loganberry jams, and even Loganberry BBQ sauce.
All this led us to ask the question… what in the hell is a Loganberry?
While it sounds like a totally made-up fruit, the Loganberry originated by accident in 1881 when James Harvey Logan planted his blackberry and raspberry plants too close together. The hybrid fruit gained popularity in Western New York and Southern Ontario when the now-shuttered Crystal Beach Amusement Park began selling Loganberry flavored drinks.
Still reading about Loganberries? Well, we’d like to reward you by sending one lucky Loganberry fan a Tory Burch Miller Leather Shoulder Bag in their Loganberry color! Only newsletter subscribers can enter this giveaway.
To Book or Not To Book 🗓
Ah yes, the controversial 'Calendly' etiquette debate. We're interested to know, do you feel disenfranchised by calendar links as opposed to the old back-and-forth associated with finding a time that works for both parties? Or do you find it more convenient to choose your time and have the invite on your calendar within seconds?
Vote in our poll to share which side you lean. One-click voting, totally anonymous, and just for funzies. The poll is also available on our LinkedIn page.
From The Team's Bookmarks 📌
Here are a few resources our team put together that we found interesting or helpful over the last month. And, of course, we included a couple of links for everyday use, because why not?
- What Lenders Need to Know About Social Media in 2022
- Top Mortgage Execs Envision 2022’s Mortgage Industry
- What Mortgage Lenders Need to Succeed in the New Purchase Market
- What Is Web3 All About? An Easy Explanation With Examples
- A Go-To Recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Because We're Obsessed: Wordle
Event Season Is Upon Us ✈️
Despite the odds, there are quite a few upcoming events in the mortgage industry. After just getting back from MBA's Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference in Nashville, here's where we're headed next!
FEBRUARY
Windsor's Mortgage Bootcamp in Scottsdale, AZ | 2/3 - 2/5
Next Level Loan Officers' LIVE in San Diego, CA | 2/25
MARCH
MCT Exchange in San Diego, CA | 3/3 - 3/5
ICE Experience 2022 in Las Vegas, NV | 3/14 - 3/16
APRIL
Next Level Loan Officers' LIVE in Las Vegas, NV | 4/8
MBA 2022 Technology Solutions in Las Vegas, NV | 4/11 - 4/14
Great River MBA Conference in Memphis, TN | 4/20 - 4/22
And we just had to throw in a great shot of our signature cocktail from the happy hour we hosted with Sales Boomerang & Knowledge Coop. ICYMI, we're Bills fans!
Another Subscriber Special 🎉
Quote of the Month:
“Get at least eight hours of beauty sleep, nine if you're ugly.”
– Hollywood's Golden Girl, the late Betty White
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