The Ever-Shifting Landscape of Mortgage Disruption

 
 

Recent growth and contraction in the mortgage, iBuyer, and Power Buyer space has resulted in a reshuffling of the largest businesses aiming to disrupt the industry.

Why it matters: Mortgage is an emerging battleground in real estate, and the number of Mortgage Loan Originators (MLOs) employed by a company is an important leading indicator of that company's firepower and strategic intent in the space. Of note:

  • Opendoor has surged to #3 after acquiring RedDoor.

  • Significant layoffs at Knock and Homie have pushed Homeward into the #1 spot of emerging Power Buyers (full disclosure: I'm an advisor to Homeward).

Zillow and Knock have shed MLOs during a series of recent layoffs.

  • Zillow's MLO headcount is down 17 percent and Knock is down a massive 50 percent from December.

 
 

Better Mortgage and its employees have had a tough five months. So far, the business has lost about half -- around 600 -- of its MLOs through a series of layoffs.

 
 

Comparatively, Zillow still has significant firepower at its disposal; all eyes are on what's next for Zillow Home Loans in a post-Zillow Offers world.

 
 

Redfin and Prosperity Home Mortgage (a subsidiary of mega-broker HomeServices of America) dwarf Zillow and the others in the space, highlighting the latent power of incumbency.

  • Redfin (through Bay Equity), Prosperity, and Zillow operate more traditional mortgage businesses, while the others offer more disruptive services.

  • It's also important to differentiate between purchase and refinance business; many of the Power Buyers and iBuyers are focused on purchase.

 
 

The bottom line: Real estate tech disruptors are investing billions to build integrated brokerage and mortgage experiences.

  • Tracking MLOs over time reveals who is marshaling resources for future growth, who is making strategic retreats, and who has the most potential to effect change in the future.