Lender and Broker Products, Software, and Services

There’s been plenty of chatter lately about lenders trying to rebuild realtor referral pipelines. One company may have found a different angle. Inside Real Estate (yes, the company that bought BoomTown) has quietly launched a new lead solution designed specifically for lenders focused on agent relationships. Consumers enter looking for both financing guidance and help finding a home, creating opportunities for lenders to engage early in the process and strengthen agent partnerships. Several participating lenders have reportedly received qualified applications within days of launch, while also generating new conversations with referral partners. BoldTrail already powers lead generation and nurture for the largest real estate brands and is the chosen partner for more than 400k agents and 14k LOs nationwide. One catch: markets are exclusive… Might be worth checking if your market is still open. Schedule a call or Email/text Mike Ensch at 562-644-2373.

Are you making the most of every borrower relationship? Could your retention strategy be working harder for your business? In today’s market, retention takes more than a first-lien mortgage strategy. Lenders looking to strengthen long-term borrower value are turning to HELOCs and HELOANs to support growth across market cycles. Join FirstClose VP of Client Success Andria Lightfoot and Optimal Blue PPE Solution Specialist Cheri Wolfe on June 10 at noon CT for a webinar on building a smarter retention strategy through home equity lending. You’ll learn why these products matter, how pricing consistency can support scalable execution, and how originators can identify opportunities at the point of sale. Register now to strengthen your retention strategy and drive more value from every borrower relationship.

Most mortgage AI tools automate part of the process and leave your team to catch what they missed. That doesn’t reduce risk, it just relocates it. JazzX AI goes further by reasoning across the loan lifecycle and validating data across documents to produce findings that are complete, explainable, and audit-ready. Every output is tied to a guideline, a document, and a field, so your team can verify every decision independently. That’s the difference between automation that looks good upfront and automation that holds up under scrutiny. Request a demo with our team to see how JazzX makes every decision audit-ready.

Less back-and-forth. More first-time-right verifications. Truework replaces manual verification waterfalls with a single automated platform, so underwriters, LOs, and ops can cut down the document chasing, conflicting numbers, and last-minute corrections. Lenders see up to 50 percent cost savings on verifications, with faster turn times, higher accuracy, and stronger R&W relief. Trusted by 4 of the top 5 lenders in the U.S., Truework gives your team verification results they can rely on. Learn more.

“Headed to the IMN Non-QM Forum in Dana Point this June? Connect with Planet, the sub-servicer purpose-built for non-agency portfolios at scale. From DSCR and RTL to SFR and other business-purpose assets, we deliver the reporting, transparency, and asset-level oversight institutional investors expect. It starts with more efficient transfers and continues with earlier, clearer insight into performance driven by proprietary pre-boarding that accelerates onboarding and Early Payment Default analytics that surface risk early. Connect with us IMN and see how Planet delivers servicing that adapts to your portfolio, not the other way around. To schedule your meeting, contact Caitlin Moynihan at (917) 399-5135 or subservicing@planethomelending.com.

On May 17th, MERS released version 26.1 of its System Procedures Manual. Are you prepared to comply? For many mortgage lenders, the annual MERS Review is a requirement that raises more questions. Even for experienced leadership teams, there is often uncertainty around what the review really entails, how it is evaluated, and where risk tends to surface. The experts at Richey May have answered many of your review questions in this blog. However, staying compliant starts well before the review, with a clear understanding of MERS policies and procedures as they evolve. It’s important for lenders and servicers to understand these changes as they have operational and compliance implications. Tune in to this quick video where Richey May’s mortgage experts unpack these recent changes, why they matter, and what executive teams should be paying attention to as they evaluate risk, controls, and ongoing compliance.

“Credit unions and community banks run a different kind of mortgage operation. The files involve members and customers, and a slow report or a missed detail doesn't only affect the transaction. It impacts the relationship. Advantage Partners Solutions is here to help. We work with institutions that work with their member relationship in mind. Our team knows the compliance environment, understands how member-facing mortgage lending works, and responds accordingly. Our team understands how your process fits into the broader scope and the role it plays in building high-trust, long-term relationships. That understanding shapes how we respond, how we deliver, and how we support your team each day. If you’re ready to have reliable processes that support great member experiences, we invite you to connect. We are a team that values consistency and accountability. We invite you to start a conversation with APS today.”

Spring EQ (NMLS #1464945) continues to expand its home equity and non-QM offerings with pricing and guideline enhancements designed to help partners stay competitive. Rates have been reduced across all fixed-rate products, with cuts of up to 50 bps in most buckets. Additional updates include no reserve requirements on DSCR loans, first-lien HELOCs up to $750,000, and no full title requirement on second liens. To help partners capitalize on growing home equity demand, Spring EQ is hosting The Home Equity Playbook: Reframing the Rate Conversation on June 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Attendees will learn how to position home equity solutions without refinancing the first mortgage, overcome rate objections, grow pipeline and revenue, and strengthen customer relationships. Register today to reserve your spot. Visit EMMA to price, process, and manage your loans. Not a partner? Join here: Wholesale or Correspondent.

The Chrisman Marketplace is a centralized hub for vendors and service providers across the industry to be viewed by lenders in a very cost-effective manner. We’re adding new providers daily, so check back often to see what’s new. To reserve your place or learn more, contact us at info@chrismancommentary.com.

RESPA and Section 8: The MBA is on It

Here’s a note I recently received from an industry vet. “Rob, Section 8 of RESPA is a joke. It dates from 1974, is obsolete, and is broken all the time. Criminal penalties… really? What, if anything is being done about it and by who?”

For a current update I turned to the MBA’s VP for Residential Policy Justin Wiseman who replied, “The MBA agrees that RESPA is significantly outdated and in need of serious reform. When it was passed, no one even thought of internet marketing, the widespread availability of real estate listings, or all of the other marketing and technological solutions that have dramatically changed the real estate market. The regulatory landscape has also dramatically evolved, with the QM, LO Comp, TRID and other rules now protecting mortgage shoppers. The changed landscape is why MBA members put together our white paper, RESPA at 50 (I can email you the report if the link doesn’t give you what you want) that highlights the key legislative and regulatory changes that could be made to RESPA to enable it to function in the modern market while retaining its core consumer protections. The CFPB has a lot on its hands at the moment with the mortgage finance Executive Order (and hopefully Reg X servicing reform and LO Comp rule reforms) but we think considering and advocating for reasonable changes to RESPA is an important long-term priority.”

In a related matter, some reports note that Ari Karen and Mitchell Sandler were disqualified by the judge in the loanDepot class action case unless they produce conflict-of-interest waivers. The basic gist is that the Court found Ari represented loanDepot loan officers in a prior action and improperly used confidential information obtained in that matter to bring this case. The court also found an improper conflict of interest as this case is materially in conflict with the interests of those former clients who, as loan officers, also carry liability under the LO Comp rule. Ari Karen and Mitchell Sandler alleged in the attached filing that they have the waivers but rather than provide them, moved to withdraw.

The Mitchell Sandler statement states, “The firm and its ethics expert believe that the facts and law permit the firm’s representation of the Plaintiffs consistent with its ethical obligations and that such a determination could have been reached without further consideration by the court. However, the firm believes that it is in the Plaintiffs’ best interests for it to withdraw from the case to prevent these distractions from undermining the Plaintiffs’ ability to pursue these serious legal claims against Loan Depot in a class action.”

Case 1:25-cv-02294-JRR Document 50 Filed 06/02/26:

“Pursuant to Local Rule 101.2, Ari Karen and Mitchell Sandler PLLC (“Counsel”) for Plaintiffs Nathan Johnson, Rachel DeBaun, Nathan Moore, and Shawn Derrick (collectively, the “Plaintiffs”), files the instant Motion to Withdraw as Counsel in this matter and in support thereof states as follows:

“1. Although Counsel already has obtained waivers from the Former Clients, because of the potential effect that the Court’s ruling will have on this litigation in the future, including class certification, Counsel believes the Plaintiffs’ interests are best served by withdrawing from this litigation and allowing the case to proceed with current Co-Counsel Michael Paul Smith and Smith, Gildea & Schmidt, LLC’s (“Co-Counsel”) representation. Counsel does not want its involvement to undermine class certification or unduly delay Plaintiffs’ claims in any manner. Accordingly, Counsel respectfully requests that the Court grant its withdrawal from this litigation pursuant to Local Rule 101.2.

“2. In the alternative, if the Court is disinclined to grant this Motion to Withdraw, we believe it is most appropriate to provide our Former Clients with the opportunity to review the Court’s Order and consult with independent counsel to ensure they remain comfortable with their waivers. Given both the passage of time and any impacts that this Court’s Opinion could have on their continued waiver, Counsel believes it would be inappropriate to file the waivers without first allowing the Former Clients sufficient opportunity to review the Court’s Order.

“Order and consult with independent counsel to ensure they remain comfortable with their waivers. Given both the passage of time and any impacts that this Court’s Opinion could have on their continued waiver, Counsel believes it would be inappropriate to file the waivers without first allowing the Former Clients sufficient opportunity to review the Court’s Order.1And, since simultaneous with this filing Counsel is leaving overseas on a nonrefundable trip for ten (10) days, Counsel requests an extension to file the waivers until June 22, 2026, if the Court still deems it necessary notwithstanding this Motion to Withdraw. (Dated: June 2, 2026).

1In the event that the Court still wants to see the waivers, Counsel is prepared to tender those with a Motion to file Under Seal.

STRATMOR on Mortgage Technology Spending

Mortgage lenders have spent years investing in digital tools, but where are those investments actually making a difference? In the latest STRATMOR Insights Report, Senior Partner Nicole Yung explores how mortgage technology spending is shifting "below the waterline” from borrower-facing features to the operational infrastructure, automation, integrations, and AI capabilities that drive scalability and efficiency. Drawing on findings from STRATMOR’s most recent Technology Insight® Study, Nicole examines how lenders are prioritizing investments, where adoption gaps remain, and why successful digital transformation depends as much on execution as technology itself. For lenders evaluating their technology roadmaps and preparing for future growth, the article offers practical insights into maximizing returns on digital investments and building a stronger operational foundation for the years ahead.

Capital Markets

For most capital markets technology providers, AI has been advisory at best. Chatbots that answer questions, dashboards that forecast trends, copilots that suggest the next move. MCT just changed that. Recently, they released a live video of Pike Creek Mortgage Services using Atlas, MCT's generative AI advisor, to complete the industry's first AI-driven trade on a live mortgage pipeline. Watch as Atlas pulls pipeline data, surfaces three trades to bring coverage back to optimal, and executes a $3 million competitive TBA auction plus two $500,000 direct orders within seconds. As secondary teams look for ways to compress the lag between recommendation and execution without giving up control, this live demonstration shows how MCT's Trade Execution Agent operates inside client-defined guardrails to keep automation accountable and auditable, building on last year's Hedge Recommendation Agent. Watch the video or join MCT's newsletter to stay informed with the latest technology innovations by MCT.

Rates? Yaddah yaddah yaddah. Rising oil prices, new tariff proposals, and some solid economic data all converged to drive the view that the Fed won't be cutting the target range for the fed funds rate anytime soon. And let’s not forget the national debt.

For economic news we’ve had Q1 Productivity and Unit Labor Costs (+1.8 percent; expected +2.3 percent) as well as Weekly Initial Jobless Claims (225k; expected 216,000; prior 215,000) and Continuing Jobless Claims (1.777 million; prior 1.786 million). Wednesday’s close saw the 2-yr yielding 4.09 percent and the 10-year yielding 4.49 percent. This morning they’re at 4.04 and 4.45, respectively, and Agency MBS prices are up .125-.250 versus yesterday’s close.