Borrower Outreach

FirstHome IQ, the industry-led nonprofit focused on improving financial literacy and homebuyer education for younger generations, has released its 2025 Impact Report. The report highlights the trust and knowledge crisis facing Millennials and Gen Z and outlines a coordinated industry effort to close these gaps through research-backed education.

STRATMOR Group released “The ROI of “Why”: Fixing One Defining Borrower Moment Can Transform Your Business,” an in-depth look at how a single interaction can determine whether a borrower continues with a lender — or quietly walks away. The article, authored by STRATMOR consultant William Ayer, draws on STRATMOR’s extensive secret shopping program to reveal how often lenders unintentionally deliver experiences that feel “too transactional,” causing breakdowns in trust, conversion, and long-term loyalty.

Tavant in partnership with Real Genius, a national direct-to-consumer mortgage banker, has developed LAZLO, a proprietary digital lending platform designed to deliver a faster, fully online mortgage experience from application to close.

Cloudvirga, a Stewart-owned provider of digital point-of-sale platforms for lenders, has launched Loan Hub for lenders seeking an optimized loan team experience. The Loan Hub gives loan officers, LO assistants and processors a modern, intuitive workspace to manage their pipelines, collaborate with borrowers and complete key tasks without toggling between systems.

Uplist, a provider of borrower engagement and portfolio intelligence technology, announced that users of the company’s Recapture refinance analysis and automation platform increased by 60% during the third quarter of 2025 and more than 700% over the past year. Recapture now tracks more than $100 billion in active loans and has identified $4.7 billion in refinance opportunities within the past 30 days alone.

National affordable housing innovator Arrive Home has launched two new iterations of its Earned Equity Program as part of its continued mission to expand access to homeownership for underserved borrowers. Arrive Home’s Earned Equity Program, which helps more consumers achieve their homeownership goals through a long-term purchase contract, is now available in two separate products designed for two different groups of borrowers.

New Story Lending, a growing national mortgage company dedicated to making homeownership accessible to all, has officially trademarked the phrase “Breaking Barriers to Homeownership.” The move reflects the company’s commitment to providing innovative lending solutions, fostering financial empowerment, and ensuring that the dream of homeownership is attainable for most everyone.

EDGE Home Finance, a mortgage lender serving borrowers nationwide, has partnered with Calque to provide ‘buy-before-you-sell’ loan programs, including The Trade-In Mortgage™ and Contingency Buster.

Cornerstone Capital Bank, a national provider of mortgage origination and servicing solutions and consumer, commercial, and institutional banking services, has launched a Community Lending Division to expand homeownership opportunities for underserved communities across the nation.

National affordable housing innovator Arrive Home has partnered with FormFree, a provider of financial technology since 2007, to offer lender partners an alternative method to effectively measure a borrower’s credit risk and ability to pay. The partnership will expand homeownership opportunities for borrowers with limited credit history.