🚀 Why Now's the Perfect Time - If you’ve been feeling the pulse of the mortgage industry lately, you’re not imagining it: you’re in the driver’s seat. As a high-performing Branch Manager or Loan Officer, here’s why the current market is ripe for your next big career move.

1. Demand Outstrips Supply—Big Time

• Independent Mortgage Banks (IMBs) and brokerages are locked in a fierce talent war. They’re scrambling for top producers, causing average LO turnover to hover around 30–45% annually.
• With home-purchase activity gaining momentum—homebuying projected to reach around 3.8 million buyers in 2025, a 9% jump over 2024—firms are ready to invest in top talent.

2. Compensation: Better BPS & Bigger Bonuses

• Average retail LO compensation has hovered in the 92–103 bps range, but top-tier producers are now commanding up to 175-200 bps.
• Signing bonuses? They’re NOT gone—many firms are offering upfront payouts tied to production, with bps-based bonuses reaching into the high six figures.
• Plus, strategic sign-on deals that include clawbacks for early departures are becoming industry standard.

3. Power Shift: You Call the Shots

• High producers and agile Branch Managers now operate like free agents, giving them leverage.
• IMBs, unafraid to pivot, outmaneuver traditional banks by offering aggressive splits, flexibility, and better incentive models.
• Today’s top-tier talent isn’t just being chased—they’re courted: at-home work, superior tech, clear career paths, and equity/rev‑share opportunities are all on the table.

4. Technology & Culture: New Deal for High Earners

• In 2025, the conversation’s shifted: tech stack, culture, and long-term incentives matter just as much as the upfront comp
• Leading firms offer end-to-end digital mortgage systems, CRM integration, remote options, and real revenue share—not just bps.
• This isn’t fluff. Compensation models now focus on true earning potential and cultural alignment, not chasing big immediate payouts that evaporate after six months.

5. Strategic Moves = Career Momentum

     For those ready to level up:

• Confirm your volume—what are your current production levels vs. your top-market value? Use that data to negotiate better splits, guaranteed tiers, and more.
• Demand a clear tech-enabled platform, plus defined leadership pathways: assistant → senior loan originator → Branch Manager → revenue-partner. Today's firms are building these paths already.
• Negotiate meaningful sign-on or performance bonuses, but also aim for longer-term incentives: rev-share, equity, golden-handcuffs—tools to build wealth and reduce your future risk.

✳️ Bottom Line

As the mortgage market steadies and competition for top-producing talent intensifies, you hold the leverage. Firms are outbidding each other—raising bps, offering sizable sign‑on bonuses, and building tech-forward, future-oriented environments.

If you’re a high-producing Branch Manager or Loan Officer ready for more control, income, and long-term upside—this is your moment.

If you'd like to explore opportunities with terrific comp, with significant sign-on bonuses, and outstanding ops, processing and support, then let’s connect. Based on your criteria we will target only firms that can deliver you the growth or culture you desire.

Regards - Bob Miller, CPC

Delivering Top Producing Loan Originators & Branch Leaders