Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) production data for May 2026 shows that the nation’s top brokers and third-party originators (TPOs) remain largely unchanged from the prior month, while the number of endorsements were relatively flat compared to April.
The data — compiled by Reverse Market Insight and published by HECMWorld.com — shows that Atlantic Avenue Mortgage continues to pace the broker/TPO channel by a wide margin. The company endorsed 75 HECM loans in May, down from 110 in April, although its 12-month rolling average was unchanged at 978 loans.
loanDepot was second in the May rankings with 48 endorsements, above their 12-month average of 39. Caliver Beach Mortgage (22), C2 Financial Corp. (19) and West Capital Lending (17) rounded out the top five.
The monthly broker rankings lag two months behind the HECM direct endorsement activity for July published earlier this month by New View Advisors. That dataset shows that the nation’s top 15 companies endorsed 2,034 HECM loans last month, down slightly from June. More than half of those endorsements were done by the top three lenders — Finance of America (498), Mutual of Omaha Mortgage (377) and Longbridge Financial (351).
HECM activity continues to move slowly in the face of higher interest rates, as well as upfront mortgage insurance premiums that industry leaders are seeking to relax. But the demand for home equity lending solutions among senior homeowners is high, and more borrowers are moving toward proprietary reverse mortgages, which saw a 245% spike in volume from 2023 to 2025.
Still, some industry experts say that the HECM product remains fundamentally sound and is often the best choice to meet a variety of cash-flow needs in retirement.
“Compared with products that require monthly payments, can freeze credit lines or expose retirees to unnecessary risk, the HECM often provides protections that are unmatched in retirement finance,” wrote Dan Hultquist of Movement Mortgage and REVERSE plus.
Last week, Longbridge introduced its Reverse Analytics Market Platform (RAMP), a free tool for approved broker partners that offers HECM production data down to the ZIP code level.
“Lenders today need access to the best information available,” Longbridge CEO Chris Mayer said of RAMP’s launch. “When originators have a clearer understanding of the markets and communities they serve, they are better equipped to make thoughtful decisions and best target marketing and sales.”
Some lenders have been able to grow their HECM businesses despite the obstacles. Kim Smith, senior vice president of wholesale lending at Smartfi Home Loans, recently offered her thoughts to HousingWire‘s Reverse Mortgage Daily after the company upped its HECM endorsements by 32% from 2024 to 2025.
“Our growth is attributed to our people and the culture,” Smith said. “I’ve been doing this for a while, specifically wholesale reverse mortgage for over 20 years, and I can say this is the best combination of sales and operational excellence. That’s the key. We have team members that will pick up the phone, work with our partners. We have a solution mindset. That is our secret sauce.”
