Longbridge highlights wholesale reverse tech at NRMLA meeting

Executives from Longbridge Financial gathered last week at the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA)’s Annual Meeting to discuss the company’s suite of technology tools and lending products aimed at helping wholesale reverse mortgage partners grow their businesses and better serve older homeowners.

Wholesale and correspondent manager Bill Nolan opened the company’s session at the event by emphasizing collaboration across the Longbridge team and the company’s focus on supporting broker partners.

“We want to give you tools and products that allow you to grow your business,” he said. “That’s only valuable if you know what those tools and products are.”

Alissa Prieto, who has worked in the reverse mortgage industry for more than two decades, said that Longbridge is investing heavily in innovation and foresight. “We were the first to introduce an AI underwriting tool in this space,” she said.

Among the company’s recent technology rollouts is Bridget AI, an AI-powered underwriting assistant designed to help loan officers navigate complex program guidelines.

Users can ask Bridget questions ranging from age requirements to state-specific program differences, and the tool draws directly from HUD mortgagee letters and company policies.

Kristen Trum, director of wholesale sales operations for Longbridge, manages Bridget and shared that the platform is continuously updated with the latest underwriting changes. “There’s a thumbs-down button — if something’s not right, it comes to me directly,” she said.

The company also showcased Equity Engine, a visual tool that allows loan officers to illustrate side-by-side comparisons of reverse and forward mortgage options. “It helps borrowers and their families understand what might be the best solution,” said Jonathan Maiolatesi, a Longbridge account executive who demonstrated the product.

In addition to technology enhancements, Longbridge showcased new marketing materials and training modules available through its partner portal — which includes customizable content for financial advisers and real estate agents along with “micro-trainings” that last 15 to 20 minutes. “If you’re anything like me and can’t sit through an hour-long training, these are perfect,” Prieto said.

Longbridge officials also outlined recent updates to the company’s Platinum proprietary reverse mortgage line, including broader eligibility and new underwriting flexibility.

“We’ve made enhancements to our guidelines to make things easier,” said Francis Moses, an account executive. “For example, we now allow bitcoin as a source of income and borrowed funds for purchases.”

Longbridge also showcased its newly released product, HELOC for Seniors, a fixed-rate home equity line of credit designed specifically for borrowers 62 and older. The product, officially launched in September but previewed by company executives during The Gathering by HousingWire in June, was developed using technology from Figure. 

Longbridge teased that the product is set for a broader launch in January 2026 due to high demand. “Last year alone, there were 400,000 HELOC applications from seniors,” noted Robert Gonsalves, the company’s national key accounts manager.