Redefining what it means to win in mortgage

You likely hear strategies rooted in competitive advantage: how to stand out, gain market share and outperform rivals. In mortgage, that playbook often mirrors sports—one side wins, the other loses.

But what if winning didn’t require someone else to lose?

A smaller market still full of opportunity

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s May 2025 forecast, total mortgage originations are expected to reach $1.397 trillion by year’s end, a slight downward revision from earlier projections. Existing-home sales are forecast at 4.266 million, down from 4.341 million in March.

Mortgage rates are expected to remain elevated, averaging 6.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025, as aggressive trade policies and weak consumer sentiment keep pressure on rates.

Despite these headwinds, one truth remains: there’s more than enough business for professionals who shift focus to underserved markets. That includes $1.15 trillion to $1.38 trillion in retail originations and $920 billion to $1.15 trillion in wholesale. With about 75,000 licensed retail loan officers and another 25,000 mortgage brokers in operation, the opportunity is clear—especially for those ready to serve rising borrower segments.

Hispanic homebuyers: your next growth opportunity

Success today isn’t about competing for the same loans as every other originator. It’s about contributing to an underserved market that’s driving U.S. homeownership growth: Hispanic and Latino borrowers. By shifting your focus from conquest to contribution, you tap a fast-expanding segment and set your business up for sustainable wins.

Here’s the data:

• Homeownership growth leader. In 2023, the Hispanic homeownership rate climbed to 49.5%, the largest increase of any ethnic group. That added 377,000 owner households—30% of the nation’s total growth.
• Young buyers, steady demand. With a median age of 30.7, Hispanic households are the youngest major demographic. That fuels new household formations and long-term home-financing demand.
• Multigenerational complexity, larger commissions. Roughly 32% of Hispanic households are multigenerational—nearly double the rate for non-Hispanic families. Those transactions often involve co-borrowers or larger loan amounts, boosting your commissions.
• High-opportunity neighborhoods. Seventy-one percent of Hispanic-financed purchases take place in middle- and upper-income census tracts, markets such as El Paso, Laredo and Corpus Christi in Texas and Cleveland and Detroit in the Midwest are showing tremendous growth. 
• FHA advantage. Hispanic borrowers rely on Federal Housing Administration loans—known for lower down payments and flexible credit guidelines, more than other groups. Many originators overlook FHA, leaving room to stand out.

Serve this community well and you’ll build relationships that drive referrals, repeat business and a reputation for making homeownership more inclusive.

A market hiding in plain sight

While originations have dipped and interest rates remain stubbornly high, one thing hasn’t changed: the Hispanic and Latino market remains the single most significant growth opportunity in residential real estate.

Yet many loan officers, in both retail and wholesale, aren’t equipped to serve these borrowers effectively. It’s not a lack of intent; it’s a lack of tools, language access and market strategy.

At major mortgage conferences, less than 1% of attendees are Hispanic loan officers.

Most remain in retail, leaving the wholesale channel largely untapped by one of the fastest-growing demographics. Wholesale lending offers greater flexibility, competitive pricing and entrepreneurial potential—an opportunity to educate and empower Hispanic professionals to make the transition and to equip all loan officers to serve this segment.

What privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could mean

As talks heat up about returning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private ownership, the implications for Hispanic and Latino borrowers—and those who serve them—cannot be ignored.

Privatization could mean profit-driven underwriting, tighter credit requirements and reduced product diversity, especially for programs that support first-time and lower-wealth buyers.

Hispanic borrowers—who often use FHA and other flexible products and face structural barriers such as thin credit files or multigenerational borrowing—would be disproportionately affected.

If affordability programs and access tools tied to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are deprioritized, the very borrowers driving homeownership growth risk being locked out.

Opportunities to strengthen service

Don’t wait. Participate. There are countless opportunities for mortgage loan officers to grow their capabilities and culture competence today such as:

• Leveraging new digital training resources: There are several industry trade groups that offer courses, borrower personas, marketing scripts and co-borrower strategies, to help build confidence in serving Hispanic and Latino clients.
• Join webinars and mentorship programs: Sharpen cultural competence, language access and referral networks.
• Partner with wholesale lenders: Reach out to wholesale originators and about pathways ready to expand into higher-complexity transactions.
• Advocate for policy and product diversity: Ask questions, suggest solutions at local, state and national levels to preserve access tools that benefit first-time and lower-wealth borrowers

There is still plenty of business left in 2025. The question isn’t whether there’s enough to go around; it’s whether you’re ready to serve the right way.

Equip yourself with the tools, training and partnerships to help Hispanic and Latino families achieve homeownership, and help yourself by helping others!

Rogelio Goertzen is the  founder and CEO of the Hispanic Organization of Mortgage Experts.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.

To contact the editor responsible for this piece: zeb@hwmedia.com.