Major reverse mortgage companies like Finance of America (FOA) and Ellington Financial — the parent of reverse lender Longbridge Financial — recently released their third-quarter 2024 earnings results, with FOA in particular posting strong numbers while Ellington continues to tout the versatility of Longbridge in its overall portfolio.Recently, HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD) sat down with UBS analyst Douglas Harter to take a closer look at investors’ attitudes toward these companies in the here and now.When looking ahead at the future, there are some unsettled questions regarding the outlook of certain details within the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program, as well as other recent priorities in both the public and private sectors.Past issues shaping future responseWhen asked about the 2022 collapse of top-five reverse mortgage lender Reverse Mortgage Funding (RMF) and the resulting liquidity crisis that ensued, Harter was asked whether something like that can trigger either investor pessimism regarding the fact that it happened, or confidence considering the government’s response to it.Ultimately it depends, he explained.“I think, initially, it leans toward concern over the near-term impact on liquidity and potential contagion to other areas,” he said. “There’s also the question of how existing players will be impacted. But as these issues are addressed and potential government actions like HMBS 2.0 improve industry dynamics, it can create new opportunities.”That’s because an event like this could signal how an entity like Ginnie Mae could approach working with other liquidity providers, which could be a source of optimism. But investors need time to absorb and assess the impacts.“These kinds of questions tend to arise after the initial aftermath, once the market begins to see how stakeholders and investors are responding,” he said.But it’s also likely that investors could see what the companies are seeing, and that is additional product viability for the lenders’ proprietary reverse mortgage offerings. Both FOA and Ellington emphasized the strength of their proprietary products in the recent earnings calls.“When looking at the proprietary side, there’s clear potential for growth and efficiency, especially with jumbo loans,” Harter said. “If you can reduce origination costs through scale, that can be beneficial. This fits well with Ellington’s strategy, as they’re a balance sheet-heavy business focused on creating long-term investments to support their dividend.”There’s more potential volatility at FOA, since that company aims “to be less capital-intensive than Longbridge or Ellington,” Harter said. “This has historically caused more fluctuations in their financial reports, with market adjustments playing a significant role—positive this quarter, but negative in previous ones.”But as FOA’s originations business scales, that volatility could diminish, he said. The key will lie in the company’s ability to find long-term investors.Impending changesSince a large segment of the reverse mortgage industry is intertwined with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)’s HECM program, the impending transfer of power in the federal government does have some implications on the viability of the space depending on the kind of policy the next HUD secretary, Ginnie Mae president or FHA commissioner will choose to pursue.As of now, Ginnie Mae is pursuing a final term sheet for HMBS 2.0, a complementary reverse mortgage securities program first telegraphed by Ginnie Mae at the beginning of this year. An initial term sheet was released by Ginnie Mae this summer, with a final term sheet expected sometime in the near future according to a timeline offered by Acting Ginnie Mae President Sam Valverde in an interview with RMD.But with the impending change of administrations, and the insistence from some congressional allies of President-elect Donald Trump to cease policymaking activity until the transfer of power takes place, it remains to be seen how things will progress. As far as investors are concerned, HMBS 2.0 and proprietary product performance could play a role in their outlooks on the reverse mortgage business.“I think the resolution of HMBS 2.0, and assessing the potential ongoing balance sheet or liquidity benefits that might come from it, is definitely something people are watching,” he said. “As we discussed earlier, the success of proprietary products or the HomeSafe Second are other key areas of interest. People are looking for indications of whether the market can grow. Of course, interest rates will fluctuate, which is largely beyond anyone’s control.”As for whether or not investors have a stake in the specifics of the actual transfer of power, it does not command a lot of time in the conversations Harter has with investors, he said.“It doesn’t seem like people have a strong view yet on what might actually change,” he explained. “On the forward side, there’s more focus on considering the potential impact of ending conservatorship for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That seems to be where the current conversations are centered.“No one really knows what that would mean yet, or how much can be accomplished with or without Congress, and what could get through Congress. It’s definitely on people’s minds, but there isn’t a clear sense yet of what it would look like.”

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In the newest episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Kamini Lane, CEO and president of Coldwell Banker Realty. In this fireside chat, Velt and Lane explore her approach to leadership, Coldwell Banker’s unique focus on agent development and its training program that is designed to teach effective communication.Lane also shares key takeaways from her first year of leading Coldwell Banker following her previous role as president of Sotheby’s International Realty. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Kamini Lane: It’s been an amazing time. I think 2024 was such a pivotal time in the real estate industry with all of the changes related to the NAR settlement. I spent the first quarter or so in the role listening and learning. Velt: Some buyer’s agents haven’t had to portray value in a presentation. Are there any specific initiatives or anything that you’re doing to really help your agents through all of that?Lane: The best agents in the profession have been able to articulate their value all along. One of the things that we rolled out was a program called Perfect Pitch — and that’s laser focused on getting agents to articulate their value proposition. What’s your 30-second elevator speech? What’s your three-minute speech standing in line at a hot dog stand? What is your unique value proposition? And I tend to break those three things up into relevance, credibility and authenticity.Velt: Tell me a little bit about your growth strategy and goals moving into 2025.Lane: We are focused on being the home for the best agents in the business. It’s kind of a singular focus, if you will, right? And so, we build everything else around that. We want to be the destination for agents who see this as an honorable profession, who see themselves as trusted real estate professionals, trusted real estate advisers. I don’t need to have the biggest roster. Our local leaders handpick every person who joins the company. Velt: Is there any growth through mergers and acquisitions that you’re looking at, or is that not something that you’re actively going for?Lane: We want to be a destination for agents who are motivated to be productive. We want to help agents who feel like we can coach them up to thrive. So, M&A isn’t a part of the growth strategy at this point.To end the conversation, Lane shares her unique leadership strategy that impacted the culture at Coldwell Banker when she first arrived.Velt: Can you share your approach to leadership and how that kind of informs the culture of Coldwell Banker? Lane: So, I have a pretty simple leadership philosophy. It is clarity, transparency and authenticity. And you’ve heard me say that word a couple of times. I believe that it is incumbent upon all leaders to be really clear about what the direction the company is going in, company goals, and what’s expected of every individual in the company.

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The passage of the mortgage trigger lead bill as proposed in the U.S. Congress will face a challenge from a new plan expected to be released this week by representatives of the consumer reporting industry, HousingWire has learned.In September, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) included U.S. Senate Amendment 2358 — known as the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act of 2024 — in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).The amendment addresses mortgage trigger leads, which occur when a potential borrower’s credit score is pulled for a new home loan application and credit bureaus sell the data to other companies interested in reaching the customer. The practice is legal, but customers often report receiving hundreds of calls, texts and emails. Post-election uncertainties have cast doubt on whether the amendment will be approved and attached to the NDAA. Meanwhile, lobbyists for consumer credit reporting companies, led by the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA), are working to change the language of the legislation to a more limited version, according to sources. Under the new text, reviewed by HousingWire, companies could only solicit consumers by telephone if they are the current mortgage originator or loan servicer. But the proposal permits “written offers” via mail, email or text message from any company that receives a mortgage lead. The proposal introduces a two-year implementation period before the rules take effect.This approach contrasts with the current version in the NDAA, which prohibits all forms of solicitation — including calls, mail, email or text — except when authorized by the consumer, transitioning from an “opt-out” to an “opt-in” model. This version also permits solicitations initiated by the mortgage originator and servicer, and by insured depository institutions and credit unions with active consumer accounts.  The CDIA told HousingWire in a statement that “mortgage lenders should not inundate consumers with unwanted telephone solicitations.” “The industry proposal does not address the underlying problem of telephone solicitations.  We believe any legislative solution should address the root cause — telephone calls — and maintain a competitive market that allows the consumer to shop for a better deal. When shopping for a mortgage this can mean saving thousands of dollars and helping people afford the right home for them,” the CDIA said in the statement. The statement goes on to say that “current law requires the lender to provide the consumer an opt out notice in written offers if they do not want to receive prescreened offers.” They can also do so by visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.”A spokesperson for Reed’s office told HousingWire that “CDIA tacitly acknowledges that the phone calls are a nuisance and should be prohibited.” But they disagree with revisions to his amendment.“Senator Reed’s language has bipartisan momentum because it will better protect consumers and this eleventh hour alternative doesn’t go far enough,” his spokesperson said.Mortgage trade groups have expressed concerns, arguing that the change in the bill’s language exposes consumers to harassment through emails and text messages. They note that while these channels allow consumers to respond at their convenience and are less intrusive, they still fall short of adequately protecting privacy.Bill Killmer, chief lobbyist for the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), said that the trade group “appreciates that the credit bureaus finally are acknowledging that invasive trigger-leads phone calls from unknown callers need to stop.”But Killmer added that “the bipartisan bill currently under consideration, the MBA-supported Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, is the best way to appropriately curtail the abusive use of trigger leads and limit their usage. Additionally, consumers in any proposal shouldn’t have to wait for years until the harassment ends.”  “We had heard for some weeks that there might be compromised language,” Rob Zimmer, external affairs consultant at the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), said about the amendment added to the NDAA. “If the compromise severely waters down the consumer privacy protections, we wouldn’t be for that.” Zimmer said lenders associated with CHLA and its borrowers are irritated by phone calls and “all kinds of texts and emails.” This means less stringent requirements “would not be a material improvement in consumer privacy and what our customers call harassment.”  Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a statement from Sen. Jack Reed’s office.

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