The loan originator’s biggest challenge in 2026

Mortgage lenders have been here before. It’s a cyclical business, and most of the executives who are running firms in this industry have been through a cycle or two.

The industry experiences a downturn, during which rates rise, affordability falls, and borrowers back away from the market. Eventually, rates fall. Buyers re-enter the market. Pipelines refill. It’s a cycle.

But…