How to compare mortgage lenders

1. Get at least three Loan Estimates on the same day, for the same loan amount, term and loan type. Rates change daily, so same-day quotes are comparable.
2. Compare section A (origination charges) first — it is the lender's own price. Then compare the rate, the points and section D.
3. Ask for a zero-point quote as a baseline, then decide whether buying the rate down is worth it (break-even guide).
4. Check the lock: how long the rate is locked, and what an extension costs.
5. Check licensing on NMLS Consumer Access and complaints in the CFPB database.
6. Look at the record: each lender profile shows its 2025 median conventional rate spread, loan costs and denial rate versus all lenders, and where it lends.

Across profiled lenders, median conventional purchase loan costs ranged from $2,760 to $8,070 (10th to 90th percentile lender), a gap worth thousands of dollars.

Then test a quote in the Loan Estimate checker.

Data: FFIEC/CFPB HMDA 2025 public loan/application register; FHFA and HUD 2026 loan limits. Home-purchase figures cover owner-occupied single-family (1–4 unit) site-built homes, first-lien closed-end loans. Methodology