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As new tech platforms, industry-leading websites, and data sources emerge, today’s mortgage lending institution has more options than ever before. You can get mortgage leads from any number of sources. 

Every time we talk about buying mortgage leads, though, we harp on the point that not all providers are the same. Some deliver a notable ROI, while others might give you a list of outdated contacts. Some provide the lead exclusively to your team, while others share it with anyone who will pay for it — which means it’s a race for your loan officers to beat the competition. 

Because there are so many different options functioning in so many different ways, it takes time to find what works for your lending team. To free up more time to try some things on, we wanted to save you from having to research options yourself. 

In 2025, here are some mortgage lead providers that we think are worth your consideration. We’ve broken them into a couple of different categories here. 

Lead generation companies

There are quite a few sites out there that have positioned themselves as educational resources for consumers. And because that draws a lot of eyes to their webpages, it also puts them in a position to capture mortgage leads. 

• Bankrate: Bankrate is one of the pricier lead generation companies, but lending institutions repeatedly tell us they see great returns on money invested here. Bankrate offers a wealth of mortgage information, alongside resources like rate tables and spotlights on top lenders. With 4 million monthly average mortgage page views, this lead generator gives you an excellent way to get your loan offerings in front of potential borrowers. 
• LendingTree: LendingTree functions similarly, giving consumers educational content alongside rate tables and lender spotlights. It differs from other mortgage lead generators in a couple of notable ways, though. First, it’s usually a lot more affordable. Secondly, though, that cheapness comes at a cost. LendingTree leads aren’t exclusive, which means you’re competing against other lending teams who have also paid for that lead. 
• NerdWallet: NerdWallet has extended its reach in recent years by advertising on TV, billboards, and elsewhere. As the American consumer gets more familiar with this brand, it drives a lot of people toward it as they self-eductate during their homebuying journey. It’s no surprise, then, that NerdWallet can generate a lot of mortgage leads. 
• Mortgage Research Center: The Mortgage Research Center (MRC) runs ICanBuy, a lead generation opportunity for mortgage lenders. With traffic from more than 60 publisher partners, it gives you a way to get your rates on tables across the web. It operates on a cost-per-click model. We recently hosted a webinar with their team that you can use to explore this option further. 

Parallel industry players

As a mortgage lending institution, you’ve probably already explored how working with parallel players offers advantages. Your team might have several real estate agents in the area, for example, who refer their homebuying clients to you. 

Implementing similar relationships with other entities can help you generate leads. Some options we recommend exploring include: 

• Zillow: As one of the best-known real estate listing websites, Zillow says that it captures more than two-thirds of the total domestic market share for the online real estate category. You can leverage that to your advantage in a few ways. That includes advertising your rates on Zillow to encourage potential home buyers to consider you, and tapping Zillow Connect. The latter is a process for early-stage buyers that helps them connect (hence the name) with industry professionals who navigate their homebuying journey alongside them. 
• Credit Karma: Most people check their credit score when they start house hunting. If they decide to do that through Credit Karma, it opens the door for a potential lead for your team. And because the credit-checking process is built in, leads you get from this source will already be vetted in this way. 
• Experian: While we’re on the topic of credit scores, it’s worth mentioning Experian’s offering here. It also integrates credit-based data into its leads, and segments leads by loan type and other factors. This allows you to tailor your criteria so your team gets leads with a higher likelihood of closing. 
• Movoto: Movoto provides both home listings and educational resources. It also offers a number of ways mortgage lenders can get in front of the prospective buyers who visit its site. Your options include showing up as a featured lender or tapping into the Movoto mortgage preapproval process. 
• Redfin: This real estate site gets 50 million visitors every month. To turn some of that traffic into viable leads, it partners with the MRC. Now, lenders can get leads in two ways: via interested parties clicking through from Redfin listings and from Redfin’s mortgage marketplace (e.g., by advertising on the company’s rate tables). We hosted a webinar with their team so you can do a deeper dive into the lead generation opportunities with this major real estate player. 

Getting set up for success with mortgage leads

Evidently, there’s no shortage of places to buy mortgage leads in 2025. But before you start allocating money toward one or more of these channels, make sure you’re set up for success. 

That means a few things. First, you need to have an effective place to direct any leads who will click through to your site, like a lead workflow. It also means making sure that the data you feed to lead generators — like your current rates — is accurate and regularly updated. And once you get a lead, it means regularly contacting them to nudge them toward close (say, though regular rate alert emails). 

Fortunately, we can help with all of this. As specialists in mortgage technology, our BankingBridge team is here to help you generate more leads, warm them up, and make them easier for your team to close. 

For help identifying the right mortgage lead provider for your team and getting the technology in place to best leverage it, connect with us. Book a demo and we can show you how we can help you maximize benefits from your mortgage leads in 2025.