Overview
The Mortgage Bankers Association on Tuesday unveiled a new member forum focused on reverse mortgages and other senior-focused financing, signaling a strategic push to coordinate policy, education, and product development for lenders serving older homeowners. The Senior Mortgage Solutions Network (SMSN) will provide MBA members with a dedicated space to discuss trends, regulatory shifts, and practical challenges tied to senior home financing.
The association said it launches forum reverse mortgages to address the evolving landscape where aging homeowners increasingly rely on home equity products. The initiative aims to foster collaboration across lenders, servicers, appraisers, and policy experts to accelerate innovation while bolstering consumer protections.
Purpose and Scope
The SMSN will examine policy, regulatory, and operational issues that influence senior lending, including Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), proprietary reverse mortgages, and other home equity products designed for seniors. The network seeks to ensure senior-lending priorities are reflected in MBA’s advocacy, education programming, and member engagement, shaping how the industry responds to a growing retirement population.
Leadership and Structure
Inaugural leadership will serve two-year terms. Christopher Mayer, CEO of Longbridge Financial, and Jim Cory, Guild Mortgage’s managing director of reverse, will act as co-chairs, guiding the forum’s initial agenda and setting the tone for member participation. The lineup signals a practical, practitioner-led approach to addressing day-to-day challenges in senior lending.
Market Context
Reverse and proprietary lending have surged as more seniors seek to unlock home equity without abandoning their homes. Industry data show that in 2025, roughly $4 billion in first-lien reverse mortgage originations occurred in the United States, with proprietary, non-HECM products accounting for about half of total volume—roughly double 2024’s proprietary production. This growth has drawn attention from major lenders looking to expand their footprint in aging markets.
Executives from Rate, Guild Mortgage, and loanDepot have signaled stronger interest in senior lending strategies, underscoring a broader industry pivot toward products that align with retirement needs and fixed-income realities. The SMSN’s formation arrives at a moment when policy debates, consumer protections, and disclosure standards are in sharp focus across federally involved agencies.
What This Means for Borrowers and Lenders
The SMSN’s work will influence product design, underwriting practices, and consumer education around senior home equity options. By aligning industry positions with policy priorities, the forum could steer regulatory guidance, streamline compliance, and improve the consistency of access to both HECMs and proprietary options for older homeowners.
For lenders, the network provides a structured channel to share best practices, test new processes, and coordinate with regulators on emerging requirements. For borrowers, the goal is clearer disclosures, better counseling, and more predictable availability of senior-focused mortgage solutions in a changing market.
Quotes from Industry Leaders
"There’s an opportunity in supporting senior lending," said Christopher Mayer, reflecting on the new initiative. "If you want growth, you’re going to have to help more people buy homes when they’re younger, or you’ll have to focus on seniors, where there is strong demand for using home equity to support retirement living."
"The network is designed for companies already active in the space or evaluating entry into it," added Jim Cory. "Bringing lenders, servicers, appraisers, and policy experts together will help us tackle the most important issues before they become bottlenecks for seniors relying on these products."
Data Snapshot
- 2025 reverse mortgage originations (first-lien, U.S.): about $4 billion.
- Share of volume from proprietary reverse mortgages in 2025: approximately 50%—roughly double 2024 proprietary production.
- Major entrants into senior lending: Rate, Guild Mortgage, and loanDepot expanding into the space.
Regulatory and Policy Outlook
The SMSN aligns MBA’s advocacy with a rapidly evolving regulatory environment affecting senior mortgage products. Expect a focus on underwriting standards, disclosure clarity, and consumer protections tailored to aging borrowers. The forum will also scrutinize counseling requirements, non-borrowing spouse provisions, and disclosures that impact seniors who rely on home equity for retirement income.
Implementation Timeline
As a newly formed network, the SMSN’s first-year milestones center on member recruitment, issue mapping, and establishing a transparent agenda-setting process. The plan calls for quarterly members-only sessions, an annual policy brief, and closer integration with MBA’s education initiatives to keep professionals abreast of the latest senior-lending developments.
Implications for the Mortgage Industry
Analysts view the SMSN as a tangible signal of maturation in the reverse mortgage ecosystem. With aging demographics rising and product options expanding, a formal forum could accelerate innovation, standardize disclosures, and help lenders manage risk while broadening access to senior-focused financing.
Conclusion
The Senior Mortgage Solutions Network positions the MBA at the heart of a fast-changing sector. As the population ages and new product structures emerge, the forum could become a key driver of policy clarity and market access for seniors. For lenders, it offers a structured, collaborative pathway from concept to compliant product offerings that meet retirees where they are financially and personally.
Discussion