Rate Announces Seven Former Movement Mortgage LOs as Year-End Push Accelerates
Rate, the Chicago-based mortgage technology and lending platform, disclosed on Thursday that it has welcomed seven loan officers who previously worked at Movement Mortgage. The hires, confirmed for December 2025, are described by Rate as a pivotal part of a late-year surge in competitive talent acquisition designed to strengthen its production engine and platform leverage.
The seven loan officers join Rate after a rigorous evaluation of the company’s technology platform, workflows, and growth infrastructure. Rate executives say the new team members were attracted by a combination of advanced borrower-focused tools, streamlined operations, and a growth blueprint that seeks to reduce friction for originators.
New Hires by City
- Gabriel Carter — Santa Barbara, California
- Alexandra Hunt — Tampa, Florida
- James Golotko — Lakeland, Florida
- Katie Blake — Tarpon Springs, Florida
- Brandon Kelter — Tarpon Springs, Florida
- Jason Buchanan — Tarpon Springs, Florida
- Scott Miller — Tarpon Springs, Florida
What This Signals for Rate
The company framed the hiring wave as a strategic move to strengthen its production capability at a time when lenders are competing to deploy technology that makes lending faster and more predictable for borrowers and referral partners. Rate says the group’s collective experience spanning distinct markets will help broaden its geographic reach while showcasing the platform’s potential to scale with new production teams.
Rate has previously highlighted its emphasis on technology-enabled processes, including borrower and referral-app experiences, modern workflows, and a support structure designed to help loan officers grow volume. The December additions align with previous bets the company has made to attract top producers who want a friction-free environment that lets them focus more on clients and partnerships.
Why It Matters in a Tight Market
Industry observers say the move reflects a broader pattern in the mortgage sector: producers chasing platforms that can minimize operational drag and maximize client engagement. The focus is less on media-caliber marketing and more on the under-the-hood tech stack, which can convert leads to closings with greater speed and accuracy. In this context, rate adds seven former Movement Mortgage loan officers to a roster that is designed to scale with demand and keep pace with shifting originations timelines.
Rate’s leadership contends that the additions will help shorten cycle times, improve pricing and product access for borrowers, and offer stronger support to referral networks. The company notes that its platform integrates product, pricing, and processing tools in ways that allow loan officers to operate more efficiently, while still delivering a personal touch to borrowers.
Leadership Perspective and Industry Context
Rate’s leadership has positioned the December hiring spree as part of a broader growth strategy to expand its footprint through high-performing teams. Shant Banosian, Rate’s president, emphasized that there’s a clear competitive advantage when LOs can grow their volume on a platform built around speed and clarity for clients and partners. He said, "Loan officers across the country are discovering what makes Rate different, and the evidence is in the platform, pricing, and support that comes with every deal."
Two months prior, Rate also announced a notable leadership move from Movement Mortgage: Jason Stenger, Movement’s former chief operations officer, joined Rate as chief production officer. That hire underscored a pattern of cross-movement talent transfer that Rate has leaned into as it expands. Movement Mortgage did not respond to inquiries about the latest seven hires by publication time, but market watchers view the ongoing talent flow as a signal of the sector’s ongoing realignment around technology-enabled production models.
What the Data Says
Analysts tracking mortgage technology firms note that rate adds seven former Movement Mortgage loan officers is more than a tactical staffing decision. It signals a systemic shift in how high-producing LOs are evaluating employer value props, with an eye toward platforms that reduce back-end friction and emphasize borrower experience. The December hires add eight digits of annualized production potential when these LOs convert leads and deepen referral partnerships within Rate’s tech-enabled ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
Rate’s year-end momentum appears designed to bolster its standing as a partner of choice for top LOs seeking scale without sacrificing service quality. With the new arrivals, Rate aims to accelerate originations, expand client reach, and further demonstrate how its product suite and workflows translate into measurable growth for mortgage professionals.
Key Takeaways
- Rate adds seven former Movement Mortgage loan officers in December 2025, a signal of year-end growth momentum.
- The hires span Santa Barbara and several Florida markets, expanding Rate’s geographic and market reach.
- Leadership emphasizes technology-driven efficiency as a core driver of LO growth and borrower satisfaction.
- The move reflects a broader industry trend of producers seeking frictionless platforms to boost volume and partnerships.
As the mortgage landscape evolves, rate adds seven former Movement Mortgage loan officers to its roster, highlighting a continued emphasis on platform-driven growth. For Rate, the question now is how quickly production ramps and whether this wave of talent translates into sustained momentum into 2026.
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