Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Raleigh

Updated June 4, 2026

Rankings are a starting point, not a verdict. Safe Rate recommends speaking with 2-3 lenders to find the right fit for your home loan!

⚖️ The 4 PsRankings are calculated based on observed lender differences on closed loans across Pricing, Pull-through, Product, and Place.

🛡️ No Pay to PlayLenders cannot buy their way to the top. Rankings are 100% earned.

📊 HMDA 2024Built using publicly available originated loan data from the federal government.

🎯 Peer BenchmarkedPerformance is normalized and benchmarked against peer institutions.

Market

Total Lenders196

Total Loans23,619

Median Rate Spread0.15%

Raleigh Market Insights

Velocio Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Raleigh, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Raleigh: Bank: North State Bank (#3). Credit union: State Employees (#2). Mortgage company: Velocio Mortgage (#1).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Raleigh, Velocio Mortgage and Navy Federal Credit Union scores highest on pricing while Rocket Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #5 in Raleigh, serving as the platform behind many independent local brokers who live and work in the community. A local broker knows the neighborhoods, the local market, and is personally invested in your outcome. Real estate agents often prefer referring local brokers for their accessibility and responsiveness, qualities that matter when a deal is moving fast. Pricing and experience can vary by broker.
Popular names in Raleigh: Rocket Mortgage (#10) and State Employees (#2).

Explore Rankings by Type

By Loan Product

Lenders often score differently for different loan products. Get tailored rankings by selecting your product type.

FHA Loans Conventional Loans VA Loans Jumbo Loans USDA Loans

By Institution Type

Some consumers only want to work with a credit union, bank, or focused mortgage company. See our rankings here!

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

Shopping for a mortgage? Click the heart icon to save lenders to My Home and make comparison painless.

Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	VELOCIO MORTGAGE L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	$612Fees	0.852%Below	184
2	STATE EMPLOYEES' Credit UnionDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,382Fees	0.827%Below	1,402
3	North State Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,049Fees	0.056%Below	268
4	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$788Fees	0.641%Below	286
5	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,482Fees	0.050%Below	1,409
6	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$45Credit	0.056%Below	539
7	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,555Fees	0.265%Below	275
8	American Security Mortgage Corp. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$1,970Fees	0.103%Above	403
9	MATTAMY HOME FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,229Fees	0.703%Above	185
10	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,663Fees	0.181%Above	1,528
11	VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$5,328Fees	0.061%Above	397
12	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$350Fees	0.215%Below	94
13	First Heritage Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$2,342Fees	0.280%Above	177
14	PROVIDENT FUNDING ASSOCIATES, L.P. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Exceptional*	Sound	Strong	$478Fees	0.146%Below	188
15	First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,572Fees	0.130%Below	363
16	JET HOMELOANS, LP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,987Fees	0.444%Below	56
17	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,003Fees	0.208%Above	903
18	GoPrime Mortgage, Inc. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	$2,433Fees	0.297%Above	166
19	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$392Fees	0.031%Below	67
20	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,034Fees	0.142%Below	372
21	First National Bank of Pennsylvania BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,078Fees	0.019%Above	140
22	FBC MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Strong*	Exceptional	Sound	$3,016Fees	0.247%Below	52
23	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,548Fees	0.018%Above	388
24	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,919Fees	0.006%Above	306
25	General Mortgage Capital Corporation Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$922Fees	0.100%Below	98
26	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,943Fees	0.070%Below	280
27	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$1,753Fees	0.020%Below	247
28	Towne Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,376Fees	0.312%Above	208
29	Alcova Mortgage LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,533Fees	0.188%Above	155
30	PNC Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$371Credit	0.028%Above	85
31	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,585Fees	0.399%Above	517
32	Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,006Fees	0.263%Above	313
33	M/I FINANCIAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$3,623Fees	0.084%Below	263
34	Fifth Third Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,040Credit	0.016%Below	141
35	COASTAL Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	$2,054Fees	0.199%Above	303
36	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$608Fees	0.154%Below	245
37	CORPORATE INVESTORS MORTGAGE GROUP, INC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,773Fees	0.141%Above	103
38	The Central Trust Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,638Fees	0.073%Above	99
39	INTERCOASTAL MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Sound	$2,077Fees	0.475%Above	56
40	Towne Mortgage of the Carolinas, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$3,010Fees	0.200%Above	224
41	ATLANTIC BAY MORTGAGE GROUP, L.L.C. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,282Fees	0.314%Above	185
42	FIRST HOME MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Mediocre	Exceptional	Strong	$3,200Fees	0.355%Above	223
43	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,514Fees	0.147%Above	220
44	EQUITY RESOURCES, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,629Fees	0.182%Above	104
45	Ameris Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Sound	$3,073Fees	0.145%Above	59
46	NFM, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$4,575Fees	0.415%Above	177
47	T2 FINANCIAL LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,652Fees	0.399%Above	108
48	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,570Fees	0.235%Above	223
49	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$2,346Fees	0.126%Above	74
50	DELMAR FINANCIAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,550Fees	0.361%Above	50

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Raleigh?+

Safe Rate ranks lenders using the 4 Ps framework, derived entirely from HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) data: Pricing (how competitively a lender prices loans vs. the market benchmark), Pullthrough (how effectively a lender closes applications), Place (the lender's depth of expertise in Raleigh), and Product (performance on specific loan types). Each lender receives a composite Safe Rate Score from 0–100. No lender pays to appear in the rankings.

What is the Safe Rate Score?+

The Safe Rate Score is a 0–100 composite index measuring a lender's performance across Pricing, Pullthrough, Place, and Product. Scores of 80 or above earn Champion status; scores of 60–79 earn Superstar status. All scores are calculated from verified HMDA data — no lender can pay to improve their position.

How many mortgage lenders are active in Raleigh?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 196 lenders originated a combined 23,619 loans in Raleigh. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

What does the rate spread tell me about a lender in Raleigh?+

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Raleigh is 0.15%. Lenders in Safe Rate's top rankings consistently price below this median, meaning borrowers typically pay less interest over the life of their loan.

What is HMDA data and why does Safe Rate use it?+

HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) is a federal law requiring every mortgage lender to disclose every loan application annually — including rates, amounts, approvals, and denials. Safe Rate uses HMDA because it is government-verified, covers all lenders equally, and cannot be gamed. It is the most objective foundation available for lender rankings.

Does Safe Rate accept payment from lenders to appear in rankings?+

No. Safe Rate rankings are strictly data-driven. No lender can pay to appear in or improve their position in Safe Rate's rankings. The only factor that determines a lender's rank is their verified HMDA performance data.

What is the difference between a bank, credit union, and independent mortgage company?+

Banks and credit unions offer mortgages alongside checking, savings, and other products. Independent Mortgage Companies (IMCs) focus exclusively on originating loans and often offer more product variety and speed. In Raleigh's rankings, all three institution types are evaluated on the same HMDA performance metrics.

How We Rank Lenders

Our rankings use a weighted average of scores across equally-weighted categories to evaluate lenders on a linear, raw performance scale.

Our Point System (Max 30 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (33%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (33%)

Place

Local market expertise (33%)

Data Integrity & Updates

Data is updated quarterly based on the latest HMDA filings and proprietary SafeRate analysis. All metrics are calculated using standardized methodologies to ensure fair comparison across lenders.

⚖️ Licensing & Disclosures

Lender rankings and market statistics are created by Dylan Hall, licensed mortgage loan officer (NMLS #1658740). Safe Rate is a mortgage technology platform; mortgage lending services are provided by PartnerOwn LLC dba Safe Rate Mortgage, a licensed mortgage broker and lender (NMLS #1590949). Safe Rate Mortgage is a lending partner of some of the lenders ranked on this page, and Safe Rate Inc. has software or service customers on this list; however, all rankings are calculated using objective, public Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) datasets, completely independent of any corporate partnerships, client relationships, or compensation.