CEO flags four-year high in mortgage volume as demand returns for lenders and brokers
Rocket Companies’ chief executive Varun Krishna said the lender is on track to post its strongest mortgage production in four years, a signal that falling rates and policy support begin to unlock long-awaited demand in the home loan market.
Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” ahead of Rocket’s Feb. 19 earnings report, Krishna told investors the company expects both volume and profitability to reach multi‑year highs.
“We’re getting ready for our earnings call here in just a couple of weeks, and I will share with this group that we’re on track to produce the highest mortgage loan production in terms of volume that we’ve had in four years, and the highest gain on sale that we’ve had in four years as well,” Krishna said.
Shares of Rocket Companies, which traded recently around $20, jumped roughly 6% on Tuesday after his comments, extending a rebound that has left the stock up sharply over the past year.
Loan growth built on servicing and AI
Krishna said Rocket’s edge lies in its ability to keep borrowers in the fold by knitting together servicing and origination on a single platform.
“Rocket keeps relationships intact through its servicing platform, allowing it to recapture borrowers when they return to the market for a home purchase or cash out refinance,” he said.
“When they’re ready for their next purchase, when they’re ready for a cash out refinance, Rocket is there with a great experience, powered by AI. And because of that, we’re able to retain our clients, whereas other players simply lose the asset,” he said.
That strategy echoes earlier comments, where Krishna highlighted the “power of the Rocket platform” and its integration of home search, origination and servicing, following the company’s acquisitions of Redfin and Mr. Cooper.
Rate relief and policy tailwinds lift outlook
Average 30‑year mortgage rates hovered near 6% in early February, down from peaks above 7% in 2025. Recent declines were tied in part to president Donald Trump’s move to direct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up to $200 billion in mortgage bonds, an effort to compress mortgage spreads and ease affordability pressures.
Krishna also cited forecasts that mortgage volumes could grow as much as 25% through 2026 and that existing home sales could rise around 10% as rates drifted lower and pent‑up demand returned.
A four‑year high in Rocket’s production underscores a market finally moving off the floor: volumes are still below pandemic peaks, but lower rates, policy support and stronger capture strategies at scale lenders hint that 2026 could be the year origination pipelines begin to refill in earnest.
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