Non-QM lenders need tech to match large conventional lenders
Talk to any non-QM lender, and they’ll be quick to tell you how strong a year 2025 was for the non-QM space.
The numbers make it hard to dispute, with companies reporting record profits during the year. Of course, part of discussing how strong the space is involves getting the word out to mortgage brokers who still haven’t taken a look at non-QM products.
For holdouts, opportunities to use non-QM products are expected to increase in 2026. In addition to non-QM lenders, Rocket Pro rolled out a DSCR loan product this year. Rest assured, if it does well for the company, it probably won’t be the only non-QM product they’ll unveil.
The combination of non-QM products moving to more conventional lenders and the ongoing efforts to bring brokers into the existing space will make technology stacks at non-QM lenders a major focus heading into the new year.
Benn Jackson (pictured top), vice president of wholesale lending at Constructive Capital, said one of the top focuses of his company heading into 2026 is to make sure the company’s technology is ready to meet growing demand.
“If you look at the industry, you know that the mortgage industry doesn't typically evolve very quickly,” Jackson told Mortgage Professional America. “Seeing this kind of crossroads that we're at now, it's almost like we're at a point where there's not really a choice anymore. Everyone is leaning that direction, and in our strategic planning for 2026, the number one thing on that list is technology.”
Price and speed
Jackson said that when it comes to integrating technology into the non-QM space, it is all about making the process more efficient and cost-effective.
“We’re operating pretty efficiently now, but if we're just able to pull in that technology piece and just enhance a bit more, it’s not just a small lift, it could lift the whole business 20% to 30%,” Jackson said. “As far as reducing friction in the process and having less back and forth, it helps to be able to predict the timelines better. There are two things that borrowers really care about: price and speed. Sometimes, honestly, speed outweighs price.”
While conventional loans can often get away with slight delays in timelines, business-purpose loans often risk falling through if timelines are extended too far. Jackson said that’s why using technology to make the process more efficient is so important.
“They’ve just got to get the deal done,” he said. “A lot of deals will die if they sit on the vine too long. If you can get this thing done fast, sometimes the price falls second. If you can do both, then you win almost every deal. We’re looking to be that leader.”
Matching the megalenders
In the mortgage industry, the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” typically means keeping pace with United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) and Rocket.
This is true on the technology front as well, and for non-QM lenders trying to woo brokers into the space, Jackson said it’s important the experience is just as user-friendly.
“Those companies, they've had that evolution already,” he said. “With us getting to that point too, it just levels the playing field. It also unlocks a whole new set of partnership and client opportunities. The brokers who are used to those types of technologies, when they come to see the technology we have, have to adapt the process a little bit.
“With us opening up those similar types of technologies, then it's just going to be a more seamless cutover. We’re doing everything else better, but just the technology piece hasn't fully meshed yet. But once that does, it opens up a whole new set of opportunities.”
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— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) December 11, 2025
Jackson, who was recently recognized by the American Association of Private Lenders (AAPL) as a rising star in the private lending space, said the goal for all non-QM lenders is to reach a point where the differences between their systems and those used by Rocket and UWM are minimal.
“A conventional broker who is used to the UWM system, if we have a similar system in place, then there's not as much of a learning curve,” Jackson said. “Just upload the application, and get the ball rolling, as opposed to having to go through a whole new system. It's just going to open up a whole new channel of potential business.”
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