Safe Rate Rankings

Best Mortgage Lenders in Fayetteville

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 Lenders101

Total Loans8,823

Median Rate Spread0.17%

Fayetteville Market Insights

Priority Bank is Safe Rate's top-ranked lender in Fayetteville, leading the composite scorecard across pricing, pullthrough, products, and local expertise.
Top-ranked by institution type in Fayetteville: Bank: Priority Bank (#1). Credit union: Navy Federal Credit Union (#5). Mortgage company: Flat Branch Mortgage (#3).
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Fayetteville, Navy Federal Credit Union and First Western Mortgage scores highest on pricing while Firstar Bank and Flat Branch Mortgage leads on likelihood to close. That is why we encourage speaking with multiple lenders.
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) ranks #13 in Fayetteville, 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 Fayetteville: Rocket Mortgage (#11) and Arvest Bank (#10).

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	Priority Bank BankDirect	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,186Fees	0.001%Above	228
2	Generations Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,315Fees	0.032%Above	152
3	FLAT BRANCH MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,004Fees	0.166%Above	559
4	LENDLO MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,500Fees	0.498%Above	403
5	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$417Fees	0.565%Below	86
6	First Security Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,145Fees	0.141%Below	65
7	Firstar Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	$1,846Fees	0.013%Below	26
8	ASSOCIATED MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Exceptional	$1,308Fees	0.169%Above	288
9	FIRST WESTERN MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$597Fees	0.001%Above	75
10	Arvest Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Exceptional	$1,504Fees	0.215%Above	1,176
11	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,953Fees	0.218%Above	665
12	GERSHMAN INVESTMENT CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,605Fees	0.000%Above	181
13	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	$2,167Fees	0.081%Below	264
14	BANK OF LITTLE ROCK MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$959Fees	0.224%Above	65
15	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,962Fees	0.041%Below	61
16	NBKC BANK BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	$741Fees	0.269%Below	42
17	MY MOVE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,343Fees	0.075%Above	150
18	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,190Fees	0.016%Below	65
19	UNITED FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	$1,321Fees	0.165%Below	62
20	The First National Bank of Fort Smith BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,842Fees	0.035%Above	110
21	Eagle Bank and Trust Company BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	$1,687Fees	0.116%Above	94
22	ARKANSAS Federal Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,197Fees	0.040%Below	62
23	Centennial Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	$1,756Fees	0.115%Above	418
24	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	$1,343Fees	0.007%Above	42
25	ENCORE BANK BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$1,599Fees	0.220%Above	100
26	The Central Trust Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,803Fees	0.344%Above	93
27	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,477Fees	0.032%Above	122
28	COMMUNITY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Sound	$2,660Fees	0.244%Above	47
29	Gateway First Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,658Fees	0.149%Above	185
30	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Strong	Strong	$2,016Fees	0.087%Below	79
31	FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$3,825Fees	0.424%Above	48
32	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Strong	Sound	Sound	$2,613Fees	0.120%Below	45
33	Regions Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$1,982Fees	0.203%Above	122
34	Simmons Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Strong	$2,567Fees	0.235%Above	101
35	PRIMELENDING, A PLAINSCAPITAL COMPANY Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$4,660Fees	0.194%Above	88
36	BOKF, National Association BankDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$1,402Fees	0.355%Above	67
37	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$1,897Fees	0.036%Below	47
38	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$1,709Fees	0.153%Above	35
39	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$3,451Fees	0.217%Above	31
40	Mortgage Research Center, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	$2,889Fees	0.439%Above	134
41	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$3,467Fees	0.287%Above	87
42	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	$2,292Fees	0.315%Above	82
43	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	$420Fees	0.152%Below	50
44	First Financial Bank BankDirect	Sound	Sound	Strong	Sound	$2,267Fees	0.027%Below	21
45	MORTGAGE ASSURANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Sound	Sound*	Strong	Sound	$1,953Fees	0.198%Above	28
46	HIGHLANDS RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, LTD. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Sound	Mediocre	Strong	Strong	$2,213Fees	0.301%Above	101
47	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$1,973Fees	0.079%Below	30
48	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Sound	$2,910Fees	0.102%Above	25
49	American Mortgage Bank, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Sound	Acceptable*	Strong	Strong	$2,510Fees	0.738%Above	48
50	The Farmers & Merchants Bank BankDirect	Sound	—	Sound	Sound	$2,251Fees	0.144%Below	30

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Fayetteville?+

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 Fayetteville), 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 Fayetteville?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 101 lenders originated a combined 8,823 loans in Fayetteville. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Fayetteville is 0.17%. 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 Fayetteville'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.