Safe Rate Rankings

Best Conventional Mortgage Lenders in Tennessee

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 Lenders361

Total Loans89,791

Median Rate Spread0.31%

Tennessee Market Insights

United Wholesale Mortgage is Safe Rate's top-ranked Conventional lender in Tennessee, leading on pricing, pullthrough, Conventional product expertise, and local knowledge.
There is often a pricing vs. pullthrough tradeoff in mortgage lending. In Tennessee, Navy Federal Credit Union and Old National Bank scores highest on Conventional 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 #1 in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee: Rocket Mortgage (#2) and Mortgage Investors Group (#9).

Explore Rankings by Type

Overall Rankings

All lenders in Tennessee

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By Institution Type

Banks Credit Unions Mortgage Companies

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Rank	Lender	Overall	Pricing	Product	Pull Through	Place	Avg Fees	Rate Spread	# of Loans
1	UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$3,239Fees	0.043%Above	5,664
2	ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Exceptional	Exceptional	$4,302Fees	0.298%Above	7,212
3	NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$868Fees	0.543%Below	845
4	U.S. Bank National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,405Fees	0.145%Above	803
5	Old National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,189Fees	0.075%Above	466
6	Truist Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,080Fees	0.138%Above	510
7	FirstBank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,165Fees	0.231%Above	1,926
8	Liberty Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,881Fees	0.526%Above	286
9	MORTGAGE INVESTORS GROUP, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,627Fees	0.221%Above	3,320
10	Pinnacle Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$2,351Fees	0.075%Above	1,277
11	Legacy Home Loans, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,996Fees	0.144%Above	1,242
12	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,968Fees	0.042%Above	970
13	Bank of America, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$1,896Fees	0.081%Below	405
14	Patriot Bank BankDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,307Fees	0.022%Below	400
15	CMG MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,492Fees	0.344%Above	3,095
16	MOVEMENT MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,986Fees	0.291%Above	2,263
17	FIRST COMMUNITY MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,431Fees	0.321%Above	2,186
18	LOANDEPOT.COM, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,697Fees	0.045%Above	1,377
19	EASTMAN CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,644Fees	0.477%Above	1,026
20	First Horizon Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,604Fees	0.088%Above	891
21	COMMUNITY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Exceptional	Exceptional	$2,874Fees	0.231%Above	891
22	Leaders Credit Union Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Sound	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,074Fees	0.308%Above	727
23	Cadence Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,254Fees	0.049%Above	681
24	Regions Bank BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$1,655Fees	0.392%Above	1,429
25	GUARANTEED RATE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,893Fees	0.189%Above	1,333
26	FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$3,843Fees	0.393%Above	1,245
27	ARK-LA-TEX FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,259Fees	0.321%Above	559
28	Wells Fargo Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,279Fees	0.081%Above	449
29	Ameris Bank BankDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,263Fees	0.270%Above	391
30	First Citizens National Bank BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$1,042Fees	0.024%Below	291
31	Citizens Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$143Fees	0.108%Above	209
32	SWBC MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$2,203Fees	0.237%Above	646
33	ASCEND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Credit UnionDirect	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Sound	Exceptional	$577Fees	0.678%Below	457
34	Fifth Third Bank, National Association BankDirect	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$955Fees	0.103%Above	256
35	PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Sound*	Exceptional	Sound	Exceptional	$2,631Fees	0.067%Below	1,245
36	CROSSCOUNTRY MORTGAGE, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Exceptional	$4,468Fees	0.584%Above	1,205
37	UNION HOME MORTGAGE CORP. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,707Fees	0.384%Above	855
38	VANDERBILT MORTGAGE AND FINANCE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Sound	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,838Fees	0.092%Above	579
39	Renasant Bank BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,823Fees	0.185%Above	516
40	MUTUAL OF OMAHA MORTGAGE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Strong	Strong	Sound	Strong	$2,344Fees	0.400%Above	416
41	Flagstar Bank, N.A. BankDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,566Fees	0.301%Above	349
42	FIRST COLONY MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,864Fees	0.278%Above	195
43	GUILD MORTGAGE COMPANY LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,612Fees	0.434%Above	308
44	RELIANCE FIRST CAPITAL, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	—	Strong	Strong	Strong	—	—	292
45	THE LOAN STORE, INC. Independent Mortgage CompanyWholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$2,358Fees	0.279%Above	261
46	CARDINAL FINANCIAL COMPANY, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$4,481Fees	0.492%Above	418
47	Home Federal Bank of Tennessee BankDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Strong	Strong	Exceptional	$3,817Fees	0.364%Below	367
48	NEW AMERICAN FUNDING, LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$3,705Fees	0.505%Above	916
49	STOCKTON MORTGAGE CORPORATION Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect	Strong	Acceptable	Exceptional	Strong	Strong	$3,754Fees	0.372%Above	635
50	NEWREZ LLC Independent Mortgage CompanyDirect & Wholesale	Strong	Acceptable*	Exceptional	Sound	Strong	$2,587Fees	0.304%Above	624

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How are mortgage lenders ranked in Tennessee?+

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 Tennessee), 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 Tennessee?+

Based on 2024 HMDA data, 361 lenders originated a combined 89,791 loans in Tennessee. Safe Rate's rankings evaluate all of them — not just a curated shortlist.

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

Rate spread measures how much above the Average Prime Offer Rate (APOR) a lender charges. The median rate spread in Tennessee is 0.31%. 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 Tennessee'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 40 Points)

Pricing

Rate and fee competitiveness (25%)

Pull Through

Reliability in closing loans (25%)

Product

Specialization in the loan type (25%)

Place

Local market expertise (25%)

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.