Starting a business is no small feat. In fact, about 20% of new businesses close within their first year and nearly half don’t make it past five…
And the mortgage industry, with its layers of regulation, technology, and competition, can be even more difficult to navigate on your own.
That’s why it’s so important to learn from those who’ve already built thriving mortgage brokerages. We’re talking professionals who know exactly what it takes to launch, scale, and sustain growth in today’s market. That’s why we spoke with a few Motto Mortgage owners who were once in your shoes!
Here’s what they wish they’d known before starting a mortgage company, and how the right support, systems, and structure offered through a franchise model helped them make it happen.
“I Wish I’d Known How Much Time the Right Systems Could Save Me”
Ask any owner and they’ll tell you that starting a mortgage company means wearing a lot of different hats. But, when we get down to brass tacks, so many of the to-dos on an owner’s list feel like they might be better handled by someone else. Think: tech set up, crafting email campaigns, and manual lead entry, for starters.
With a franchise, that’s where perks like pre-made marketing materials and cutting-edge tech tools come into play. Ideally, that assistance is ready on day one, freeing owners to focus on what actually moves the needle: clients and closings.
“As a Motto owner, I have more time to focus on selling and spend much less time focusing on my CRM and marketing efforts,” said Scott Dixon of Motto Mortgage Paradise Group. “My capacity to do more volume has significantly increased because I can now dedicate almost all my time to chasing leads.”
With the right systems in place, getting started with your own mortgage business becomes that much easier.
“I Wish I’d Realized How Crucial Reliable Support Is to Growth”
When starting out, every minute matters. You’ll be juggling a lot of priorities, often with sky-high expectations. That means having a responsive, knowledgeable support team becomes absolutely critical – and when you’re part of a franchise network, that team is ready to support you from day one.
A strong support team responds quickly, thoroughly, and accurately, so you can keep deals moving. Whether you’re asking a compliance question, placing a marketing request, or calling tech support for a system fix, you should never be left hanging.
Per Scott: “The Motto support team has blown my expectations out of the water. When you’re working on a file, agents and borrowers are waiting on you. To have individualized support…there’s nothing better for business.”
“I Wish I’d Known How Much Easier Compliance Could Be”
Speaking of compliance… it’s consistently one of the biggest hurdles when starting a mortgage business.
Licensing, disclosures, audits, and state regulations can take hours of your time and attention. Not to mention the fact that one little mistake could cost you big time.
A supportive franchisor can ease a lot of the pain, so you can operate with confidence and focus on growing your pipeline.
“What’s great about owning a Motto Mortgage franchise is that you have the ability and flexibility to run your own business,” said Ryan Leahy of Motto Mortgage Assist. “Motto Mortgage provides the systems, training, and support needed to take all the guesswork out of being compliant, so you’re able to focus on growing your business.”
Key differentiators here include comprehensive compliance guidance, audit support, and ongoing educational opportunities, so owners can work to become truly audit-ready. Built-in processes can also help transactions meet federal and state standards.
Essentially, you can maintain your independence, with valuable industry knowledge and support just a call or click away.
“I Wish I’d Realized the Power of an Integrated Customer Experience”
Understanding just how powerful an integrated customer experience can be is critical to starting a mortgage business — and growing it — in today’s market. And when you’re a real estate business owner, offering additional services – like mortgage – provides clients with the experience they’re looking for.
“We’ve always had a goal of being a one-stop experience for our clients because their time is valuable,” said Tony Hunnicutt of Motto Mortgage Makers. “We have real estate, mortgage… under one roof… Having our agents working so close to the loan originators and title agents streamlines the entire homebuying process. It’s so beneficial to our customers and to our business.”
If you want to follow Tony’s lead, you’ll want to lean into a business model that centralizes systems. As a result, you might just see faster closings, stronger relationships, and repeat business.
Leveraging These Lessons Learned
Starting a mortgage business can be challenging, especially if you’re going it alone. But with the right franchisor and business model, it all becomes a bit easier — take it from real Motto owners!
Drawing from their firsthand experience, Motto owners understand that an efficient franchise system can make all the difference – it can save time, provide strong support to keeps operations running smoothly, simplify compliance, and provide exceptional customer service. These are just some of the benefits of being part of a franchise network.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s hit the ground running!
Each Office is Independently Owned, Operated and Licensed. This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a Motto Mortgage franchise. It is for informational purposes only. We will not offer you a franchise in states or other jurisdictions where registration is required unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration requirements in your state (or have been exempted therefrom) and a Franchise Disclosure Document has been delivered to you before the sale in compliance with applicable law. New York residents: This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can be made by prospectus only. Minnesota Reg. No. F-8089; Motto Franchising, LLC, 5075 South Syracuse St #1200, Denver, CO 80237, 1.866.668.8649. ©2025 Motto Franchising, LLC
Published on December 1, 2025
