Supreme Lending executives tout growth, AI investment at The Gathering

Executives at Supreme Lending said the mortgage lender added roughly $3 billion in production over the past year through a combination of acquisitions, recruiting and investments in technology while emphasizing a culture-focused approach to growth.

Speaking at HousingWire’s The Gathering on Tuesday, founder and CEO Scott Everett and chief growth and marketing officer Sarah Middleton discussed the company’s expansion strategy, recruiting efforts and growing focus on artificial intelligence.

Middleton, who joined the company about a year ago, described Supreme as a “hidden gem” before becoming more visible across the mortgage industry through podcasts, public appearances and recruiting efforts.

Everett, meanwhile, credited Middleton with helping raise the company’s profile and said the lender has combined acquisitions with organic growth initiatives.

“We’re very tech-focused, and so our tech stack is pretty strong. We didn’t need to grow. We don’t have to grow; we wanted to grow, just because we think it’s a pretty unique place,” Everett said, adding that he has an “acquisition mindset.”

Everett said cultural alignment remains the top consideration in evaluating acquisition targets. Last year, the Dallas-based company reached a deal to acquire Michigan Mutual Inc.

“First and foremost, culture,” Everett said. “You’ve got to do the right thing. … And what I would say about growth is, if you own a company, if you’re looking at growth, it’s never just one element, and onboarding, training, marketing, tech, staff, product emphasis …. all of it has to somewhat work together.”

Middleton said the company focuses heavily on helping existing loan officers increase production through training, onboarding, marketing support, product development and technology investments.

“It’s not just bringing new people in, but it’s helping your current loan officers so they can increase their production,” she said.

Middleton told the audience that Supreme added 610 loan officers over the past 12 months, contributing to a production run rate of about $3 billion over the past year.

The executives also highlighted the company’s investments in artificial intelligence and internally developed technology. Everett said the company is building many of its own AI-driven systems rather than relying solely on third-party vendors.

“AI is the new SaaS,” Everett said, warning lenders to be cautious about long-term technology contracts as AI capabilities rapidly evolve.

Everett said Supreme is bringing on several AI interns for the summer and employs about 10 AI specialists. He added that the company is automating several mortgage processes, including document review, closing disclosures and appraisal analyses.

“We’ve basically broken up every single process and built our own,” Everett said.

Middleton said the lender’s technology stack and approach to vendor negotiations have become significant recruiting tools, particularly as companies look to manage manufacturing costs and avoid excessive fees.