Executive Loan Officer

Rocket wants to help brokers escape UWM's 'embarrassing' ultimatum: Niemiec. The new program is designed to make leaving fast and painless for brokers Despite calls for more unity in the wholesale mortgage channel, there continues to be a divide in the space between Rocket Mortgage and United Wholesale Mortgage. It dates back to a 2021 ultimatum issued by UWM for brokers working with them not to send loans to Rocket. Rocket Pro says that dynamic is driving more brokers to reconsider who they work with. The company claims more brokers have left UWM for Rocket in the past 90 days than in the prior 12 months combined. At Rocket's RPX event in Detroit on Tuesday, the company announced a new internal team built specifically to make that move easier. Austin Niemiec (pictured top), chief revenue officer of Rocket Pro, said the new program is designed to remove the friction that keeps hesitant brokers from switching lenders even when they want to. "I've never believed in the UWM ultimatum," Niemiec told Mortgage Professional America. "A broker's superpower is choice and freedom, and we are hearing from more and more brokers that they want their independence back. "From day one, we have said this ultimatum is bad for the broker community. Brokers need choice, they need strong lenders, they need optionality." Rocket's 'Moving Squad' Rocket Pro is calling the new program the Moving Squad. Niemiec said it pairs each broker who switches with a dedicated four-person team made up of an account executive, a director of growth, a crew director and a trainer. That structure means the broker deals with one group throughout the process, Niemiec said, rather than being handed off between departments. The goal, according to Niemiec, is to get a new partner's first loan submitted within 10 days. The team then stays with the broker through onboarding and into their first 60 days of production. Niemiec said 140 team members have been trained for the moving squads at launch. The company is also offering existing partners a $10,000 cash bonus for those who bring a broker from UWM, once that broker terminates with UWM and they're approved with Rocket Pro. The program exists, Niemiec said, because switching lenders carries real risk for brokers, not just paperwork. His characterization of that risk is his own, and Mortgage Professional America has not independently verified specific claims about brokers facing litigation for leaving UWM. "It's kind of sad and embarrassing for our industry that brokers are scared to get sued if they leave to get a better price for their clients," he said. "We've made it very simple and easy to be able to answer those questions, help them move, and do it stress-free." Niemiec's message to brokers. Niemiec pointed to Rocket's most recent quarter as evidence the company is positioned to make good on that pitch. He cited record purchase and refinance market share and what he called the company's highest profitability in more than four years. He drew a sharp contrast with what he described as struggles at unnamed competing lenders. "You saw others literally need a bailout and are on a lifeline," he said. "Other companies have removed their CEOs, and stocks are declining rapidly." He attributed Rocket's position to a strategy of diversifying across its wholesale and retail channels along with its Mr. Cooper and Redfin businesses, rather than depending on any single line of business. "We built an all-weather company that's durable in any market," he said. Niemiec took aim at lenders that bet everything on a single strategy instead of diversifying. "Other companies who have pounded their chest and say we're going to go all in and only focus on one single thing are seeing the results of that, and are crumbling," he said. "It's resulting in uncertainty, and it's resulting in a higher price for brokers." Rocket Pro also used RPX to announce other changes. Niemiec said brokers are frustrated with how complicated pricing has become. "The biggest frustration they have about pricing in general is that it's gamified, and pricing shouldn't be gamified," he said. "They shouldn't need a calendar, a calculator, a protractor, a cheat sheet, or have to watch videos or talk to their AE or play games or click buttons and jump through hoops just to get a good price. They want simple. They want aggressive, they want reliable, they want transparent pricing." The company is folding its existing 60 basis point purchase and refinance credits directly into standard pricing across conventional, FHA and VA loans. Niemiec said the moment belongs to brokers, not to Rocket. "This is a big moment, but it's not a big moment for Rocket," he said. "It's a big moment for brokers to finally put their foot down and say, this is my superpower, I'm going to protect it, and give my clients the best option and the best price." Our daily newsletter is FREE and keeps you up to date with the world of mortgage. Please complete the form below and click on SIGN UP to receive daily e-newsletters from Mortgage Professional.

Cleveland real estate market update - august 16, 2026. Good morning, Cleveland. A lot has been moving across Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County over the past few days, from a half-billion-dollar downtown makeover to fresh signs that the local job market is one of the strongest in the state. Here is a plain-English look at the news that matters for anyone who owns, rents, or is thinking about buying a home in its area. Today's Cleveland headlines. | Story | Where | What Happened | | The Centennial nears financing | Downtown, 925 Euclid Ave. Developer Millennia is working to lock in financing for a roughly $500 million restoration of the historic Huntington Building into about 864 apartments plus a boutique hotel, shops, and restaurants. A late-August court deadline is the next milestone to watch. | | Rocket Mortgage downsizes downtown | Downtown | Rocket plans to move from the Higbee Building on Public Square to a smaller office in the Ritz-Carlton building on West Huron Road by the end of 2026, trimming its downtown footprint as the mortgage business has slowed. | | MetroHealth upgrades its ER | Clark-Fulton, 2500 MetroHealth Dr. MetroHealth is beginning a $9 million renovation of the emergency department at its main campus, the latest investment in the near-West-Side neighborhood. | | Cleveland leads Ohio in job growth | Greater Cleveland | A new PNC report finds Cleveland now has the strongest labor market in Ohio, with June unemployment around 3.5% and the most jobs the region has counted since 2019. | | RTA asks voters for support | Countywide | Greater Cleveland's transit agency is putting a sales-tax levy before voters, its first such request in more than 50 years, to help fund bus and rail service. | | Homes still selling fast | City of Cleveland | Market data for July shows a median sale price near $168,000 and less than one month of homes available for sale, meaning well-priced houses are still moving quickly. | What it means for you. If you're buying: Homes are still selling quickly and there aren't many on the market, so it helps to have your financing lined up and to be ready to act when the right house appears. The bright side is a strong local job market, which tends to keep neighborhoods stable and steadily supported over time. If you're selling: Low inventory works in your favor right now, and well-kept homes at a fair price are still drawing interest. A clean, move-in-ready listing photographed well can stand out, especially in neighborhoods seeing new investment like Clark-Fulton, University Circle, and downtown. If you're investing: The bigger story is momentum. Major projects like the Centennial, ongoing hospital investment at MetroHealth, and Cleveland's job-growth lead all point to steady demand for housing across the city. Areas near large employers and transit lines are worth watching as these projects move forward. That's the roundup for today. Thanks for reading, and here's to a great week ahead in Cleveland. Want first access to off-market deals? The best Cleveland deals never hit the MLS. Join its VIP investor list and get new off-market properties by text and email before anyone else. Join the Investor List By joining, you agree to receive SMS/calls from Great Devine Development. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

Cleveland real estate market update - August 13, 2026. Good morning, Cleveland. Here's a plain-English look at the local real estate and development news from the past couple of days, plus what it might mean for you whether you're buying, selling, or investing. Today's Cleveland headlines. | Story | Where | What Happened | | The Centennial (Huntington Building) | Downtown, 925 Euclid Ave. Developer Millennia Companies is working to line up financing and clear about $40 million in debt to pull the historic 1924 building out of foreclosure before an August 30 court deadline. The goal is to keep alive a roughly $500 million plan for about 865 apartments, a hotel, shops, and restaurants. | | Rocket Mortgage downsizing | Downtown, Tower City area | Rocket Mortgage is shrinking its office space by about two-thirds - from 115,000 to 32,000 square feet - and moving from the Higbee Building to 250 West Huron. Its local team is now around 250 people, down from more than 500 five years ago. | | New apartments near University Circle | Cleveland Heights | Several housing projects are moving forward to keep up with nearby job growth, including the 206-unit Marquee at Cedar Lee ($66 million), the 44-unit Taylor Tudors ($25.6 million), and the 52-unit, income-restricted Nobility Court on Noble Road ($15 million). | | Cosm entertainment dome tops out | Downtown, Gateway District | Bedrock's new 70,000-square-foot venue - featuring a 100-foot LED dome for watching live sports and events - reached structural completion at East 4th and Huron. Operated by Rock Entertainment Group, it's expected to open in summer 2027. | | $120 million to clean up old sites | Statewide, with Cleveland focus | Ohio opened applications (August 11 to September 11) for about $120 million in grants to clean up contaminated properties - such as the former Cleveland Cooperative Stove site on East 67th and East Cleveland's old Huron Road Hospital - and ready them for new use. | | Home-price snapshot | Citywide | The typical Cleveland home is valued around $121,400, down about 2% from a year ago, while listings still go under contract in roughly 15 days. Average rent is up about 4.3%, to around $1,424 a month. | What it means for you. If you're buying: Prices have eased slightly over the past year, so there's a little less pressure than in many big-city markets. Even so, well-priced homes go under contract quickly - often in about two weeks - so it helps to have your financing and paperwork ready before you start looking. If you're selling: Homes that are clean, updated, and close to job centers like University Circle and Downtown are still drawing steady interest. Because values have flattened a bit, pricing your home realistically from day one is the best way to attract strong offers. If you're investing: Rents keep climbing (up more than 4% this year), and hundreds of new apartments going up on the East Side show that demand for housing near jobs is strong. Big downtown projects like the Centennial and Cosm point to continued energy in the city center, even as some office tenants trim their space. Thanks for reading, and here's to a great day in Cleveland. Want first access to off-market deals? The best Cleveland deals never hit the MLS. Join its VIP investor list and get new off-market properties by text and email before anyone else. Join the Investor List By joining, you agree to receive SMS/calls from Great Devine Development. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase.