The reverse mortgage arm of Fairway Home Mortgage (formerly Fairway Independent Mortgage), a Madison, Wisconsin lender founded in 1996. Sells HECMs, jumbo reverse loans and HECM for Purchase through local planners in all 50 states.
Customers rate Fairway's service very highly, and reverse borrowers praise how well things are explained.
Reverse volume is well behind the top three and down from last year, and rates are hidden online.
Lead with real reverse borrowers and the planner as a trusted advisor, and give people a clear first step.
Fairway's reverse brand borrows a huge asset from its parent: 4.9 stars from 456,590 reviews, printed right on the homepage. The few reviews that are clearly about reverse loans say the same thing, that a planner took the time to explain. But the market isn't rewarding it yet. In June 2026 Fairway was fourth in retail HECM loans with 112, while the top three did 398 to 481 each, and its year to date was 28.3% below 2025. The site sells benefits, hides rates, and even lists a rival's product. Creative should stop leaning on the company-wide star count and start showing reverse borrowers and the planners who explained it to them.
In other words: People trust Fairway, but the reverse business doesn't have its own story or proof yet. Build that before buying more reach.
The parent company renamed itself Fairway Home Mortgage in July 2025 with the tagline "All Roads Lead Home". The reverse site still introduces the legal entity as Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, so the two brands may not match yet.
Leadership has turned over: the national reverse director left in early 2023, and January 2025 coverage names Dan Ventura as president of reverse lending, with a push on HECM for Purchase and referral partners.
The 456,590 reviews are mostly forward mortgages. Feature the reverse borrowers who say they were educated thoroughly.
"Trusted advisor" is the brand's own promise and the thing reviewers praise. Put real planners' faces and names in the work.
Reviewers and editors say it's hard to see how to start and what it costs. A simple "what happens on the first call" piece lowers the bar.
Fairway was named first in HECM for Purchase in 2023 and is now building agent and advisor referrals. That's a lane the bigger specialists don't lead with.
The brand's own foundation, voice, market, audience, pricing and look, gathered for side-by-side competitor analysis. Where something isn't published, the card says so.
Positioning in one lineA big, service-rated mortgage brand with local reverse planners, sitting behind the three reverse specialists in volume.
“Our goal is to act as your trusted advisor.”Fairway About page
The service promise is backed by reviews, but almost all of them are about Fairway as a whole, not the reverse team. Reverse-only proof is thin, and rates are hidden, so the brand asks for trust before it shows anything.
“See What You May Qualify For”fairwayreverse.com
“Our goal is to act as your trusted advisor.”fairwayreverse.com/about-us
“Customer service is a way of life at Fairway.”fairwayreverse.com/about-us
Avoids: Hard selling, rate promises and anything that sounds like financial advice.
Homeowners age 62+, plus 62+ homebuyers through HECM for Purchase.
Retirees who want the product explained slowly, people dropping a monthly payment, and referral partners like agents and advisors.
Rates and fees are not published online
From fairwayreverse.com and Money.com, October 2026. Pricing is quoted one to one by a planner.
Not captured. No color values were readable on fairwayreverse.com and no named source publishes the palette. Pull colors from the live site or brand files before client use.
Profile sources: fairwayreverse.com · Fairway Reverse: About · Fairway Reverse: Loan options · Fairway Reverse: Benefits · HousingWire: name change · HousingWire: 2025 expansion · Money.com review
The five brands Fairway Reverse competes with most directly, placed on a positioning map and compared on the same profile points. Use the map to spot open space.
Fairway sits in an odd spot: its service reputation is stronger than most reverse specialists, but its reverse volume is a fraction of theirs. In June 2026 it ranked fourth with 112 loans against 398 to 481 for the top three. It even lists HomeSafe Second, a Finance of America product, on its own loan page. The open lane is "the advisor you'd trust with your house", built on local people and the review base, not on a product of its own.
Rankings from HousingWire's June 2026 HECM report. Placement on both axes is a judgment call from public positioning; specialist placements for Mutual of Omaha, South River and Guild are estimates. Rates are not published by any of these lenders.
| Brand | Signature product | Positioning | Main USP | Voice | Sells through | Visuals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairway Reverse Mortgage | HECM and HECM for Purchase; rates by quote | A big, service-rated mortgage brand with local reverse planners, sitting behind the three reverse specialists in volume. | Our goal is to act as your trusted advisor. | Reassuring, Plain, Benefit-led | fairwayreverse.com, Find a Reverse Mortgage Planner locator, Local Fairway branches | Not captured |
| Finance of America | HomeSafe and HomeSafe Second (proprietary) | The largest retail reverse lender in June 2026 | Owns its own proprietary products, including the first second-lien reverse mortgage | Confident, national, TV-led | Retail, wholesale, TV and digital | Not captured |
| Longbridge Financial | Platinum proprietary reverse loans | Number two in June 2026 retail HECM volume | Reverse-only specialist with its own private loan line | Professional, educational | Retail and a Platinum origination channel | Not captured |
| Mutual of Omaha Mortgage | HECM | Number three, borrowing a well-known insurance name | A trusted household name applied to reverse lending | Steady, familiar | Retail, phone and digital | Not captured |
| South River Mortgage | HECM | Fifth in June 2026 and growing year to date | A smaller reverse-focused lender gaining share | Not captured | Retail | Not captured |
| Guild Mortgage | HECM | A national forward lender that also does reverse | Branch network like Fairway's | Not captured | Branches | Not captured |
Fairway shows 4.9 stars from 456,590 reviews, but nearly all are about the company as a whole. Its reverse volume ranked fourth in June 2026 and was 28.3% lower year to date than 2025.
6.9 out of 10 · mixed. 8 and up is strong, 6 to 7.9 is mixed, under 6 needs work.
"I had no say in the process." Reverse borrowers are older and often nervous. The few negative reviews online are about feeling unheard and calls not returned. In a category with a history of distrust, one story like that about a reverse loan would travel further than the star count. (ConsumerAffairs)
"educating me thoroughly concerning a reverse mortgage" This is the reason reverse borrowers give for their five stars. It matches the brand's own "trusted advisor" promise, so it's the one message the brand and its customers already agree on. (Experience.com)
Each row grades one part of the reputation from 0 to 10, and counts for the share shown.
Star ratings convert straight to points (4.5 stars is 9.0). Rows without star ratings are our judgment, based on the proof in the next section. The math: .35 × 8.6 + .20 × 7.0 + .25 × 6.0 + .20 × 5.0 ≈ 6.9
Three layers: news coverage, what customers say, and what people see before they buy. Each opens to a summary first and the raw sources below. Click a layer to open or close it.
Trade press tracks Fairway's reverse business through rankings and strategy. It ranked fourth in June 2026 retail HECMs, after a strong month but a weak year. Earlier coverage covers a 2023 leadership exit, a 2025 push into HECM for Purchase and referrals, and the July 2025 rename to Fairway Home Mortgage.
Fourth in retail HECMs with 112 loans, up 202.7% on May but 28.3% lower year to date.
HousingWire →The parent renamed itself Fairway Home Mortgage, which the CEO called "more than cosmetic".
HousingWire →A plan to grow reverse through recruiting, partnerships and HECM for Purchase education.
HousingWire →Fairway called itself #3 retail reverse lender and #1 in HECM for Purchase for 2022.
Fairway →Fairway's own review wall is huge and near perfect, and an Experience.com profile shows 4.91 from 294, with recent reverse borrowers praising education. Smaller, unclaimed profiles tell a rougher story: Trustpilot 2.3 and ConsumerAffairs 3.8, mostly about servicing, escrow and slow replies. Reddit was not reached this pass.
4.91 stars, 95% five-star, with several recent reverse and HECM reviews.
Experience.com →4.9 from 456,590 Experience reviews, 4.95 Zillow, 4.97 BBB, 5.0 WalletHub.
Fairway Reverse →2.3 on an unclaimed profile, mostly escrow and payment complaints.
Trustpilot →3.8 overall; one reviewer recommends Fairway for reverse service.
ConsumerAffairs →Unclaimed; flags unclear rates and credit requirements online.
ConsumerAffairs →Benefit headlines are clear: drop the monthly payment, boost cash flow, protect savings, buy a new home. But rates and fees are not posted, the start path is a form or a call, and editors note it's hard to see how to sign up. The site also lists HomeSafe Second, which Finance of America describes as its own product.
Six plain benefit headlines, from payment relief to buying a new home.
Fairway Reverse →Says there is "no clear way of signing up for a reverse mortgage".
BestCompany →Calls HomeSafe Second its own product, now in 16 states. Fairway lists it too.
Finance of America →Not captured. No official social profiles are linked from the reverse site.
Fairway Reverse →One card per product or offer, with what people love, what they complain about, and how to use it in ads.
A plain "how a HECM works" explainer led by a real planner.
Make it Fairway's signature: content for agents, builders and 62+ movers.
Target advisors with high-value clients.
Explain it clearly or let it sit behind the planner; don't feature a rival's brand name.
Show the planner's face and the first call, step by step.
Each card is a portrait of one type of buyer, built from what real customers wrote. Use them to decide who an ad is talking to. Ages and details are estimates from how people write, and every quote links to where it was said.
“educating me thoroughly concerning a reverse mortgage”
“educating me thoroughly concerning a reverse mortgage”
“providing documentation on how the HECM product works”
“once I made the decision to move forward with an HECM”
Understand exactly what happens to the house and the family before signing. Feeling taught matters more than rate.
Kitchen-table calm. A planner, a printed sheet, a real borrower nodding. No stock smiles.
“Ask every question. We'll answer all of them.”
“Your planner explains it before you sign anything.”
“Read it at home. Call us when you're ready.”
No customer has described this buyer yet.
No customer quotes exist yet. This card is built from your own positioning; test it with three discovery calls before it drives spend.
Free up monthly cash without moving. The headline benefit is relief, but taxes and insurance still apply, which needs saying up front.
Show the monthly budget before and after, honestly, with taxes and insurance still on the page.
“One less bill. Same house.”
“See what you may qualify for in one call.”
“Keep the house. Lose the payment.”
No customer has described this buyer yet.
No customer quotes exist yet. This card is built from your own positioning; test it with three discovery calls before it drives spend.
Buy the next home without draining savings or taking on a monthly payment.
Moving-day energy. Boxes, grandkids, a new porch. Name the product plainly.
“Buy your next home. Skip the monthly payment.”
“The home loan built for buyers 62 and up.”
“Closer to the grandkids. Not closer to broke.”
No customer has described this buyer yet.
No customer quotes exist yet. This card is built from your own positioning; test it with three discovery calls before it drives spend.
Refer older clients to someone who won't embarrass them, and keep the client happy.
Professional and peer-to-peer. Show the partner looking good in front of their client.
“Your clients are 62+. So is our expertise.”
“Help them buy with a HECM for Purchase.”
“We explain it. You keep the client.”
“I had no say in the process.”
“I had no say in the process.”
“No return calls.”
“They are difficult to deal with.”
Get a straight answer from a person after the loan closes. Being heard matters more than any feature.
Not an ad audience. Fix the follow-up first, then show the after-closing promise.
“After you close, you still have a name and a number.”
“Your planner calls back. That's the rule.”
Opening lines for ads, each matched to the buyers it fits best. Tap a buyer type to filter the ideas, or tap a name on any card to read about that buyer.
Ask every question. We'll answer all of them.
Why it works: The reason reverse borrowers give for five stars.
Meet your planner before you meet the paperwork.
Why it works: Puts the "trusted advisor" promise on a real face.
One less bill. Same house.
Why it works: The site's lead benefit, with taxes and insurance shown honestly.
Buy your next home. Skip the monthly payment.
Why it works: HECM for Purchase is the lane Fairway once led.
We explain it. You keep the client.
Why it works: Matches the 2025 plan to grow through referral partners.
What happens on the first call.
Why it works: Answers the "no clear way to sign up" critique.
Real reverse borrowers, real reviews.
Why it works: Swaps the company-wide star count for reverse-only proof.
After you close, you still have a name and a number.
Why it works: Speaks to the few but loud servicing complaints.
Wait until callback times are fixedSpecific fixes, plus things we couldn't check that are worth looking into.
Not captured. No official social profiles are linked from the reverse site and none were found this pass. Confirm handles and follower counts.
Not captured. Pull the palette and fonts from the live site or Fairway's brand files, and check they match the 2025 Fairway Home Mortgage rebrand.
Most reviews cover Fairway as a whole. Filter Experience.com and Zillow for reverse loans to get a true reverse score.
Reddit was not reached this pass. Do a manual pull before media planning.
Mutual of Omaha, South River and Guild placements are estimates. Check their sites before using the map with a client.
Zillow, BBB and WalletHub figures come from Fairway's homepage, not the source sites. Verify before quoting.
Make Fairway Reverse the reverse lender older homeowners and their referral partners trust most, proven by reverse-specific reviews, clear costs before contact, leadership in HECM for Purchase, and a climb back up the retail HECM rankings.
Who sets the bar: Finance of America, Longbridge Financial and Mutual of Omaha set the bar. In June 2026 they did 398 to 481 retail HECMs each against Fairway's 112. They win with their own proprietary products, reverse-only focus or a famous household name, and national TV and digital reach. Fairway has stronger service ratings but no reverse-only proof, no published costs, and a loan page that lists a rival's product.
The position to own: The reverse advisor you'd trust with your house: a named local planner who explains every step, shows what it costs, and stays reachable after closing, with HECM for Purchase as the lane Fairway leads.
Monthly retail HECM loans as reported by HousingWire
112 in June 2026, ranked #4, year to date 28.3% below 2025
Year to date growth over 2025 and a steady climb toward 200 retail HECMs a month within 12 months
Do this week
Give the reverse brand its own clear identity, honest message and an obvious first step online.
Done when: A signed-off reverse brand guide is shared with marketing, branches and the partner team.
Done when: An approved messaging document with headlines, proof points and disclosures for each buyer group.
Done when: The page is live, linked sitewide, and first-call bookings are tracked.
Done when: A verified reverse-only rating and review count exists and the Trustpilot profile is claimed.
Replace company-wide star counts with proof from real reverse borrowers, real planners and clear costs.
Done when: The reverse homepage leads with reverse-only reviews and at least several borrower stories.
Done when: Every reverse planner has a live profile with booking.
Done when: The cost guide is live and editors have been asked to review the transparency rating.
Done when: Each product has its own clear section with a next step.
Own HECM for Purchase and the referral channel the bigger specialists do not lead with.
Done when: The hub and guide are live and H4P leads are tracked separately.
Done when: The kit is live in the partner program and partner sign-ups are tracked.
Done when: The campaign runs in test markets with cost per booked call measured.
Done when: Profiles are live, linked and posting on a set schedule.
Turn trust into ranking, recognition and loyalty after closing.
Done when: Every new borrower gets a named contact and callback times are reported monthly.
Done when: A current, verified H4P recognition is published on the site.
Done when: The report is published and shared with partners and media.
Done when: All branch markets run the reverse playbook with quarterly reporting.
How to measure it
| Measure | Now | Target | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail HECM loans year to date vs prior year | 28.3% below 2025 | Growth over prior year | Shows the trend has turned. |
| Reverse-only review rating | Not captured | Verified rating published with a growing count | Proves the reverse team, not the parent. |
| NerdWallet rate transparency rating | Poor | Improved rating after cost guide | Removes the hidden cost objection. |
| Trustpilot profile | 2.3 from 8, unclaimed | Claimed with every review answered | Fixes the weakest public score. |
| HECM for Purchase share of reverse volume | Not captured | Tracked monthly and rising | Measures ownership of the lane. |
| Active referral partners | Not captured | Tracked and growing each quarter | Shows the growth channel is working. |
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