Today we’ll take a look at the top mortgage lenders in Ohio.
Last year, nearly 900 mortgage companies originated about $42 billion in home loans there, a far cry from the $113 billion seen back in 2021.
But one company beat the rest despite not being the top-10 overall.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the nation’s top mortgage lender, but rather a depository bank.
Read on to see who took the top spot and what other companies did a lot of business in The Buckeye State.
Top Mortgage Lenders in Ohio (Overall)
| Ranking | Company Name | 2024 Loan Volume |
| 1. | Huntington Bank | $2.8 billion |
| 2. | Rocket Mortgage | $2.5 billion |
| 3. | CrossCountry | $2.2 billion |
| 4. | UWM | $1.9 billion |
| 5. | Union Savings Bank | $1.1 billion |
| 6. | Fifth Third Bank | $1.1 billion |
| 7. | Union Home Mortgage | $967 million |
| 8. | Chase | $869 million |
| 9. | Guaranteed Rate | $791 million |
| 10. | Veterans United | $784 million |
The top mortgage lender in Ohio last year was Huntington Bank, a company founded all the way back in 1866.
In 2024, the Columbus, Ohio-based company funded $2.8 billion in home loans, per HMDA data from Richey May.
For the record, they funded $7.8 billion in 2021 when mortgage rate hit record lows!
But it was still more than enough to hold off Rocket Mortgage’s $2.5 billion, the nation’s second largest mortgage lender overall.
In third was Cleveland, Ohio-based CrossCountry Mortgage with $2.2 billion funded, followed by the nation’s largest mortgage lender United Wholesale Mortgage, with just $1.9 billion funded.
Rounding out the top five was Ohio-based Union Savings Bank with $1.1 billion.
Sixth was Cincinnati-based bank Fifth Third with a close $1.1 billion in loan volume, followed by Strongsville, Ohio-based Union Home Mortgage.
The rest of the top 10 included Chase, Guaranteed Rate, and Veterans United.
Many of the top lenders are Ohio-based, so it seems Ohioans like to keep it local when obtaining a home loan.
Top Ohio Mortgage Lenders (for Home Buyers)
| Ranking | Company Name | 2024 Loan Volume |
| 1. | CrossCountry | $1.9 billion |
| 2. | Huntington Bank | $1.7 billion |
| 3. | UWM | $1.2 billion |
| 4. | Rocket Mortgage | $1.1 billion |
| 5. | Union Savings Bank | $889 million |
| 6. | Union Home Mortgage | $870 million |
| 7. | Guaranteed Rate | $725 million |
| 8. | Fifth Third Bank | $710 million |
| 9. | Chase | $708 million |
| 10. | NFM | $673 million |
When it came to home purchase lending, CrossCountry Mortgage led the charge with $1.9 billion funded.
They were followed by Huntington Bank, UWM, Rocket Mortgage, and Union Savings Bank (also headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio).
Places six through 10 went to Union Home Mortgage, Guaranteed Rate, Fifth Third Bank, Chase, and NFM.
No big surprises here, with more local companies and big household names making the list.
Top Refinance Lenders in Ohio (for Existing Homeowners)
| Ranking | Company Name | 2024 Loan Volume |
| 1. | Rocket Mortgage | $1.3 billion |
| 2. | Huntington Bank | $939 million |
| 3. | UWM | $649 million |
| 4. | Freedom Mortgage | $357 million |
| 5. | Fifth Third Bank | $289 million |
| 6. | Pennymac | $233 million |
| 7. | CrossCountry | $221 million |
| 8. | PNC Bank | $220 million |
| 9. | Union Savings Bank | $216 million |
| 10. | Veterans United | $174 million |
When we shift focus to mortgage refinance loans, Rocket Mortgage was king with $1.3 billion funded.
Per usual, homeowners are happy to look at non-local options as they go for the lowest rate, or a cash out refinance, as opposed to a familiar face.
In second was Huntington Bank with a distant $939 million funded, followed by UWM with $649 million.
Freedom Mortgage came in fourth and Fifth Third came in fifth (confusing I know!)
The remaining companies in the top 10 included Pennymac, CrossCountry Mortgage, PNC Bank, Union Savings Bank, and Veterans United.
All in all, more of the same, Ohio-based mortgage companies and big national brands/banks.
Top Mortgage Lenders in Cincinnati
| Ranking | Company Name | 2024 Loan Volume |
| 1. | UWM | $493 million |
| 2. | Union Savings Bank | $424 million |
| 3. | Rocket Mortgage | $394 million |
| 4. | Huntington Bank | $342 million |
| 5. | Fifth Third Bank | $256 million |
| 6. | Guaranteed Rate | $237 million |
| 7. | CrossCountry | $179 million |
| 8. | First Community | $174 million |
| 9. | Victory Mortgage | $161 million |
| 10. | LCNB Bank | $148 million |
Top Mortgage Lenders in Cleveland
| Ranking | Company Name | 2024 Loan Volume |
| 1. | CrossCountry | $716 million |
| 2. | Huntington Bank | $565 million |
| 3. | Rocket Mortgage | $499 million |
| 4. | Third Federal | $318 million |
| 5. | UWM | $302 million |
| 6. | Fifth Third Bank | $234 million |
| 7. | Howard Hanna | $204 million |
| 8. | First Federal Savings | $193 million |
| 9. | NVR Mortgage | $179 million |
| 10. | Chase | $162 million |
Top Mortgage Lenders in Columbus (OH)
| Ranking | Company Name | 2024 Loan Volume |
| 1. | Huntington Bank | $650 million |
| 2. | NFM | $559 million |
| 3. | UWM | $508 million |
| 4. | Rocket Mortgage | $484 million |
| 5. | CrossCountry | $350 million |
| 6. | Union Home Mortgage | $349 million |
| 7. | Chase | $345 million |
| 8. | Union Savings Bank | $307 million |
| 9. | M/I Financial | $273 million |
| 10. | Fifth Third Bank | $254 million |
Who Are the Best Ohio Mortgage Lenders?
While the Huntington Bank was Ohio’s largest mortgage lender, its reviews are pretty mixed, with a lot of 3-star ratings across different review websites.
It’s difficult to determine if that’s due to mortgage lending or other bank services offered by the company.
Regardless, there are other mortgage companies in Ohio with far superior ratings, even if they aren’t as large.
For example, CrossCountry Mortgage has an excellent 4.97-star rating on Zillow from a staggering 22,000 customer reviews.
Meanwhile, Revolution Mortgage also has a 4.97 rating, Lower has a 4.93-rating, Union Home Mortgage has a 4.89-rating, and Nations Lending has a 4.81 score.
The highest rated Ohio-based mortgage company on Zillow is a tie between American Mortgage Service Company and Equity Resources, Inc., both with a 4.98 score.
So it’s clear there are plenty of highly-rated Ohio mortgage companies that aren’t necessarily the biggest of the bunch.
At the same time, you may also find that working with a mortgage broker or local credit union is the way to go.
Regardless of what option you choose, do your research and take your time to ensure you obtain quality service at a competitive price.
(photo: tlarrow)
