Guaranteed Rate. It denied 9.2% of the applications it decided on in 2025, against 28.1% at Mortgage Research Center. Product mix explains part of any gap: HELOC and FHA-heavy lenders naturally deny more. Mortgage Research Center, with a median rate of 6.25% on loans it originated in 2025 versus 6.58% at Guaranteed Rate. Medians reflect the loans each lender actually made, so a lender writing more VA or 15-year loans will look cheaper.
| Metric | Guaranteed Rate | Mortgage Research Center | All lenders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | C | |
| Grade score (0–100) | 62.3 | 50.8 | |
| Applications 2025 | 129,106 | 178,189 | 11,766,671 |
| Origination rate | 54.7% | 46.5% | 58.0% |
| Denial rate (all applications) | 5.7% | 18.4% | 18.0% |
| Decision denial rate | 9.2% | 28.1% | 22.6% |
| Withdrawn + incomplete | 38.1% | 34.5% | 2,405,729 |
| Median interest rate | 6.58% | 6.25% | 6.63% |
| Median rate spread (pts) | 0.21 | -0.25 | 0.25 |
| Median total loan costs | $6,363 | $4,867 | |
| Median loan amount | $335,000 | $305,000 | $225,000 |
| Loan volume | $29B | $27B | |
| States active | 51 | 51 | |
| FHA share | 16% | 3% | 14% |
| VA share | 8% | 89% | 8% |
| Refinance share | 29% | 41% | 32% |
Green marks the better figure where "better" is unambiguous. Shares and sizes are context, not scores. Source: CFPB HMDA 2025.
Guaranteed Rate. It denied 9.2% of the applications it decided on in 2025, against 28.1% at Mortgage Research Center. Product mix explains part of any gap: HELOC and FHA-heavy lenders naturally deny more.
Mortgage Research Center, with a median rate of 6.25% on loans it originated in 2025 versus 6.58% at Guaranteed Rate. Medians reflect the loans each lender actually made, so a lender writing more VA or 15-year loans will look cheaper.
