Real Genius at a glance, 2025
Every figure is from the lender's own HMDA filing. "vs national" compares with all lenders combined.
How the C grade breaks down
Each component is a percentile rank among 1,883 small mortgage lenders. Higher is better. Components the lender does not report are left out and the weights redistributed.
Approval oddsdecision denial rate, weight 45%
27th16.5% deniedPricingmedian rate spread over APOR, weight 30%
89th-0.15 ptsProcesswithdrawn + incomplete share, weight 15%
1st42.2%Closing coststotal loan costs ÷ loan amount, weight 10%
86th0.96% of loanTrend, 2023–2025
| Year | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Decision denial | Median rate | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 959 | 243 | 44.7% | 63.4% | 6.50% | $77M |
| 2025 | 702 | 330 | 9.5% | 16.5% | 5.99% | $141M |
What Real Genius lends
Applications by purpose and loan type in 2025, with the denial rate for each. A lender's mix explains a lot of its headline rate: HELOCs and FHA loans are denied far more often than conventional purchase loans.
By loan purpose
By loan type
Also: 0 home-equity lines, 0 reverse mortgages, 5 manufactured homes, 90 investment properties.
Why Real Genius denies applications
Primary reason reported for each of the 67 denials in 2025. Lenders can cite up to four reasons; this is the first one listed.
Who gets approved at Real Genius
Decision denial rate by applicant profile. Groups with fewer than 20 applications are omitted.
| Applicant income | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50k – $100k | 102 | 39 | 33.9% |
| $100k – $150k | 176 | 81 | 16.8% |
| $150k – $250k | 252 | 120 | 13.5% |
| Over $250k | 157 | 84 | 6.5% |
| Applicant age | Applications | Originated | Decision denial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25–34 | 180 | 76 | 12.2% |
| 35–44 | 290 | 138 | 17.4% |
| 45–54 | 127 | 62 | 20.3% |
| 55–64 | 63 | 38 | 13.3% |
| 65–74 | 29 | 11 | 21.4% |
Where Real Genius lends
37 states and 315 counties in 2025. Click a state for the lender's full record there.
| State | Applications | Originated | Denial rate | Median rate | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 74 | 27 | 9.5% | 6.13% | #622 |
| Florida | 73 | 25 | 9.6% | 5.88% | #544 |
| Georgia | 61 | 25 | 16.4% | 5.99% | #418 |
| North Carolina | 56 | 30 | 7.1% | 5.99% | #383 |
| Illinois | 48 | 18 | 22.9% | 5.99% | #471 |
| California | 45 | 23 | 13.3% | 5.99% | #539 |
| Washington | 26 | 8 | 7.7% | 5.81% | #360 |
| Maryland | 25 | 13 | 12.0% | 5.99% | #391 |
| Ohio | 25 | 13 | 8.0% | 5.99% | #499 |
| New Jersey | 24 | 9 | 4.2% | 5.88% | #431 |
| Colorado | 23 | 12 | 4.4% | 5.99% | #405 |
| Tennessee | 22 | 12 | 4.6% | 6.06% | #518 |
| Massachusetts | 20 | 10 | 5.0% | 6.06% | #412 |
| Arizona | 19 | 10 | 0.0% | 5.88% | #424 |
| Minnesota | 18 | 11 | 16.7% | 5.88% | #398 |
| Michigan | 14 | 7 | 0.0% | 5.99% | #480 |
| Oregon | 12 | 7 | 0.0% | 5.99% | #346 |
| Kansas | 11 | 8 | 9.1% | 6.56% | #342 |
| Kentucky | 11 | 5 | 0.0% | 5.63% | #406 |
| South Carolina | 11 | 7 | 0.0% | 5.75% | #523 |
| Alabama | 9 | 3 | 22.2% | 5.75% | #495 |
| Indiana | 9 | 6 | 0.0% | 5.99% | #554 |
| New Hampshire | 8 | 3 | 12.5% | 6.13% | #282 |
| Maine | 7 | 6 | 0.0% | 6.31% | #257 |
| Wisconsin | 7 | 4 | 14.3% | 5.56% | #533 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 5 | 0.0% | 6.13% | #296 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | 4 | 0.0% | 6.13% | #460 |
| Idaho | 5 | 4 | 0.0% | 6.13% | #336 |
| Louisiana | 5 | 1 | 40.0% | 6.63% | #427 |
| West Virginia | 5 | 3 | 0.0% | 6.49% | #308 |
Frequently asked questions
Real Genius denied 16.5% of the applications it decided on in 2025. The national figure across all lenders was 22.6%. On approval odds it ranks in the 27th percentile of small mortgage lenders.
The most common reason Real Genius gave in 2025 was "debt-to-income ratio", cited on 46.3% of its denials. Lenders report up to four reasons per denial to the CFPB; the full breakdown is on this page.
The median interest rate on loans Real Genius originated in 2025 was 5.99%, and its median rate spread over the average prime offer rate was -0.15 points. Rates on this page are what borrowers actually got, not advertised rates.
In 2025, 26% of its applications were for home purchases, 74% for refinancing (including cash-out), and 0% for home improvement or other purposes. By loan type: 100% conventional, 0% FHA, 0% VA.
Every figure on this page comes from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Loan/Application Register published by the CFPB, which lenders are required by federal law to file. We add the grade and the comparisons; we do not add facts.