Mike Kortas, founder and CEO of NEXA, has launched evoLend, a new mortgage servicing company designed to help loan officers stay connected with borrowers after closing and turn servicing into a borrower retention tool rather than simply a back-office function.
evoLend has received approvals to service loans backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. According to the company, the platform was created to address a longstanding challenge for mortgage originators: losing visibility into borrowers once servicing is transferred after funding.
"For decades, loan officers have built relationships, earned their clients' trust, and originated loans, only to watch another servicing company take over the customer relationship once the loan funds," the company said in its announcement.
"Our industry has accepted for years that once a loan closes, the loan officer simply hopes that customer comes back someday," Kortas said. "I don't believe hope is a business strategy."
He added, "Loan officers earned that relationship, and they should continue benefiting from it long after closing. The loan officer will now control the payoff process."
In a Facebook post announcing the launch, Kortas described evoLend as "the evolution of the mortgage industry the way it should always have been," adding that it was built "for loan officers and by loan officers." He said his goal is to give originators greater control over servicing, loan payoffs, and long-term borrower relationships rather than seeing those opportunities shift elsewhere after closing.
evoLend's platform will provide loan officers with servicing data, borrower intelligence, payoff visibility, and future mortgage servicing rights participation opportunities aimed at helping originators build long-term enterprise value. The company's long-term roadmap also includes borrower lifecycle intelligence and technology designed to help loan officers remain engaged with clients throughout the life of the mortgage.
Tammy Richards, also of NEXA, has been named CEO and will oversee evoLend's operations, compliance, technology and servicing platform.
Although founded by Kortas, evoLend will operate as an independent mortgage servicing company with its own leadership, compliance structure and servicing platform. The company said NEXA loan officers could eventually gain access to servicing data, borrower intelligence and payoff information through future servicing relationships and technology integrations, subject to applicable legal, regulatory and operational requirements.
"evoLend is about giving loan officers access to the information and infrastructure they have historically been separated from after closing," Richards said. "This company is being built intentionally, with compliance, technology, and long-term loan officer value at the center."
The launch comes as borrower retention has become an increasingly important focus across the industry. As refinance opportunities gradually return, and customer acquisition costs remain elevated, lenders and LOs are placing greater emphasis on maintaining relationships with past clients rather than relying solely on new business.
Traditionally, many lenders sell mortgage servicing rights after a loan closes, transferring payment collection and borrower communications to another servicer. While that model provides liquidity and reduces servicing responsibilities, it can also leave LOs with little visibility into future borrower activity, including refi opportunities and loan payoffs.
evoLend is positioning servicing as a strategic tool to help LOs strengthen client relationships and generate repeat business throughout the life of the loan. Whether that model gains broader adoption remains to be seen, but the company's launch reflects a growing industry focus on using servicing data and borrower intelligence to improve long-term customer retention.
