Kind Lending's Pivot: De-Coupling a JV to Fuel Tech-Driven Growth

IRVINE, CA – September 08, 2026 – In a move that appears counterintuitive on its surface, Irvine-based mortgage lender Kind Lending is simultaneously announcing a major strategic uncoupling and a period of profound growth. The company confirmed the mutual decision to wind down its Success Lending joint venture, a partnership formed in 2021 with eXp World Holdings. Yet, this news arrives alongside a powerful financial report: a 44% year-over-year increase in funded wholesale volume through August 2026.

For industry leaders watching the volatile mortgage sector, this isn't a sign of contraction but a clear signal of strategic realignment. Kind Lending is making a calculated bet, shedding the complexity of a joint venture to double down on what it controls directly: its core wholesale engine, an expanding retail channel, and a significant investment in process automation. This is a classic case of a disruptive player choosing focus over breadth, and execution over entanglement.

The Strategic Uncoupling

The dissolution of the Success Lending joint venture is being positioned by both parties as a deliberate and amicable strategic shift. The venture, which leveraged Kind's lending platform with eXp's vast network of real estate agents, had funded over $1 billion in loans and served thousands of homebuyers by August 2026. However, in the world of high-growth business, what works for one phase of expansion may become a constraint in the next.

"We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Success Lending and proud of what our teams accomplished together," said Glenn Stearns, Kind Lending's Founder and CEO, in a statement. "We wish the Success team all the best in their next chapter."

That next chapter is already taking shape for both entities. Research indicates that eXp World Holdings is actively exploring a new joint venture with lending giant Newrez, suggesting its strategy remains focused on integrating mortgage services. For Kind Lending, the move appears to be about reclaiming resources and focus. Managing a JV, particularly with a publicly traded partner like eXp, introduces operational overhead and strategic dependencies. By unwinding the partnership, Kind frees up capital and management bandwidth to pour directly into its own proprietary channels and technology stack.

As Stearns noted, "At Kind, we're equally excited about what's ahead. We've built tremendous momentum across our business this year, and the investments we're making in our people, technology and processes are positioning us for an even stronger 2027."

Quantifying the Growth Engine

That momentum is not just rhetoric; it's backed by hard numbers that stand in stark contrast to the broader market. The reported 44% year-over-year growth in its TPO (Third-Party Origination) business is a significant achievement in the 2026 mortgage environment.

To put this figure in context, major industry forecasts paint a picture of a market that is, at best, experiencing a modest and uneven recovery. While the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) projected a rebound for 2026, other analyses from entities like Fannie Mae predicted a slight decrease in total origination volume. Amidst this backdrop of fluctuating interest rates and tepid consumer demand, Kind Lending's 44% surge indicates it is not merely riding a market wave but is actively capturing market share from competitors. This performance builds on previous milestones, such as its record-breaking month in May 2025 when it funded over $1 billion, demonstrating a sustained growth trajectory.

This growth is the foundation upon which the strategic pivot rests. It provides the financial firepower and market confidence needed to invest aggressively in the company's next phase, which appears to be centered on a potent combination of technology and talent.

The Bet on Automation and Efficiency

At the heart of Kind Lending's strategy is a deep investment in technology aimed at removing friction from the mortgage process. This is where the company's vision moves from the balance sheet to the production floor. The press release highlights two key initiatives that offer a glimpse into this operational focus.

First is a program to automatically verify income and employment for eligible borrowers, which also eliminates associated verification fees. For mortgage brokers, this is a tangible benefit, reducing the administrative burden of chasing documentation. For underwriters, it removes a routine but time-consuming step, allowing them to focus on more complex aspects of a loan file. Second, the company is deploying technology that can evaluate loan documentation against underwriting criteria and automatically clear conditions. This is a step beyond simple data verification; it's the beginning of an automated decisioning framework that can dramatically increase capacity and speed.

These initiatives are being developed in collaboration with major government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), a critical detail that signals a deep, systemic approach to process re-engineering. By working with the architects of the secondary mortgage market, Kind is helping to redefine how loans move from submission to funding, a move that promises compounding efficiency gains. This strategy is consistent with its past actions, such as its 2025 integration with the cloud-native Loan Origination System (LOS) LendingPad, designed to give brokers a faster, more transparent connection to Kind's platform.

People, Culture, and the Retail Frontier

While technology provides the tools for efficiency, Kind's strategy also heavily emphasizes the human element. The company is complementing its dominant wholesale channel with a strategic expansion of its retail business under the leadership of newly appointed SVP of Retail, Jonathan Engler.

"Strong performance in Wholesale and the expansion underway in Retail give us two distinct opportunities to build on Kind's growth," noted Delfino Aguilar, Chief Production Officer. He added that Engler brings the experience needed to "attract top talent, increase production and strengthen our presence nationwide."

This focus on talent is buttressed by a string of national accolades that lend credibility to its 'people-first' culture. For the third consecutive year, Kind Lending was named a USA TODAY Top Workplace. This award, administered by third-party Energage, is based entirely on anonymous employee feedback, making it a reliable barometer of internal health. Such recognition is a powerful tool in the war for talent, particularly for skilled loan officers and underwriters.

Capping off the year's achievements, CEO Glenn Stearns was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Pacific Southwest Award winner. This prestigious award recognizes not just financial performance but also entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, and impact. For a leader who has navigated the highs and lows of the mortgage industry, it serves as a powerful validation of the disruptive vision behind Kind Lending.

Ultimately, Kind Lending is executing a nuanced and deliberate strategy. By untangling a significant joint venture, it is simplifying its business to accelerate what is already working: a high-growth wholesale channel powered by increasingly sophisticated automation and a culture that attracts top talent. The company is betting that this focused, tech-forward, and independent approach will provide a more durable and scalable path to disrupting the mortgage industry. For business leaders, it's a compelling case study in knowing when to prune one branch in order to strengthen the entire tree.