loanDepot expands in Texas. The Betenbough partnership reflects a crucial strategy in a tough mortgage market.

The Big Picture California-based mortgage lender loanDepot announced Monday its first partnership under its expanded partnership channel. Olive Branch Home Loans, led by Paul Boecker, will serve buyers of Betenbough's new homes across West Texas. Terms weren't disclosed.

The move comes as purchase-focused lenders look to deepen ties with homebuilders to capture limited volume in a high-rate, low-inventory market. Builder-affiliated mortgage platforms have been a key growth strategy.

“"This model serves as a reproducible playbook for builders nationwide seeking to launch an affiliated home lending platform without building everything from scratch," loanDepot said.”

Why It Matters For homebuilders, an aligned lender helps manage fallout risk, increases closing certainty, and structures incentives within regulatory guardrails. For lenders, embedded builder channels provide more predictable purchase pipelines and better visibility into future inventory.

loanDepot, which has been restructuring and shrinking its retail footprint since 2022, has increasingly emphasized partnerships and third-party channels. This strategy lets it deploy technology and servicing platforms without the fixed costs of a large brick-and-mortar network.

The company reported a $108 million loss in 2025 despite improved origination volumes and operating margins. In the fourth quarter of 2025, loanDepot posted its highest volume for any three-month period since 2022 and had a 71% recapture rate from its in-house servicing platform.

The Bottom Line Watch whether loanDepot can replicate this model with other builders while navigating ongoing losses and leadership changes. The bet on third-party channels could define its survival in a transformed mortgage market.