Mortgage Research Center

What Mortgage Research Center does

Mortgage Research Center operates as Mortgage Research Network, a consumer-facing mortgage and real estate content platform owned by Three Creeks Media, LLC, a privately held Missouri-based media company founded in 2002. The platform delivers editorial content, a suite of mortgage calculators (FHA, VA, USDA, and conventional), daily rate tracking for 30-year conforming, FHA, and VA loan products, and a lender-matching service through its primary website (mortgageresearch.com), YouTube channel (@MortgageResearchNetwork), and podcast on Transistor. Content is produced by mortgage industry practitioners rather than generalist writers, including Editor and Lead Analyst Tim Lucas, a former loan officer (NMLS #118763) with prior roles at Washington Mutual and M&T Bank. Editorial process includes 3-4 review touches per article, drawing from primary government sources such as HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, USDA, and the Veterans Administration.

The business monetizes primarily through affiliate and lender referral arrangements — earning commissions when consumers are matched with lending partners via web forms, rate tables, and connection opportunities on the site. Additional revenue streams include display advertising and participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. The consumer experience is free; revenue accrues from lender partners paying for qualified lead generation and from advertising placements. The platform targets first-time homebuyers, younger homeowners exploring refinancing, and general consumers researching mortgage products, operating horizontally across U.S. consumer finance audiences. Three Creeks Media's broader portfolio also includes Veteran.com and TheMilitaryWallet.com, extending reach into adjacent veteran-focused verticals. No public API, app, or documented product integrations exist; the technology footprint is centered on web content, calculators, and rate-tracking tools.

Name

Mortgage Research Center

Legal name

Three Creeks Media, LLC

Website

https://mortgageresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Mortgage Research Center operates as Mortgage Research Network, a U.S. consumer mortgage content platform providing educational articles, calculators, rate tracking, and lender-matching services to homebuyers and refinancers, monetizing via lender referral commissions and display advertising under parent Three Creeks Media, LLC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Lender Referrals: The company earns revenue when users are matched with lenders through web forms, rate tables, or other connection opportunities on the site. This is commission-based income where lenders pay for lead generation.
2. Display Advertising: Revenue from display advertising and paid sponsorships on the website
3. Amazon Associates: Participant in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, earning fees from qualifying purchases

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mortgage Research Center operates MortgageResearch.com, a consumer-focused mortgage information platform providing expert-driven educational content, a suite of mortgage calculators (FHA, VA, USDA, conventional), daily mortgage rate tracking, and a lender matching service. The platform is owned by Three Creeks Media, LLC and generates revenue primarily through affiliate referrals to lenders when consumers are matched through web forms and rate tables.

Product overview

Mortgage Research Network operates primarily as a consumer-focused mortgage information platform offering educational content, calculators, and lender matching services. The core product is MortgageResearch.com, a website that provides expert-driven editorial content on home loans (FHA, VA, USDA, conventional), refinancing, credit, real estate, and housing economy topics. The platform also features a suite of mortgage calculators (FHA, Conventional, VA, USDA, FHA Refinance) for payment estimation, daily rate tracking for various loan products, and a lender matching service that connects users with lending partners through web forms and rate tables. Additional channels include a podcast and content available on YouTube. Owned by Three Creeks Media, the network is led by former loan officer Tim Lucas and generates revenue through lender referral arrangements. The platform does not offer a public API or documented product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MortgageResearch.com Website A consumer-focused mortgage information platform providing educational content on home loans, refinancing, credit, real estate, and the economy, alongside rate tracking, calculators, and lender matching services for individual consumers researching mortgages.
• Mortgage Calculators Suite A suite of mortgage calculation tools including FHA Refinance Calculator, Conventional Loan Calculator, FHA Loan Calculator, VA Loan Calculator, and USDA Loan Calculator that help consumers estimate monthly payments including taxes and insurance for various loan types.
• Lender Matching Service A connection service that matches users with lenders through web forms, rate tables, and other connection opportunities on the site, generating revenue through referral arrangements with lending partners.
• Rate Tracking and Market Data Daily mortgage rate tracking service providing current rates for 30-year Conforming, 30-year FHA, and 30-year VA loan products, sourced from rate update providers.
• Mortgage Research Network Podcast Audio content channel covering mortgage and real estate topics, available through the MortgageResearch.com platform and distributed via podcast hosting services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3-4 editorial review touches per article ensures accuracy and quality
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Refi.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMortgage Research Center conducted survey research on homeowner refinancing trends for Refi.com, providing data insights on one-third of homeowners remaining open to refinancing despite elevated mortgage rates.
• Mortgage Research NetworkcoreOthersMortgage Research Network (sister property) released study ranking top 50 U.S. metros by single women homebuyers, finding nearly 360,000 single women purchased homes in 2025 accounting for 11.4% of all home purchase mortgages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Credible: Credible operates an online marketplace comparing mortgage (and other loan) offers from multiple lenders, earning referral commissions. It is a direct peer in the consumer-direct mortgage lead generation and comparison space.
• NerdWallet: NerdWallet is a leading consumer finance content and comparison platform with a substantial mortgage vertical that earns revenue through lender referrals and affiliate commissions. It is the most direct competitor to Mortgage Research Center, monetizing the same way on the same target audience.
• Bankrate: Bankrate (owned by Red Ventures) is a long-established mortgage rate tracking and consumer education platform with deep SEO authority and lender referral partnerships. It competes head-to-head with Mortgage Research Center for organic mortgage content traffic and lender-sourced lead revenue.
• The Mortgage Reports: The Mortgage Reports is a consumer mortgage content site that generates leads for lenders through editorial content and rate tables. It is a near-identical peer in niche, audience, and business model.
• LendingTree: LendingTree operates a multi-lender marketplace connecting consumers with mortgage (and other loan) offers, monetizing through lender referral fees. Its lender-matching service is the direct equivalent of Mortgage Research Network's core monetization flow.
• NextAdvisor: NextAdvisor (TIME/Red Ventures) is a consumer finance content and comparison platform covering mortgages, credit, and banking. It shares Mortgage Research Center's editorial + lender-matching monetization approach.

Emerging players

• MyFICO: MyFICO is a consumer-facing credit education and mortgage-relevant content site owned by FICO, providing rate and credit-impact information. It is an adjacent, partial-overlap peer in the mortgage education content niche.

Broad incumbents

• Zillow Home Loans: Zillow operates the dominant real estate search platform and has expanded into mortgage origination and lender matching. It is a broad incumbent with significant brand, traffic, and capital advantages over Mortgage Research Center.
• Veterans United Home Loans: Veterans United is the largest VA-focused mortgage lender and produces substantial VA loan educational content. It overlaps directly with Mortgage Research Network's VA loan vertical, but as a vertically integrated originator rather than a pure lead-gen platform.
• Redfin Mortgage: Redfin's mortgage arm pairs content and home search with direct lender matching, overlapping with Mortgage Research Center's consumer-facing mortgage content and referral business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MortgageResearchNetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mortgage Research Center