Scotsman Guide Media
Scotsman Guide Media is a privately held U.S. financial media and rankings company serving mortgage originators and lenders through a monthly magazine, verified annual rankings, a PRO membership subscription, and the LenderSearch platform, monetizing via subscriptions, ranking fees, advertising, and badge licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBothell, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Scotsman Guide Media does
Scotsman Guide Media, Inc. is a privately held financial media and technology company headquartered in Bothell, Washington, that has served the U.S. residential and commercial mortgage industry since 1985. Its core offering is a monthly print and digital magazine distributed to tens of thousands of mortgage professionals, complemented by an industry-leading annual rankings program operating since 2010 that recognizes top mortgage originators, lenders, private/business-purpose lenders, wholesale account executives, women originators, veteran originators, workplaces, and emerging stars based on employer-verified production data. The company monetizes through four primary streams: recurring PRO Membership subscriptions (Print+Digital and Digital-only tiers at $5.75-$9.91/week), ranking submission fees ($225-$2,999 depending on tier and timing), third-party digital advertising (Google AdSense, Facebook, Instagram), and licensing of official ranking badges and plaques through a partnership with Wrights Media.
The underlying technology is a digital media platform comprising scotsmanguide.com (serving over 2 million annual visitors with daily news, market analysis, and rankings content), an online magazine flipbook viewer, the LenderSearch platform (a direct lender discovery tool connecting mortgage professionals with verified lenders), and structured annual ranking submission systems with category-specific deadlines. The go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging 17 years of verified rankings, national print distribution, and brand authority to attract both individual originators (SMB) and large mortgage enterprises as ranking participants and subscribers. The company's verified-data methodology, where every ranking submission is employer-documented and independently reviewed before publication, positions it as a not-pay-to-play alternative in an industry where credibility is scarce.
Scotsman Guide Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scotsman Guide Media
- Legal name
- Scotsman Guide, Inc.
- Website
- https://scotsmanguide.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Scotsman Guide Media is a privately held U.S. financial media and rankings company serving mortgage originators and lenders through a monthly magazine, verified annual rankings, a PRO membership subscription, and the LenderSearch platform, monetizing via subscriptions, ranking fees, advertising, and badge licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scotsman Guide Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Media and Industry Rankings (Mortgage)
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Directory and Mailing List Publishers (513140), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Loan Brokers (6163)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mortgage Comparison, Marketplace & Rate-Shopping Platforms (FSALABAJ), Mortgage Lead Generation & Marketing Intermediaries (FSALABAI)
Keywords
Where Scotsman Guide Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bothell
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scotsman Guide Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: PRO membership subscriptions providing unlimited access to news, monthly digital magazine, and premium content. Options include Print+Digital and Digital-only plans at weekly billing rates.
- Ranking Submission Fees: Fees charged for individuals and companies to submit entries for various rankings. Early-bird pricing available. Individual submissions range from $225-$325; bulk submissions from $2,250-$2,999.
- Advertising: Marketing/tracking cookies and advertising services used to display targeted advertisements. Third-party advertising partners include Facebook, Instagram, Google Adsense.
- Licensing Fees: Official badge, plaques and awards licensed through Wrights Media (official licensing partner). Additional revenue from sponsored content and partnership directory.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print + Digital Annual Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Print + Digital Quarterly Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Annual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Top Originators Individual Submission |
| Subscription | Annual | Top Originators Bulk Submission |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Scotsman Guide Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scotsman Guide Media publishes a monthly print and digital mortgage industry magazine and operates the mortgage industry's longest-running independently verified annual rankings for originators, lenders, private/business-purpose lenders, women originators, wholesale account executives, emerging stars, and workplaces. The company sells PRO Membership subscriptions for premium news and magazine access, accepts paid submissions to its ranking programs, licenses official badges and plaques through Wrights Media, and operates the LenderSearch platform that connects users with verified direct lenders.
Product overview
Scotsman Guide Media is a financial technology and media company providing comprehensive services for residential and commercial mortgage professionals. The core offering consists of Scotsman Guide Magazine (a monthly publication delivering industry news and expert commentary) combined with industry-leading Rankings programs that have operated since 2010, covering top originators, lenders, and workplaces. Additional offerings include PRO Membership subscriptions with premium content access, and the LenderSearch platform for connecting with verified direct lenders. The company also operates feature programs including Top Emerging Stars (recognizing rising talent under 40) and Top Workplaces (honoring exceptional workplace culture).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LenderSearch: A direct lender search platform operated by Scotsman Guide for connecting borrowers with verified lenders.
- Scotsman Guide PRO
Products and services
- Scotsman Guide Magazine Monthly print and digital magazine covering residential and commercial mortgage industry news, market trends, and expert commentary for mortgage professionals.
- Top Originators Rankings Annual industry rankings program recognizing top residential mortgage bankers and brokers based on verified production volume, with categories covering Dollar Volume, Most Loans Closed, Non-QM, FHA, VA, Women Originators, Veteran Originators, and Top Mortgage Broker.
- Top Mortgage Lenders Rankings Annual rankings program recognizing leading mortgage lending companies across Top Overall, Top Wholesale, Top Retail, Top Non-QM, Top FHA, Top VA, and Top Correspondent categories.
- Top Private Originators Rankings Annual rankings program recognizing top producers in private and business-purpose lending markets including bridge, fix-and-flip, DSCR, and construction loan originators.
- Top Private Lenders Rankings Annual rankings program recognizing top private lending companies and programs operating in bridge, fix-and-flip, DSCR, and construction financing.
- Top Wholesale Account Executives Rankings Annual rankings program recognizing top-performing wholesale account executives in the mortgage industry.
- Top Women Originators Rankings Annual rankings recognizing top-performing women in the residential mortgage industry for leadership and excellence.
- Top Emerging Stars Program Annual recognition program for rising talent in the mortgage industry, honoring standout lending professionals under 40.
- Top Workplaces Program Annual recognition program for mortgage companies with exceptional workplace culture based on employee feedback.
- Scotsman Guide PRO Membership Paid subscription membership offering unlimited access to premium mortgage industry news, monthly digital or print magazine, verified direct lender network, and industry rankings. Available in Print + Digital and Digital-only tiers billed weekly.
- LenderSearch Direct lender search and matching platform operated by Scotsman Guide, connecting mortgage professionals and borrowers with verified lenders.
Quantifiable outcome
- $8.9 Trillion combined origination volume from Top Originator alumni
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Scotsman Guide Media
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Scotsman Guide Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Scotsman Guide Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Wrights MediacoreOfficial licensing partner for Scotsman Guide ranking badges, plaques and awards. Provides licensed official badges for ranked professionals to display on websites, email signatures, social profiles, and marketing materials.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Scotsman Guide Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HousingWire: HousingWire is a leading digital media outlet covering the U.S. mortgage and housing industry with daily news, rankings, and events. It directly competes with Scotsman Guide for the same mortgage professional audience and advertiser budget, with stronger digital-first orientation.
- National Mortgage Professional Magazine: National Mortgage Professional is a B2B trade publication targeting mortgage originators, brokers, and lenders, similar in scope to Scotsman Guide. It directly competes for readership, rankings recognition programs, and subscription revenue in the same niche.
- Mortgage Professional America (MPA): MPA is a trade publication serving the U.S. mortgage industry with print magazine, digital content, and events. It is a direct competitor to Scotsman Guide in the B2B mortgage trade media category.
- Inside Mortgage Finance: Inside Mortgage Finance is a long-running B2B information provider covering the U.S. residential mortgage industry with news, data, and rankings. It is comparable to Scotsman Guide in serving institutional mortgage industry subscribers with verified market intelligence.
- DS News (Default Servicing News): DS News is a trade publication covering the mortgage servicing and default industry. It competes with Scotsman Guide for advertising and audience share among mortgage professionals, with a narrower focus on servicing/default.
Emerging players
- The Mortgage Note: The Mortgage Note is a digital-first mortgage industry news outlet. It targets the same mortgage professional audience as Scotsman Guide but with a pure-digital delivery model, representing the type of leaner competitor that could pressure print-centric incumbents.
Broad incumbents
- LendingTree: LendingTree operates a major online lending marketplace that connects consumers with multiple lenders, overlapping with Scotsman Guide's LenderSearch directory business. As a public, capital-rich incumbent, it competes for lender marketing dollars and consumer-lead referrals at much greater scale.
- Zillow Group: Zillow operates a large consumer real estate marketplace that includes a lender directory and matching service. It overlaps with Scotsman Guide's LenderSearch as a broader incumbent connecting real estate agents and consumers with mortgage lenders.
- Bankrate: Bankrate is a large-scale financial comparison and rate-shopping platform. While primarily consumer-facing, it competes for advertising and lender-marketing relationships in adjacent mortgage rate-shopping categories overlapping with LenderSearch.
Regional players
- Reverse Mortgage Daily: Reverse Mortgage Daily is a niche trade publication focused specifically on the reverse mortgage segment. It is comparable to Scotsman Guide in publishing B2B mortgage industry content but addresses a narrower vertical with dedicated rankings and news.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Scotsman Guide Media social profiles
Digital presenceScotsman Guide Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scotsman Guide Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Scotsman Guide Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scotsman Guide Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scotsman Guide Media
What does Scotsman Guide Media do?
Scotsman Guide Media publishes a monthly print and digital mortgage industry magazine and operates the mortgage industry's longest-running independently verified annual rankings for originators, lenders, private/business-purpose lenders, women originators, wholesale account executives, emerging stars, and workplaces. The company sells PRO Membership subscriptions for premium news and magazine access, accepts paid submissions to its ranking programs, licenses official badges and plaques through Wrights Media, and operates the LenderSearch platform that connects users with verified direct lenders.
Is Scotsman Guide Media a public or private company?
Scotsman Guide Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Scotsman Guide Media founded?
Scotsman Guide Media was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Scotsman Guide Media based?
Scotsman Guide Media is headquartered in Bothell, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scotsman Guide Media make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are ranking Submission Fees, advertising and licensing Fees.
Who are Scotsman Guide Media's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HousingWire, National Mortgage Professional Magazine, Mortgage Professional America (MPA), Inside Mortgage Finance and DS News (Default Servicing News). The Mortgage Note is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are LendingTree, Zillow Group and Bankrate. Reverse Mortgage Daily is listed as a regional player.
Does Scotsman Guide Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scotsman Guide Media.
What industry is Scotsman Guide Media in?
Scotsman Guide Media's product category is Trade Media and Industry Rankings (Mortgage). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAM, Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines, with a secondary code of FSALABAJ, Mortgage Comparison, Marketplace & Rate-Shopping Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.