National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA)

What National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) does

NRMLA is the U.S. national trade association for the reverse mortgage industry, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It operates as a non-profit membership organization representing approximately 300 lender, servicer, and originator member companies plus more than 2,000 individual members, and it functions as the industry's principal advocate before Congress, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and state legislatures.

The association's product surface is essentially services rather than technology. Core offerings include the Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) professional designation, a Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility that all members must sign, the "Borrow with Confidence" public education campaign, a suite of consumer guides (Road Map to a Reverse Mortgage, Self-Evaluation Checklist, post-closing and loan-due guides), a lender-locator tool, and recurring industry events and webinars. It does not develop proprietary financial technology; HECM loans are originated and serviced by member lenders under a federally insured program, and NRMLA's role is advocacy, education, credentialing, and consumer-facing content.

NRMLA monetizes primarily through annual membership dues from corporate and individual members, supplemented by event sponsorships and educational program revenue. Its go-to-market is sales-led association recruitment on the B2B side and content/SEO-driven consumer education on the B2C side, with the lender locator channeling senior borrower demand back to member companies. Day-to-day operations are run by a small Washington, D.C. staff (11-50 range) led by President Steve Irwin and Vice President of Communications Darryl Hicks.

Name

National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA)

Legal name

National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association

Website

https://reversemortgage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) is a U.S. non-profit trade association, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that represents about 300 reverse mortgage lender and servicer member companies and 2,000+ individual professionals. It advocates for the reverse mortgage industry with Congress and federal regulators and provides the CRMP credential, consumer education, and a lender-locator tool for senior homeowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reverse Mortgage Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Reverse Mortgage Technology & Compliance (LOS/CRM/HECM Calculators) (FSALAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reverse Mortgage Brokerage & Lead Generation (FSALAIAB), Reverse Mortgage Servicing & Subservicing (FSALAIAC)

Keywords

• Reverse mortgage association
• Industry advocacy
• Professional certification
• Consumer education
• Mortgage lender membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NRMLA generates revenue through membership dues from its 300 member companies and over 2000 individual members. Members include reverse mortgage lenders who must adhere to NRMLA's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NRMLA is a national trade association serving as the collective voice for the U.S. reverse mortgage industry. It provides regulatory advocacy with HUD, Congress, and state legislatures; operates the Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) designation program for individual practitioners; delivers consumer education resources including the Borrow with Confidence campaign, the Road Map to a Reverse Mortgage, and free consumer guides; and offers a Lender Locator tool connecting consumers with its 300 member companies across 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Product overview

NRMLA offers reverse mortgages as its core financial product, primarily through the federally-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program. The organization's portfolio includes professional certification programs (CRMP designation), consumer education initiatives like the Borrow with Confidence campaign, and comprehensive guides including the Road Map to a Reverse Mortgage and consumer guides covering the lending process from consideration through repayment. Supporting tools include a Lender Locator for finding member professionals and educational toolkits for housing decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRMP (Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional): A professional designation awarded to reverse mortgage professionals who demonstrate superior knowledge and competency in reverse mortgages and dedication to upholding ethical and professional standards.

Products and services

• Lender Locator Tool State-by-state and company name search tool on reversemortgage.org that connects consumers with NRMLA member reverse mortgage lenders across all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
• Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional (CRMP) Designation Professional certification program awarding the CRMP designation to reverse mortgage professionals who meet requirements of 3+ years of experience or 50+ closed loans, 12 hours of continuing education, an ethics course, a rigorous exam, and a background check; designation is valid for 3 years with 8 hours of annual CE required.
• Borrow with Confidence Campaign Public consumer education campaign featuring the Pledge to Reverse Mortgage Borrowers and Roadmap to a Reverse Mortgage, outlining the standards and treatment borrowers can expect from NRMLA member lenders.
• Your Road Map to a Reverse Mortgage Step-by-step consumer guide explaining the reverse mortgage process across 10 stages, from first learning about reverse mortgages through settling the loan account.
• Consumer Guides Suite of free downloadable consumer guides including the Reverse Mortgage Self-Evaluation Checklist, What You Need to Know About Your HECM After Closing, and What Do I Do When My Loan Is Due.
• A Toolkit for Choosing the Right Home Environment Consumer toolkit titled 'Should I Stay or Should I Go?' that helps older homeowners evaluate housing options including single-family housing, senior rentals, CCRCs, assisted living, and home modifications.
• Reverse Mortgage Self-Evaluation Checklist Six-page checklist posing seven key questions to help consumers decide whether a reverse mortgage is appropriate for their personal situation.
• Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Information and Advocacy NRMLA's core advocacy product, providing industry education and public-facing information about the federally-insured Home Equity Conversion Mortgage that allows homeowners aged 62 and older to convert home equity into cash while continuing to live in their home.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.3 million American families have used reverse mortgages since 1989
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CelinkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Celink's Senior Vice President Gail Balettie was featured as a speaker for the NRMLA industry webinar on reverse mortgage servicing requirements from loan boarding through maturity.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRMLA works closely with HUD on the HECM (Home Equity Conversion Mortgage) program, which is FHA-insured. The association advocates for favorable policy changes including mortgage insurance premium restructuring and LESA formula evaluation. HUD's Office of Inspector General conducts audits of HECM loans that NRMLA monitors and responds to.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFPB created a special resource guide for reverse mortgage borrowers impacted by natural disasters. NRMLA distributes this guide on its website. Settlement checks from CFPB litigation have been sent to HECM borrowers whose loans were previously serviced by HUD's subcontractor NOVAD Management Consulting.
• Guild Mortgage / Bayview Asset ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuild Mortgage was acquired by Bayview Asset Management. Guild's Managing Director Jim Cory serves as co-chair of NRMLA and highlights reverse mortgage trends including rapid product innovation and growing participation by large independent mortgage banks.
• National Association of Registered Social Security AnalystsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRMLA hosted a webinar featuring Thomas Drapala of this association, who advised reverse mortgage professionals to use Social Security planning as an entry point to build trust with retirees and discuss housing stability goals.
• Finance of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinance of America's National Sales Training Manager Barbara Cripple leads NRMLA webinar on 'The Influence Factor: Family Dynamics in Reverse Mortgages' addressing complex family dynamics reverse mortgage professionals navigate.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA): The primary U.S. trade association for the real estate finance industry. MBA is the closest structural analog to NRMLA, advocating for and educating mortgage lenders, with overlapping membership among larger reverse mortgage originators.
• National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB): Trade association representing mortgage brokers in the U.S. NAMB overlaps with NRMLA's broker and originator membership base and serves a similar advocacy, education, and certification function for the mortgage industry.

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Bankers Association (CBA): Trade association for retail banking institutions. Several NRMLA member lenders (e.g., large banks offering HECMs) are CBA members, making it a complementary incumbent voice on housing finance policy.
• American Bankers Association (ABA): Large umbrella trade association for the U.S. banking industry. ABA engages on reverse mortgage regulation alongside NRMLA and represents depository institutions that are HECM originators and servicers.
• Bank Policy Institute (BPI): Advocacy organization for leading U.S. banks. BPI's housing finance policy work overlaps with NRMLA's interests on FHA, Ginnie Mae, and HECM servicing issues affecting major reverse mortgage servicers.
• American Financial Services Association (AFSA): National trade association for consumer finance companies. AFSA members include reverse mortgage lenders and servicers, making it a peer in consumer credit advocacy and education.
• National Association of Realtors (NAR): Largest U.S. trade association for real estate professionals. NAR shapes housing market dynamics that drive reverse mortgage demand and overlaps with NRMLA on senior housing, aging-in-place, and home equity policy.
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): Trade association representing the home building industry. NAHB's 55+ housing council shares NRMLA's focus on the senior housing market and aging-in-place demand drivers.

Regional players

• National Housing Conference (NHC): Nonpartisan housing policy organization. NHC's senior housing equity research and advocacy intersects with NRMLA's mission of expanding responsible use of home equity in retirement.

Others

• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): State-level insurance regulator body. While not a trade association, NAIC sets standards affecting reverse mortgage default insurance, counseling disclosures, and lender compliance, intersecting directly with NRMLA's regulatory advocacy agenda.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/192493780763215
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-reverse-mortgage-lenders-association

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 National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA)