FirstTrust Home Loans

What FirstTrust Home Loans does

FirstTrust Home Loans, Inc. is an Arkansas-based independent residential mortgage lender founded in 2003 by Glenn Strong (originally as First Arkansas Financial, Inc. and rebranded in 2023). The company originates home purchase mortgages, refinance loans, FHA, VA, Conventional/Jumbo, and construction loans across 15 states through a network of locally licensed loan officers operating from branch offices and field locations spanning the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. It self-describes as the largest independent mortgage lender in Arkansas.

The company's technology stack centers on the MortgageStrong mobile application (iOS and Android), which provides mortgage calculations, online applications, document submission, and loan process tracking, complemented by a website-based Mortgage Calculator and the MortgageStrong Insights podcast (a content marketing channel currently in Season 4). Loan origination appears to leverage a third-party point-of-sale platform (SimpleNexus, per the app store identifier), and the company holds NMLS #75271 with active state licenses in 16 jurisdictions.

FirstTrust generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on mortgage origination: gain-on-sale economics on closed purchase and refinance loans across its multi-state footprint. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on individual loan officers who hold state-specific licenses and cultivate their own client bases via referrals and direct outreach, supported by digital self-serve channels (app and website) and physical branches. The company is privately held and founder-controlled, with no disclosed institutional investment, and reports operational metrics (1,500+ homeowners served, 4,700+ pre-approvals) rather than financial figures.

Name

FirstTrust Home Loans

Legal name

FirstTrust Home Loans, Inc.

Website

https://firsttrusthomeloans.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FirstTrust Home Loans is an Arkansas-based independent residential mortgage lender that originates purchase, refinance, FHA, VA, and construction loans across 15 states through licensed loan officers and the MortgageStrong mobile platform, serving individual homebuyers and homeowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Mortgage Lending

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Direct / Online Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Purchase Mortgage Origination (Homebuyer Focused) (FSALAAAD), Cash-Out Refinance Origination (FSALAAAF), First-Time Homebuyer (FTHB) Mortgage Origination (FSALAAAG)

Keywords

• Residential mortgage lending
• Home purchase loans
• Mortgage refinancing services
• FHA VA loan programs
• Construction loan financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheridan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Origination: Revenue generated from originating home purchase mortgages and refinance loans. The company serves as a mortgage lender originating loans across 15 states.
2. Refinance Loans: Revenue from refinancing existing mortgages for homeowners looking to adjust their loan terms or access equity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FirstTrust Home Loans, Inc. originates residential home purchase mortgages and refinance loans for individual consumers across 15 states, operating through a network of licensed loan officers and branch offices. It offers Conventional/Jumbo, FHA, VA, and construction loan products supported by the MortgageStrong mobile application, online application portal, and web-based mortgage calculator. The company describes itself as the largest independent mortgage lender in Arkansas, having grown from a single loan originator founded in 2003 to a multi-state operation.

Product overview

FirstTrust Home Loans offers a mortgage lending platform centered on the MortgageStrong mobile app, which enables users to apply for mortgages, calculate payments, track loan progress, and manage document submission. Supporting tools include an online Mortgage Calculator (covering Conventional/Jumbo, FHA, VA, and Refinance scenarios) and the MortgageStrong Insights Podcast providing industry commentary. The company operates as a multi-state independent mortgage lender, primarily serving residential purchase and refinance customers across Arkansas and 14 additional states, with a network of loan officers facilitating in-person and digital mortgage origination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MortgageStrong: Mobile application for calculating mortgage numbers, applying for mortgages, tracking loan process, and securely sending documents. Available free through App Store and Google Play.

Products and services

• MortgageStrong Mobile App
• Mortgage Calculator

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,500+ homeowners served in current year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• loanDepot: Large independent mortgage lender with retail and direct-to-consumer digital channels. Comparable to FirstTrust in offering purchase and refinance loans with multi-state licensing and a technology-enabled customer experience.
• Caliber Home Loans: Multi-channel residential mortgage lender with retail and wholesale origination. Comparable to FirstTrust in retail branch-based purchase and refinance origination across multiple U.S. states.
• Movement Mortgage: Independent retail mortgage lender with multi-state branch operations and strong regional/community identity. Comparable to FirstTrust in retail-channel focus, multi-state licensing model, and founder-led culture.
• Guild Mortgage: Independent retail mortgage lender operating across 40+ states, focused on purchase origination and first-time homebuyer programs. Closely comparable to FirstTrust in independent retail-channel model and FTHB/government loan product mix.
• NewRez (now part of Rithm Capital): Multi-channel mortgage lender with retail, wholesale, and servicing platforms operating across many states. Comparable to FirstTrust in retail loan origination model and geographic diversification.
• PrimeLending: National independent retail mortgage lender owned by PlainsCapital. Operates a similar multi-state branch model with retail loan officers serving purchase and refinance customers across diverse U.S. markets.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation: Large independent mortgage lender operating a retail branch model across many U.S. states, similar in business model to FirstTrust. Both emphasize local loan officer relationships with a multi-state independent positioning versus bank or wholesale channels.

Emerging players

• Better.com: Digital-first mortgage fintech focused on streamlined online origination. Comparable to FirstTrust in targeting consumer-direct purchase and refinance with technology-enabled workflows, though operating at a different scale and with national brand investment.

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Mortgage: Largest U.S. mortgage originator with a national digital brand. Operates in the same retail purchase and refinance space as FirstTrust but at vastly greater scale, with comparable digital self-serve origination through a mobile/online platform.
• United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM): Largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender with growing retail (Rocket Pro TPO) presence. While wholesale-led, UWM sets industry rate benchmarks that directly impact the economics of retail lenders like FirstTrust.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FirstTrustHomeLoansInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-arkansas-financial-inc./about
• Instagraminstagram.com/firsttrusthomeloans

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 FirstTrust Home Loans