What Smart Money does

Smart Money Inc. is a Hawaii-based residential mortgage brokerage founded in 2007 and headquartered in Honolulu. Rather than lending directly, the company operates as an intermediary that matches borrowers with third-party lenders and earns commissions on closed loan transactions. Its product portfolio centers on purchase mortgages and refinancing, with particular emphasis on VA loans, FHA loans, and other government-backed programs targeting military veterans and first-time home buyers. The company is licensed under NMLS ID #273384 and by the State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Division of Financial Institutions.

The business runs a sales-led distribution model with a small team of 11–50 employees, including named loan officers (Everett, Tami, Jennifer Doan, William Rodriguez, Eddie, Kim Davis, Huyen, Tyler, and Darci) who are repeatedly cited by name in customer testimonials. Customers can apply through a secure online mortgage application portal, use online mortgage calculators, or transact via phone. Marketing emphasizes family-oriented "Ohana" service, fast closing times, and the company's track record of "thousands of loans closed" since inception.

The revenue model is straightforward commission-based brokerage: Smart Money is paid by third-party lenders upon loan closing, with no disclosed upfront fees to borrowers. Pricing is loan-specific and quote-based, varying by borrower circumstances and product. The customer base is entirely residential and small-ticket (individual consumers and families in Hawaii), with no enterprise or commercial lending exposure. Geography is restricted to the Hawaiian islands, with no documented plans to expand beyond Hawaii.

Name

Smart Money

Legal name

Smart Money Inc.

Website

https://smartmoneyinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smart Money Inc. is a Hawaii-based mortgage brokerage founded in 2007 that connects residential borrowers with third-party lenders, earning commissions on VA, FHA, government, and refinance loans for Hawaii residents and military veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Hard Money & Private Mortgage Lending Intermediation (FSAEAEAH)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage services
• Residential home loans
• VA loan programs
• FHA loan services
• Mortgage refinancing

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Brokerage Commissions: Smart Money Inc. operates as a mortgage broker, earning commissions from third-party lenders by matching borrowers with appropriate loan products. The company is not authorized to lend directly and brokers all loans through external lending partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Smart Money Inc. operates as a Hawaii-based mortgage broker matching residential borrowers with third-party lenders for home purchases and refinances. The company does not lend directly; instead it earns commissions by facilitating loan originations through external lending partners. It specializes in VA loans, FHA loans, and other government-backed mortgage programs for Hawaii residents.

Product overview

Smart Money Inc. is a mortgage broker operating in Hawaii since 2007, offering a portfolio of loan products and digital tools. The core offering is mortgage brokerage services that connect borrowers with third-party lenders. Product portfolio includes VA Loans, FHA Loans, and general Government Loans for eligible borrowers, as well as refinancing options for existing homeowners. Supporting digital tools include an Online Mortgage Application Tool for loan applications and Mortgage Calculators for rate calculations. The company emphasizes a simple, fast, and transparent lending process with a focus on serving military veterans and Hawaii families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mortgage Brokerage Services Mortgage brokerage services facilitating home loans and refinancing for Hawaii residents by connecting borrowers with third-party lenders, supported by an internal team of loan officers and digital application tools.
• VA Loans Veterans Affairs (VA) loan brokerage services for eligible military service members, veterans, and their families, brokered through third-party lenders as a government-backed mortgage program.
• FHA Loans Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan brokerage services for qualified borrowers in Hawaii, with broker guidance on FHA qualification and brokered through third-party lenders.
• Refinancing Residential mortgage refinance brokerage for existing Hawaii homeowners, including rate-and-term refinancing, cash-out refinancing, and refinancing used to fund tuition, home improvements, debt consolidation, or down payments on a new property.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving Hawaii families since 2007
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Third-Party LenderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmart Money Inc. brokers all loans through third-party lenders. As a mortgage broker, they match borrowers with appropriate lending partners who provide the actual mortgage financing. This is their primary business model - they are not authorized to lend directly and work exclusively with external lenders to facilitate mortgage transactions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• PrimeLending: National mortgage lender offering purchase, refinance, and government-backed loans through retail branches across the U.S. Comparable to Smart Money in product mix (FHA, VA, conventional) and branch-based loan officer distribution, though operating at substantially broader geographic scale.
• Better.com: Digital-first mortgage lender offering purchase and refinance mortgages through a streamlined online platform. Directly competes with Smart Money in residential mortgage origination, though Better targets a fully self-serve digital experience versus Smart Money's hybrid online-plus-personal-officer model.
• Caliber Home Loans: National mortgage lender and servicer offering purchase and refinance mortgages including conventional, FHA, VA, and non-QM products. Comparable to Smart Money in product offerings and customer base, with direct overlap particularly in the VA and government loan segments.
• LoanDepot: Large national mortgage lender and broker offering purchase and refinance products including conventional, FHA, VA, and government loans across multiple states. Directly comparable to Smart Money's core mortgage brokerage business model, though at significantly greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Guild Mortgage: National retail mortgage lender with strong VA loan specialization serving customers across multiple U.S. states. Closely comparable to Smart Money's VA loan focus and relationship-driven local branch model, particularly relevant as a direct competitor for veteran borrowers.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation: National retail mortgage lender and broker operating through branch networks across the U.S. Directly comparable to Smart Money in offering residential purchase and refinance mortgages (including VA and government loans) through local loan officer relationships, though at significantly broader geographic scale.
• Guaranteed Rate: Large national retail mortgage lender offering purchase and refinance products including FHA, VA, and conventional loans through branch-based loan officers. Directly comparable to Smart Money's relationship-driven brokerage model, though with substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• NewRez (dba Rocket Mortgage): National mortgage lender and servicer offering retail and wholesale purchase and refinance mortgages. Directly comparable to Smart Money's product set and broker-dependent origination model, with significant scale advantages in funding capacity and lender relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Mortgage: The largest U.S. mortgage lender, offering direct-to-consumer purchase and refinance mortgages including FHA, VA, and conventional products. Comparable to Smart Money in product set but operates at massive scale with proprietary technology and a national digital-first model rather than local relationship-driven brokerage.
• United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM): The largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender, providing broker partners with the loan products they close to borrowers. UWM is one of the third-party lender counterparties Smart Money likely works with, and is comparable because its wholesale channel competes directly with retail and direct-to-consumer models for the same mortgage demand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smartmoneyhi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Smart Money