7 Locks Lending - Mortgages & Refinancing

What 7 Locks Lending - Mortgages & Refinancing does

7 Locks Lending LLC is an independent, founder-owned mortgage brokerage operating in North Carolina under the leadership of Steve Wingerter (NMLS #115033, Company NMLS #1929338). Headquartered at 15000 Weston Parkway in Cary, NC, the firm acts as an intermediary between individual borrowers and multiple wholesale lending partners, shopping the market to secure competitive rates and tailored loan programs across conventional, jumbo, VA, FHA, USDA, and Non-QM categories. The customer base spans first-time homebuyers, refinancing homeowners, second-home and investment property buyers, and non-traditional income borrowers including self-employed individuals, contractors, freelancers, and traveling nurses, with primary concentration in the Cary/Raleigh/Durham/Research Triangle area and licensed reach across all of North Carolina.

The technology stack is conventional for the mortgage brokerage industry and contains no proprietary systems or AI capabilities: loan origination runs on the 1003app online application platform, secure document transfer uses Identillect, the public website is hosted on Squarespace, and the firm self-attests WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility compliance. Post-closing client engagement is structured around annual reviews, market updates, and proactive PMI removal and refinance monitoring, functioning as a lightweight retention mechanism rather than a true CRM platform. No mobile app, API, or integrations beyond standard mortgage workflow tooling are present.

Revenue is generated exclusively through transaction-fee origination commissions and yield spread premiums from wholesale lending partners on closed loans; pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by product type, lender partner, and borrower profile. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and referral-led, with Steve Wingerter personally handling initial consultation through closing attendance, supplemented by a content marketing funnel (educational blog, free Mortgage E-Book, email newsletter) and community memberships in AIME, RRAR, and Launch Raleigh. Marketing channels emphasize realtor/CPA/Financial Advisor referrals, online reviews, and community involvement rather than paid acquisition.

Name

7 Locks Lending - Mortgages & Refinancing

Legal name

7 Locks Lending LLC

Website

https://7lockslending.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

7 Locks Lending is an independent Cary, North Carolina mortgage brokerage led by Steve Wingerter. The firm shops wholesale lenders to source purchase and refinance loans across conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, jumbo, and Non-QM programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Residential Mortgage Brokers (Purchase & Refinance) (FSALABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wholesale Mortgage Lending (Broker Channel) (FSALACAA)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage
• Home purchase loans
• Refinancing services
• First-time homebuyer programs
• Wholesale lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Origination Commissions: As a mortgage broker, the company earns commissions from wholesale lending partners when loans are originated and closed. The company shops multiple lenders to find the best rates and programs for clients, and earns a yield spread premium or origination fee from the lending partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

7 Locks Lending is an independent mortgage brokerage that shops multiple wholesale lending partners on behalf of clients to secure home purchase and refinance mortgages. The firm offers Conventional, JUMBO, VA, FHA, USDA, and Non-QM loan programs, with specialized focus on first-time homebuyers, complex income situations (self-employed, traveling nurses), and the North Carolina Research Triangle market.

Product overview

7 Locks Lending is a mortgage broker offering a unified mortgage lending service for home purchases and refinancing in North Carolina. The core offerings consist of Home Purchase Mortgages (covering Conventional, JUMBO, VA, FHA, USDA, and Non-QM loan programs) and Refinance Mortgages (including cash-out, debt consolidation, term reduction, and rate improvement options). The company also provides a free Mortgage E-Book as an educational resource. Working with multiple wholesale lending partners, the company shops the market to find competitive rates and loan programs tailored to individual customer needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Purchase Mortgages

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning mortgage broker recognized by Cary Magazine Maggy Awards (2024, 2025, 2026)

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Wholesale Lending PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple top-tier wholesale lending partners who provide loan products that Steve Wingerter shops on behalf of clients. This is the core business model - the company acts as a broker bringing clients to these lenders in exchange for origination commissions.
• Launch RaleighminorOthersLocal entrepreneurial community and startup support organization in Raleigh, NC. 7 Locks Lending is listed as a member/supporter of the Launch Raleigh ecosystem.
• AIME (Association of Independent Mortgage Experts)minorOthersNational mortgage industry association for independent mortgage professionals. Membership provides access to resources, education, and industry networking.
• RRAR (Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional real estate professional association. Affiliated member status provides visibility among real estate agents who generate client referrals for mortgage services.
• Local Professional NetworkmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted relationships with Financial Advisors, CPAs, realtors, and home service providers. These professionals refer clients and receive client referrals in return, creating a mutual referral ecosystem focused on serving homeowners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Better.com: Digital-first mortgage lender competing on speed and online UX for home purchase and refinance mortgages. Overlaps with 7 Locks' first-time homebuyer and refinance segments through a streamlined digital alternative to the boutique broker experience.

Direct peers

• PrimeLending: National retail mortgage lender/broker offering conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, and jumbo products across multiple states. Operates with a similar relationship-driven loan officer model and serves comparable first-time and move-up buyer segments as 7 Locks Lending.
• Caliber Home Loans: National mortgage lender with retail and wholesale channels, including a strong presence in non-QM and bank statement lending — products 7 Locks Lending specifically highlights as differentiators. Comparable in product mix and customer profile.
• United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM): Largest U.S. wholesale mortgage lender, working exclusively with independent mortgage brokers like 7 Locks Lending. Direct channel partner and direct peer in the wholesale broker ecosystem, with overlapping customer base.
• Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation: One of the largest independent mortgage brokerages in the U.S., operating on the same wholesale broker model with multi-lender product access and relationship-driven loan officers. Highly comparable to 7 Locks as a direct peer in the retail residential mortgage brokerage category.
• NewRez (Newpoint Financial): Top mortgage lender with a significant wholesale broker channel (NewRez Wholesale) that supplies brokers like 7 Locks Lending with conventional and government loan products. Comparable as both a wholesale partner and a competing retail originator in NC.

Broad incumbents

• Guild Mortgage: National mortgage lender with full retail and wholesale capabilities across many states, including a strong focus on first-time homebuyers and down payment assistance programs comparable to 7 Locks' specialty. Larger portfolio but overlapping customer and product set makes it a broad incumbent peer.
• loanDepot: Large national mortgage originator with retail, wholesale (LDWholesale), and direct-to-consumer channels. Operates in NC and competes across the same loan products (Conventional, FHA, VA, Jumbo) and customer segments as 7 Locks Lending.
• Rocket Mortgage: Largest U.S. mortgage lender, with a heavily digital, direct-to-consumer model that competes with 7 Locks for the same North Carolina first-time buyer and refinance customers. Represents the fintech/scale end of the spectrum against the boutique broker model.
• PennyMac Loan Services: Large national mortgage lender/broker with retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels offering conventional and government loans. Operates in NC and competes across the same purchase and refinance segments as 7 Locks Lending.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/7lockslending

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 7 Locks Lending - Mortgages & Refinancing