NRMLA's Steve Irwin on 2026 challenges for reverse mortgage lenders

"I think there are several. I look at it as providing a best-in-class opportunity. There are issues around social matters, technological matters, economic matters and political matters. We'll be touching on all of that, so it seems to me to touch on a greater situational awareness. We're going to have a great session on aging tech and how to reposition reverse mortgage products not just exclusively as financial tools but enablers of independence, safety and dignity in the home."

"We will also be bringing forth a great panel discussion designed to equip top-producing reverse mortgage originators with frameworks, language and real-world insights needed to make reverse purchase financing a primary revenue driver. We're also going to touch on better positioning of reverse mortgages as part of broader retirement income, liquidity, housing and legacy planning. Top originators will win, we think, in this complex market, not by selling one product better than the other, but by fully diagnosing a client's situation and finding the right products to fit those situations."

"Given that you hear from reverse lenders every day, what buzz are you hearing the most about in the current market environment compared with a year ago? Irwin: It continues to be a grind. Fortunately, I hear from NRMLA members quite often. Things are picking up, but it's a grind, and our hopes are to make it less of a grind and more of a flow."

The industry is characterized by social, technological, economic, and political issues that require greater situational awareness. A key focus is aging technology and repositioning reverse mortgage products as enablers of independence, safety, and dignity in the home. Another focus is equipping top reverse mortgage originators with frameworks, language, and real-world insights to make reverse purchase financing a primary revenue driver. Reverse mortgages will also be positioned as part of broader retirement income, liquidity, housing, and legacy planning. In a complex market, top originators are expected to succeed by diagnosing a client’s situation and matching the right products rather than competing on a single product. The macroeconomic environment will be addressed through a real estate economist’s perspective. Market activity is described as a continuing grind, with some improvement but an ongoing desire to shift from grind to flow.

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