Model comparison

Net Branch vs. Corporate Branch vs. Mortgage Broker

The three main ways to run a mortgage business — and the tradeoffs in control, cost, compliance, and support that decide which fits you.

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The three models

Broker, net branch, or supported branch — the real tradeoffs.

There is no single right answer; there is the right answer for how you want to run your business. Here is how the three common models compare on control, cost, support, and transparency.

Mortgage brokerNet branchSupported branch (PRMI)
Who holds the licenseWholesalers you broker toThe lenderThe lender (PRMI)
Your P&L visibilityLimitedVaries — sometimes opaqueFull, updated daily
Who funds the infrastructureYou (lean)Mostly youPRMI’s national platform
Share of revenue to youBroker marginVaries by arrangementInto your division P&L, transparently
Product accessWhatever wholesalers offerLender’s menuBroad menu incl. non-QM / self-employed
Compliance burdenLargely yoursSharedCarried by the platform
Marketing & technologyYour ownVariesCorporate marketing, tech & ops
Best forLow-overhead solo shopsAutonomy seekers who accept variabilityProducers who want autonomy + real support
Where PRMI fits

A supported branch partnership.

PRMI’s Growth Partner model is built to give you the autonomy of a net branch with the transparency and infrastructure most net-branch arrangements lack: branch revenue flowing into your P&L, complete branch-level expense transparency updated daily, and a national platform — capital markets, compliance, technology, and operations — behind every loan.

Straight answers

Common questions

What is a net branch in mortgage?
A net branch is a branch that operates under another company’s license and typically bears its own P&L and expenses. Autonomy is high, but transparency and support quality vary widely by arrangement.
Is it better to be a broker or run a branch?
Brokering keeps overhead low but limits control of process, products, and support. Running a supported branch trades a share of revenue for infrastructure, transparency, and a broader product menu.
What’s the difference between a net branch and a corporate branch?
A corporate or supported branch is backed by the lender’s platform — operations, compliance, marketing, and technology — with transparent economics, where a traditional net branch pushes more of that burden and variability onto you.
Keep reading

More on running your own branch

Explore a mortgage branch partnership with PRMI.

A straight, confidential conversation about your production, your market, and what running your own PRMI branch would look like.

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