UWM has boosted its tech ecosystem with new instruments and main upgrades to its core platforms: Model 360 + Canva, its advertising hub that now pairs dealer branding with real-time, trend-driven content material creation; Mortgage Lab, an interactive sandbox that lets brokers mannequin eventualities and examine mortgage choices earlier than finalizing them on reside loans; and its new precision-driven Earnings Calculator, which applies underwriter-level guidelines to calculate and confirm borrower revenue from uploaded paperwork. Collectively, these instruments are designed not simply to assist brokers work sooner, however to offer them the boldness, customization, and price effectivity wanted to compete with bigger, well-funded retail lenders. From trend-based social content material to underwriter-level state of affairs modeling, UWM is reshaping what brokers can do for his or her debtors — with out rising their overhead. To interrupt down how these improvements are reshaping broker competitiveness heading into 2026, we’ve UWM’s Chief Advertising Officer, Sarah DeCiantis, and Chief Working Officer, Melinda Wilner.
HousingWire: Lots of brokers hear “advertising help” and consider templates and clip artwork. What makes this Model 360 + Canva improve completely different when it comes to serving to them develop, not simply put up extra? And the way does this assist smaller locations compete with extra well-funded locations?
Sarah DeCiantis: We’ve spent the final a number of years evolving Model 360, and one of many greatest upgrades is our new Canva integration. Traditionally, Model 360 supplied a variety of templates, however they have been nonetheless templates. Now, brokers can totally customise something they create. Lots of our purchasers already use Canva and have been asking for this integration as a result of it provides them inventive management and the flexibleness to tailor supplies to their model — with no need to rent a designer or an advert company.
One other main distinction between Model 360 and different advertising instruments is the vary of content material out there. It’s not simply electronic mail templates — we provide movies, shows, and supplies designed for a number of audiences, together with actual property brokers, recruits, CPAs, attorneys, and different referral companions. Borrower-facing content material is extra widespread available in the market, however brokers want high-quality sources for all of the relationships they’re constructing. Model 360 provides them a deep library of customizable content material to help every touchpoint.
HW: Social platforms are shifting quick…algorithms, codecs, shopper conduct. How do the 30 month-to-month put up designs maintain brokers related with out asking them to turn into content material strategists in a single day? Is there steerage about “method”…when and the place to put up, for instance?
SD: The 30 month-to-month posts additionally embrace trend-based content material, one of many greatest issues our purchasers don’t have time to trace on their very own. Even after they perceive what a pattern is, they’re usually not sure learn how to adapt it to our industry. That is one thing our pre-created content material didn’t beforehand supply, and now we offer three to 5 pattern variations every month to assist them keep related, enhance visibility, and align with what social algorithms prioritize.
We additionally pull in native analytics from any related social platforms. Since efficiency varies by viewers, we encourage purchasers to deal with what works for them — whether or not it’s video, animation, or trend-driven content material. Some audiences are closely engaged at 3 p.m.; others aren’t. By placing content material, developments, and analytics in a single place, we make it simpler for them to know what resonates. And with the extra posts we offer, all the things could be personalized, to allow them to construct on our ideas and make the content material really their very own.
HW: Mortgage Lab mainly arms brokers the flexibility to restructure offers themselves. What sorts of back-and-forth with underwriters does this remove, and the way does that change the client expertise? What varieties of state of affairs adjustments are brokers exploring essentially the most?
Melinda Wilner: Mortgage Lab is a serious enchancment to the underwriting course of. Usually, as soon as a file is submitted, the data is locked to forestall overwriting the underwriter’s work. Mortgage Lab creates a secure, sandboxed model of the mortgage, permitting brokers to regulate key elements—like fee, time period, down fee, or revenue inputs—and see real-time outcomes with out affecting the official file. This helps them rapidly resolve points when one thing surprising pushes a mortgage out of an approvable vary.
Earlier than Mortgage Lab, brokers usually needed to make guesses or depend on back-and-forth calls with underwriters to check eventualities. Now they’ll discover choices independently, at their very own tempo, and with instant suggestions. It quickens the method, reduces friction, and provides brokers extra confidence in guiding debtors. It’s a long-requested software, and we’re excited to supply it lastly. It makes it simpler for us, the brokers, and the debtors, too.
HW: Earnings eventualities are well-known friction factors within the approval course of. Giving brokers underwriter-level precision is a daring transfer. What controls or guardrails are in place to make this occur?
MW: These revenue calculators use the identical logic and pointers our underwriters depend on, giving brokers correct outcomes upfront. UWM has constructed sturdy guardrails and automatic calculations over time, so as soon as paperwork are uploaded, AI extracts the mandatory knowledge, applies the proper guidelines, and produces revenue figures by product sort — whether or not it’s Typical, FHA, or VA.
The most important profit is certainty and velocity. Even with complicated revenue — like a 200-page tax return — the system pulls what it wants and delivers a transparent calculation, decreasing guesswork and enhancing file high quality. Brokers get correct numbers upfront, underwriters get cleaner submissions, and customers get a smoother general expertise.
HW: Technology in mortgage usually guarantees velocity, however not often talks about certainty. How do these instruments cut back second-guessing for each brokers and debtors?
MW: The most important worth right here is upfront certainty. When brokers have correct revenue calculations from the beginning, it eliminates the mid-process surprises that may derail a file or shake borrower confidence. Nobody needs the decision the place an underwriter uncovers one thing days after the borrower thought all the things was authorised. These instruments considerably cut back these moments by presenting a transparent revenue image to the dealer on day one.
Homebuying is already an emotionally and financially demanding course of, so eradicating uncertainty is important. By giving brokers and debtors clearer solutions earlier, these instruments assist create a smoother, extra predictable expertise and forestall the last-minute stress that may include income-related points.
HW: How ought to a dealer consider using Model 360, Mortgage Lab, and Earnings Calculator collectively to distinguish themselves and keep aggressive 2026?
MW: UWM’s worth lies within the full expertise we ship to brokers. Our instruments, whether or not it’s Model 360 or our Earnings Calculator, are constructed across the similar core rules of velocity, effectivity, and high quality.
There are different calculators and paid instruments on the market, however ours are correct, streamlined, and a part of a broader ecosystem designed to make issues sooner, simpler, and less expensive. That’s the UWM DNA: giving brokers a aggressive edge via a complete suite of merchandise that ship a greater, extra environment friendly course of from begin to end.
SD: Price effectivity is a serious a part of that worth. Many brokers already pay for instruments like Canva, so having that performance built-in instantly into Model 360 provides them a high-quality design answer with out the additional expense. Most brokers function as small retailers with tight budgets, and something that reduces their overhead permits them to move these financial savings on to debtors, which is a win for everybody.
This degree of help helps them compete with giant retail lenders whose greatest bills are sometimes advertising and staffing. Model 360 permits brokers to create polished, skilled content material with out a designer or a devoted advertising group. It saves them time, retains their branding constant and aggressive, and frees them as much as deal with operating their enterprise. In the long run, they give the impression of being simply as skilled as any massive lender whereas regaining time and sources to reinvest in serving their purchasers.
