Thirty years ago, a new publication called the Scotsman Brokered Loan Reference Guide debuted. It was a 16-page, two-color newsprint that offered to connect mortgage originators with lenders. Over time, that publication would become Scotsman Guide Residential Edition.
Scotsman Guide Residential Edition has proven to be an invaluable resource for the mortgage industry over the years, sharing thought leadership from some of the biggest names in the industry while supplying news and information to help mortgage professionals do their jobs. Most importantly, Scotsman Guide publications continue to help connect originators with lenders.
The company has weathered the same storms as the mortgage industry. The highest interest rate of the past 30 years (9.25% for a 30-year fixed) was recorded the same month as the launch. (The lowest 30-year fixed interest was 2.65% in 2021.) And the magazine, like the real estate finance industry as a whole, suffered through the housing crisis of the late 2000s. The same can be said of the current market slowdown.
Still, Scotsman Guide Residential Edition remains an essential tool that’s delivered monthly to thousands of the top mortgage brokers, bankers and other professionals across the nation. The magazine’s annual Top Originators rankings drew more than 4,000 entries last year and 10,000 in 2022. The timeline below highlights some of Scotsman Guide’s achievements over the years.
Timeline
1985 – Scotsman Publishing Inc., creator of the Western Washington Bulletin, a weekly publication of directory listings and mortgage rates, is acquired.
1994 – The Scotsman Brokered Loan Reference Guide is released, marking the first issue of what is now the Scotsman Guide Residential Edition.
2000 – The West Coast and East Coast editions of the Scotsman Guide magazine are consolidated into one national edition.
2001 – The Commercial Lender Magazine is purchased by Scotsman Guide. By the end of 2001, the residential and commercial editions were published as separate, standalone monthly magazines.
2006 – The first online Lender Search tool is unveiled. In the 18 years since its launch, Lender Search has made millions of connections between mortgage originators and lenders.
2008 – The great financial crisis and the housing market collapse force many of Scotsman Guide’s competitors to shut their doors. When the economy began to bounce back, Scotsman Guide was well positioned as the industry leader.
2009 – Top Originators, the first verified rankings of the nation’s top-producing mortgage brokers and bankers, is launched in Scotsman Guide Residential Edition.
2012 – The Top Mortgage Lenders rankings are launched in Scotsman Guide Residential Edition.
2019 – The Originator, a daily email newsletter, is launched to deliver market trends, data, news and lender connections to mortgage professionals. Additionally, ScotsmanGuide.com is redesigned and launched with a new Lender Search platform.
2022 – The first Mortgage Originator Sentiment Survey (MOSS) by Scotsman Guide is released. Through a survey of Top Originators, MOSS gauges business conditions for the coming six months.
2023 – LenderSearch.com is launched as a separate technology platform. Lender Search has helped to fund more than $5 billion in residential and commercial mortgages since 2022.
2024 – In the years ahead, Scotsman Guide will continue to evolve as it develops and launches new and improved media content, technology solutions, and proprietary market data to serve the residential and commercial mortgage industries.
