According to HousingWire, mortgage veterans Todd Bookspan and Matt Baker have made a move to NEXA Lending, where they've established an umbrella brand called Keepsake Loans to house their team and existing business. Both bring substantial experience to this venture, with Bookspan carrying twenty-five years in the mortgage industry and Baker over thirty years. Their track record speaks for itself, having originated more than a billion dollars in mortgage volume during their time at Guild Mortgage, and they're projecting to close around one hundred million dollars in volume next year.
What drew them to this particular move was a shift in how Bookspan and Baker viewed the broker channel itself. Bookspan explained that once they stepped back and really examined how the industry landscape had evolved, they discovered opportunities in products, technology, and income structures they hadn't previously considered. Rather than starting fresh elsewhere, they wanted a platform that would let them build on what was already working for their team.
The partnership allows Bookspan and Baker to maintain their established team identity and business model while gaining access to NEXA's technology infrastructure, product suite, and investor relationships. According to NEXA's leadership, this arrangement is intentional. The company isn't looking to dictate how successful mortgage operators should run their businesses, but rather to provide them with a stronger foundation and additional tools to expand. The team plans to use this new structure to grow their staff, implement new technology, and explore other business opportunities available through NEXA's platform.
NEXA has been actively strengthening its offerings across the industry. The company recently launched NEXA Unlimited, a revenue model providing loan officers access to one hundred percent of revenue from loans they originate through NEXA. Additionally, NEXA moved into mortgage servicing with the launch of evoLend, signaling a broader expansion of their business capabilities.
What I'm seeing locally here in the Bay Area and throughout the East Bay is that experienced mortgage professionals are making calculated decisions about which platforms give them both autonomy and growth. When established producers like Bookspan and Baker choose to align with a lender, it typically signals that the technology and support systems are genuinely compelling. For buyers and sellers in our market, this kind of consolidation can mean more resources and innovation flowing into the local mortgage ecosystem, which ultimately translates to better service and more options when people are financing their home purchases.
