"We are grateful for the continued support of our warehouse lenders as we accelerate our business evolution through the deployment of Tinman AI across the mortgage ecosystem,†said Rob Wilson, Treasurer. "These enhancements materially improve equity capital efficiency by significantly reducing the required amount of equity capital for the facility. We expect this to be the first of multiple initiatives to expand warehouse capacity in a more capital-light manner, reflecting warehouse lender confidence in our ...

Summary of Better Home & Finance FY Conference Company Overview - **Company**: Better Home & Finance (NasdaqGM: BETR) - **Industry**: Home finance and mortgage industry - **Founded**: Approximately 10 years ago by CEO Vishal Garg - **Business Model**: Utilizes a machine learning-driven AI matching engine to connect consumer credit, income, asset, and property data with investor preferences for mortgage and home equity loans Key Financial Metrics - **Growth in Loan Volume**: Increased by approximately 20% in the past year [4] - **Revenue Growth**: Grew by about 50% [4] - **Home Equity Business Growth**: Expanded over 10X, becoming the fastest-growing home equity platform in America [4] - **Revenue per Loan**: Increased from $7,400 to $8,500 [4] - **Contribution Margin**: Improved from $500 to $1,700 per loan [4] - **Labor Cost per Fund**: Reduced from $2,900 to $2,500, significantly lower than the industry average of over $9,000 [5] Product and Technology Developments - **AI Integration**: The company has integrated GenAI into its existing machine learning engine, enhancing efficiency and unit economics [3] - **Tinman Platform**: Represents a comprehensive end-to-end solution for the mortgage industry, consolidating multiple systems into one workflow [9][10] - **AI Loan Processing**: 70% of loans can be processed as one-day mortgages, with 44% going from lock to commitment letter in under a minute [10] - **Future Projections**: Anticipates that over 90% of loans will be processed entirely via AI in the coming years, potentially reducing labor costs to below $1,000 per loan [11] Market Position and Competitive Landscape - **Market Size**: U.S. homes represent a total asset value of approximately $34 trillion, with a mortgage market of about $15 trillion [6] - **Market Share**: At peak in 2021, Better held nearly 2% market share in the overall mortgage market [6] - **Competitors**: Direct competitors include Rocket Mortgage and loanDepot, with a shift towards a platform-based model rather than direct-to-consumer [26] - **Unique Selling Proposition**: Better's platform offers a unique per-funded loan pricing model, which is attractive to mortgage brokers and lenders [29] Strategic Partnerships and Growth Initiatives - **Partnerships**: Collaborations with major financial institutions and mortgage originators to implement the Tinman platform [15][17] - **Market Trends**: The company is positioned to benefit from a potential increase in refinancing as interest rates stabilize [27] - **Consumer Demand**: Over 2 million pre-approved consumers are waiting to purchase homes, indicating significant future demand [33] Challenges and Concerns - **Affordability Issues**: Concerns about housing affordability and the availability of homes to meet demand [33] - **Scaling Operations**: The need to scale operations effectively to handle increased demand when market conditions improve [34] - **Regulatory Changes**: Potential changes in capital gains tax thresholds could incentivize homeowners to sell, impacting market dynamics [34] Conclusion - Better Home & Finance is positioned for significant growth in the home finance sector, leveraging advanced AI technology and strategic partnerships to enhance its competitive edge. The company anticipates a favorable macroeconomic environment that could stimulate demand for its services in the coming years.

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In 2024, the company achieved a 19% year-over-year increase in funded loan volume, totaling $3.6 billion, and a 50% increase in revenue, reaching $108 million [10][11] - The adjusted EBITDA loss was reduced by 26% year-over-year, amounting to $121 million [10] - For Q4 2024, funded loan volume was $936 million, a 77% year-over-year increase, while revenue was $25 million, up from $18 million in Q4 2023 [12][49] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Funded loan volume growth in Q4 was driven by home equity products and refinance loans, with purchase loan volume increasing by 25% and refinance loan volume surging by 611% year-over-year [14] - Home equity loan volume increased by 416% in Q4 2024 compared to the previous year [14] - The company reported that 81% of funded loan volume in Q4 was generated through the direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel, with 62% being purchase loans [50] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The overall mortgage market saw improvements in Q4 2024, but 30-year fixed mortgage rates remained high, impacting mortgage demand [16] - The company outperformed the market, with a reported 619% increase in HELOC originations compared to a 10% industry-wide increase [14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to leverage AI and technology to enhance the home ownership experience, focusing on growth, efficiency improvements, and diversification of distribution channels [9][10] - The partnership with NEO Home Loans is expected to enhance local loan officer capabilities and improve conversion rates [33][45] - The company is committed to reducing expenses and improving operational efficiency to achieve profitability in the medium term [16][47] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the growth potential in 2025, despite macroeconomic headwinds and the wind down of the Ally business [51][53] - The company anticipates a 10% to 15% decrease in funded loan volume in Q1 2025 due to seasonal slowness and the exit from non-core businesses [51] - Management highlighted the importance of AI in driving down operational costs and improving customer experience [18][30] Other Important Information - The company has implemented significant cost-saving measures, including reducing loan origination expenses by 28% and marketing expenses by 27% in Q4 [17] - The AI-driven assistant, Betsy, has significantly increased customer interactions, growing from 5,000 in June 2024 to over 115,000 by February 2025 [19][20] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the underwriting and AI technology adjust for high property insurance costs? - Management explained that their technology integrates multiple data sources to provide instant homeowners insurance quotes, significantly reducing the need for manual processing [58] Question: How does profitability impact risk-taking? - Management clarified that their marketplace model does not involve holding loans on the balance sheet, thus minimizing risk while focusing on efficiency and cost reduction [62][68] Question: Can you walk through the savings opportunities from Tinman's AI application? - Management detailed that AI has reduced costs associated with loan officer tasks and improved customer service efficiency, leading to significant savings per funded loan [78] Question: How are gain on sale margins trending in Q1? - Management reported that gain on sale margins are trending higher, particularly with the NEO partnership, which is expected to enhance overall profitability [85][88] Question: Can you contextualize contribution profit per loan? - Management indicated that contribution margins have been improving, and they are focused on reducing costs in the mortgage business to drive profitability [98][100]