A man in a suit with a name badge sits at a table with a laptop and coffee cup, smiling and talking to another person, with a white diagonal area covering the top right half of the image.

We Didn’t Invent Mortgage.

We Just Franchised It.

Because someone had to stop handing out loan commissions like cookies at an open house.

Motto Mortgage launched in 2016 with a simple idea:

Real estate pros and entrepreneurs shouldn’t have to hand off their home loan deals… again and again and again.

Backed by RE/MAX Holdings and founded by real estate legend Dave Liniger, Motto Mortgage was built to close that gap. We didn’t just throw a logo into the mortgage world — we flipped the model, created the first national mortgage brokerage franchise model, and provided driven real estate brokerage owners access to our Mortgage Brokerage-in-a-Box℠.

Motto expanded beyond real estate brokerages and proved that the mortgage industry doesn’t just ride the housing wave, it weathers it. That staying power makes it a smart move for entrepreneurs of all kinds, no matter what the economy might bring.

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Highlights in Motto History

2016

Motto Franchising, LLC is born.

(Cue the confetti… and the paperwork.)

2018

Named a Fastest Growing Franchise by Franchise Grade

Translation: We weren’t just new – we were worth watching.

2019

Named one of Entrepreneur’s Fastest-Growing Franchises and a Top New Franchise

What can we say? When you’re good, they notice.

2020

Cracked Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500® list, at #1 in our category and was named a Top 200 Franchise of 2020

In franchise years, that’s lightning-fast.

2020

Acquired wemlo®, a broker-centric loan processing company

Making offices smarter, faster, and fintech-ier than ever.

2021

Named Top Recession-Proof Franchise and Top Franchise for Under $100K

Franchise Business Review saw us for what we are — economically resilient and fairly priced.

2022

Ranked a Franchise Business Review Top 100 Most Innovative Franchise

“First-national mortgage brokerage franchise model in the U.S.” is more than just bragging rights.

2023

Over 220 offices open nationwide

Coast to coast and zip code to zip code. Fast.

2024

Named a Top Workplace by Scotsman Guide

We know happy headquarters employees mean great network support.

2025

Top-of-the-class on Franchise 500®’s list… still

Solidly maintaining the #1 spot in miscellaneous financial services since 2020.

We’re not saying we’re a big deal… but Entrepreneur Magazine is.

The Motto Mortgage Trophy Shelf

A circular badge with the text 2024-2025 Top Workplace, Scotsman Guide, featuring three stars at the bottom, on a light grey background.
A badge with a ribbon that reads Entrepreneur Magazine Ranked 6 Years | 2020-2025 Franchise 500 in black and white with a faint circular seal design in the background.
A badge with Entrepreneur Magazine at the top and Franchise 500 at the bottom. Center text reads #1 Miscellaneous Financial Services, 6 Years, 2020-2025.
A circular badge with a ribbon reads: Entrepreneur Magazine Fastest Growing Franchise 6 Years | 2019–2024 Franchise 500. Light blue and gray accents frame the badge.
A badge with text: Entrepreneur Magazine. Top Franchises for Less Than $100,000. 4 Years | 2021-2024. Franchise 500.
Badge graphic with the text: 4 Years 2019-2022, Franchise Business Review, Top 200 Franchises on a circular background with decorative edges and laurel branches at the bottom.
A badge stating 2 Years 2021-2022 Franchise Business Review Top Recession-Proof Franchises with laurel graphics, on a white background.
A circular badge with a ribbon reads 2022 Franchise Business Review Top 100 Most Innovative Franchises in bold text, with simple leaf graphics at the bottom.
A circular badge with 2022 Franchise Business Review: Top 25 Franchises for Black Entrepreneurs written in bold text, with decorative branches at the bottom.
A circular badge reads 2 Years 2020-2021 Franchise Business Review Top Franchise Culture in bold text, with decorative laurel elements at the bottom. The badge features light gray and black accents.

For more information, visit our Awards Disclaimers page.

Own an Award-Winning Franchise