Father and son walking towards barn

06/27/2025

Guild Mortgage Wins First Place in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Top Origination Awards

San Diego – June 27, 2025 – Guild Mortgage, a nationally-acclaimed mortgage lender founded in 1960, received first place in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s 2025 Top Origination Awards.

Guild helps rural families and individuals carve pathways to homeownership through USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. Guild continues to deliver on its commitment to expanding homeownership access in rural areas for the third year in a row; the company was also named a Top Guaranteed Rural Housing Lender in 2023 and 2024.

“Guild is committed to developing and expanding loan programs for buyers in all kinds of situations. We love the USDA program because it helps moderate-income families in small and rural communities attain the promise of home,” said Erin Watts, Guild Mortgage vice-president of product strategy. “We are grateful to the USDA for helping us deliver affordable financing options and personalized guidance for so many families.”

Guild delivers the promise of home by identifying special financing opportunities for borrowers with low-to-moderate income for their area. USDA’s Rural Development loans allow the company to provide rural customers financing with no required down payment and below-market mortgage rates to reduce major barriers to homeownership.

The USDA’s National Lender of the Year Awards celebrate lenders who successfully help Americans in rural areas achieve homeownership. This year’s awards ceremony was held June 24 in Washington, D.C. Bill Saunders, Branch Manager in Dunkirk, MD, accepted the award on Guild’s behalf.

Media contact:

Adam O’Daniel

SVP, Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected]

704.251.4405

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About the Author: Guild Mortgage

Founded in 1960 when the modern U.S. mortgage industry was just forming, Guild Mortgage Company is a nationally recognized independent mortgage lender providing residential mortgage products and local in-house origination and servicing. Guild’s collaborative culture and commitment to diversity and inclusion enable it to deliver a personalized experience for each customer. With more than 4,000 employees and over 250 retail branches, Guild has relationships with credit unions, community banks, and other financial institutions and services loans in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Guild’s highly trained loan professionals are experienced in government-sponsored programs such as FHA, VA, USDA, down payment assistance programs and other specialized loan programs. Guild Mortgage Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guild Holdings Company, whose shares of Class A common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GHLD.