If there were a Hall of Fame for Scotsman Guide Top Originators, it’s safe to say that Rate’s Shant Banosian would be selected on the first ballot.

Repeating last year’s title, Banosian closed more than $1 billion in loan volume last year, earning the top slot for our 2026 Top Originators. This is the sixth time since 2018 that the Waltham, Mass.-based originator has held the position at the top of these rankings. Like the great majority of this year’s top originators, purchases made up the bulk of his closings, with 77% compared to 19% refinances and 4% second mortgages.

The 2024 top spot had gone to Mark Cohen of Cohen Financial Group in California. For the second consecutive year, Cohen was runner-up to Banosian, but again, it was close. While Banosian closed $1.04 billion, Cohen closed 692 loans for a total dollar volume of $933.7 million (63% purchases and 37% refinances).

By closed loans, Banosian ended the year with 1,561, which is 210 more closings than second-place finisher Jeffrey Miller from Truss Financial Group in California. There were seven originators who finished the year with more than 1,000 loans closed.

In third place for Top Dollar Volume, Ben Cohen of Rate produced an impressive $718.3 million on 1,050 closings, just ahead of fourth-place finisher Jarret Coleman of U.S. Bank in Connecticut. Coleman produced $711.2 million on 683 loans. Brian Minkow of CMG Home Loans in California closed out the top five with $502.3 million on 403 closings.

Rounding out the top 10 for dollar volume were Andrew Marquis of CrossCountry Mortgage ($501 million, 690 closed loans); Baret Kechian of loanDepot ($482.3 million, 708 closed loans); Miller ($474.1 million, 1,351 closed loans); Ameer Katifi of Trusted Mortgage Capital ($445.4 million, 1,118 closed loans); and Matt Weaver of CrossCountry ($427.6 million, 1,224 closed loans).

The originators who qualified for this year’s rankings produced an aggregate total of $324 billion in 2025 on 795,000 closed loans. This is well above the $254 billion originated in 2024 on 645,000 closings.

Combined, 2025’s top 150 originators closed $36.3 billion in loans, for a total of 58,920 closings. They averaged 66% purchases, 29% refinances and 4% second mortgages. 

For the first time ever, Scotsman Guide is recognizing the annual production of Top Private Volume. There was a total of $5.3 billion originated, with 12,106 loans closed among our 54 entrants. Paul Shaughnessy of Renovo Financial in Massachusetts led the category with a total dollar volume of $354.8 million from 549 closed loans.

Shaughnessy was followed by Israel Lopez of Vontive/Certain Lending in Washington, who closed 271 loans for $230.9 million; Matt Ferrigno of RCN Capital in Connecticut, closing 852 loans (the most by 273 loans) for $216.1 million; and Aubrey Kozer of HouseMax Funding in Texas, who closed $207.4 million from 546 loans.

Top Non-QM Volume was dominated by Mark Cohen, who closed 262 non-qualified mortgage loans worth $417.1 million. Miller, who finished second in closings overall, had the most non-QM closings with 569 for a total dollar volume of $325.9 million. Dustin Rosenberg of Convoy Home Loans in California did all his 2025 business in the non-QM segment, closing 460 loans for $312.7 million.

Congratulations to those who ascended to such great heights!