HousingWireHousingWire
CrossCountry Mortgage and digital banking platform Blend on Monday announced an expanded partnership to drive innovation for independent mortgage banks (IMBs).
The partnership brings together CrossCountry‘s 7,000-plus employees across more than 700 branches and Blend‘s technology platform that powered nearly $1.2 trillion in loan applications in 2024. As part of this collaboration, the two companies are introducing new solutions that enhance the Blend experience for all IMBs.
As part of the effort to better support IMBs, Blend has launched a dedicated business unit that is focused on delivering tailored technology and support. It will be led by Justin Venhousen, the newly appointed general manager of Blend’s IMB division.
Before joining Blend, Venhousen spent more than 12 years at Compass Mortgage as its chief operating officer.
“Having spent more than a decade at a mortgage lender, I’ve experienced the challenges our customers face firsthand,” Venhousen said in a statement. “I understand the operational pressures and the importance of supporting branch-level efficiency within a compliant framework.
“That perspective helps guide our approach as we design technology solutions that are adaptable, scalable, and built to support the way IMBs operate, while maintaining consistency and control across the organization.”
Blend’s developed enhancements — some of which are already live at CrossCountry Mortgage, with others set to launch in 2025 — include branch- and LO-level configurations. These allow CrossCountry to tailor workflows, branding and operational settings at the branch level to maintain consistency across its branches. Other advantages include increased disclosure package functionality and hybrid closing safeguards such as improved eSign visibility.
CrossCountry COO Jennifer Stracensky touted the “new standard” that the partnership is setting for homebuying accessibility.
“We’re proud to partner with Blend to develop purpose-built solutions and advanced tools that empower our loan officers to better serve borrowers,” Stracensky said.
“By working together to develop solutions like branch-level configurability and seamless disclosures within Blend, we’re not just optimizing our own operations — we’re helping set a new standard for the home lending process, making it easier and more accessible for borrowers and communities across the U.S.”
