CJ Kerls lands top mortgage originator honors again

CJ Kerls, a San Francisco-based branch manager and SVP at Rate, was named to Mortgage Executive Magazine’s Top 1% of Mortgage Originators in America for 2026 and Scotsman Guide’s 2026 Top Originators list. The dual recognitions underscore his focus on jumbo and complex-income borrowers across the Bay Area, Sonoma County and beyond.

Why it matters: - The rankings signal continued demand for mortgage lenders who can navigate jumbo loans and complex borrower profiles. - Kerls’ repeat placement shows sustained production in a market where underwriting can be harder for self-employed borrowers, physicians, tech workers with RSU income and owners of multi-unit properties. - The recognition also reflects activity tied to purchase transactions, which often move on tight deadlines and require precise loan structuring.

What happened: - CJ Kerls, Branch Manager and SVP of Mortgage Lending at Rate, was named to Mortgage Executive Magazine’s Top 1% of Mortgage Originators in America for 2026. - The honor marks Kerls’ 13th consecutive year on the national ranking. - Scotsman Guide also named Kerls to its 2026 Top Originators list in the Top Dollar Volume category for the seventh straight year. - Both rankings were based on 2025 mortgage production.

The details: - Mortgage Executive Magazine’s 2026 ranking required at least $25 million in personal 2025 production. - The ranking excluded production credited to associate or junior originators earning commissions on the same loans. - Scotsman Guide’s 2026 rankings required employer-documented annual volume of at least $25 million or 75 closed loans. - Scotsman Guide did not accept team submissions. - Kerls qualified with $32,146,196 in 2025 production across 49 closed loans. - Purchase loans made up 61% of his production. - Refinances accounted for 16% of production. - Second mortgages accounted for 23% of production. - Kerls works with homebuyers and homeowners across the San Francisco Bay Area and Sonoma County. - Kerls focuses on jumbo financing and borrowers whose income, assets or property type require more detailed underwriting review. - Kerls’ practice also covers self-employed and complex-income borrowers whose financial profiles do not fit a standard W-2 model. - His client mix includes business owners, technology employees paid partly in restricted stock units, physicians early in their careers, buyers of multi-unit properties and second-home borrowers in markets such as Sonoma County. - Kerls has 35+ years of mortgage lending experience. - Kerls is licensed in 29 states. - Kerls also serves clients in Southern California and Palm Springs. - His education and analysis site is CJKerls.com.

Between the lines: - The honors point to a niche mortgage business built around borrowers with nontraditional income and more complicated financing needs. - Kerls said the work is less about the ranking and more about structuring loans for clients who have been turned down or had loans fall apart. - The repeated recognition suggests a durable track record rather than a one-year surge. - Rate’s President’s Club mention adds another sign of sustained internal performance, with 12 consecutive years from 2015 through 2026.

What's next: - Kerls is likely to keep leaning on jumbo, physician, RSU and self-employed borrower niches as Bay Area and Sonoma County clients seek customized financing. - His published mortgage education and analysis may continue to support borrowers who need alternatives to conventional income documentation. - The next test will be whether production stays above national ranking thresholds in future years.

The bottom line: - Kerls remains one of the most consistently ranked mortgage originators in the country, with 2025 volume strong enough to extend a long run of national recognition.