The 9 Best Mortgage Brokers in Chicago

Chicagoland Home Mortgage Services suits borrowers who prefer a small brokerage to a large lender with a call center. The Westchester firm arranges loans through outside lenders and has served the area for more than 30 years. Veterans and active military members can apply for VA purchase loans with no down payment as well as VA refinances. Rent-versus-buy and refinance calculators on its site help frame the numbers before the first call.

UnrealFi suits owners who want their broker to keep watching the loan long after closing. Its Mortgage Radar service tracks each mortgage and calls when a lower rate, PMI removal or available equity is worth acting on. Later refinances with the firm carry no origination, lender, appraisal or credit fees, subject to eligibility. Advisors work in English, Spanish, Ukrainian, Hebrew, French and Russian, so many borrowers can go through the process in their first language.

The Messman Lending Team suits condo buyers and anyone already holding a Loan Estimate from another lender. Its Second Look service reviews an existing quote, and a Condo Review step checks the building early in the process. Founder Craig Messman has worked in mortgages since 2001 and runs the team under Molitor Financial Group. Lines are open from 8am to 9pm every day, useful when an offer has to go in quickly.

Kingswood Mortgage suits buyers who like to run the numbers themselves before speaking to anyone. Its site offers a pre-approval letter request, a refinance analysis and a rate comparison tool. The Ravenswood brokerage handles fixed and adjustable loans, FHA, VA, USDA and jumbo mortgages, plus 203k renovation loans and reverse mortgages. Licensing covers Illinois, Indiana and Georgia, which helps buyers looking across the Indiana line.

Smooth Mortgage suits households that want their mortgage and their taxes handled in the same office. The Devon Avenue company works with several lenders on purchases, refinances, renovation loans, investment properties and reverse mortgages. It also offers tax preparation and business and personal accounting. The office is open from 7am to 8pm every day, which helps borrowers who can only talk after work or at weekends.

NorthPoint suits self-employed borrowers and investors whose income does not fit a standard bank file. The broker has been in business since 1995 and places loans through a network of lenders. Its menu runs from jumbo and conventional loans to non-QM, bank statement, bridge and fix-and-flip financing. The firm warns that an unrelated company with a similar name makes robocalls, so reach it through its own number.

Prime Rate Lending Group suits Southwest Side buyers looking for FHA, VA or USDA financing with an office close by. The Archer Avenue firm places each loan with a lender chosen for the borrower's situation and cites more than 20 years of lending experience. Its programs also cover renovation, jumbo, conventional and adjustable-rate loans. Its license is for Illinois only, so it fits buyers purchasing within the state.

ClearFi suits buyers with property in more than one state, since it is licensed as a mortgage broker in nine of them, Illinois included. The Ravenswood company handles conventional, FHA, VA and USDA loans along with first-time buyer programs. Self-employed borrowers can use bank statement or stated income options. Applications go through a secure online platform, so most of the paperwork can be done from home.

LendLink Financial suits buyers who want to start online while keeping a local loan officer on the file. Its secure application takes about 12 minutes, and the Loanzify app links the borrower with both the loan officer and the real estate agent. The Milwaukee Avenue company holds a mortgage banking license in Illinois and broker licenses in Indiana and Wisconsin. A learning center explains fixed and adjustable programs before you apply.