Mortgage Refinance Lenders AI Visibility Ranking Trends - November 2026

Answer capsule

The November 2026 Mortgage Refinance Lenders benchmark compares 10 companies across 531 AI answers that met its inclusion rules. Rocket Mortgage leads with 445 recommendations (83.80% of answers). At least one tracked company was recommended in 451 answers; some answers recommended several companies.

The rankings distinguish being mentioned from receiving an affirmative recommendation, then examine placement and the wording used about each company. Earlier monthly results show how counts and rates changed, with each month using its own answer total. These results describe the answers reviewed, not product quality or customer satisfaction. Differences between monthly samples limit comparisons and do not establish why a result changed.

For the strategic interpretation of this benchmark, read CiteWorks Studio's analysis of How AI Search Is Recommending Mortgage Refinance Lenders

Industry leaderboard

Questions This Section Answers

• How do Mortgage Refinance Lenders rank by recorded AI recommendations in November 2026?

The leaderboard orders companies by how many answers affirmatively recommended them, not by how often they appeared. A company can be mentioned frequently yet recommended rarely, so mention counts and recommendation counts answer different questions. Ties in recommendation count would share a rank; the printed table shows no tie at the top. Placement figures are subsets of recommendations, not separate wins.

Key findings

Tracked-company answer coverage

Questions This Section Answers

• How often did the November 2026 Mortgage Refinance Lenders answer sample recommend any tracked company?

451 distinct answers recommended at least one tracked company. Counting each company recommendation separately gives 1745, because an answer can recommend several companies. Answers with no tracked recommendation may still have recommended companies outside this comparison.

Every qualified answer mentioned at least one tracked company, and most recommended one. Because a single answer can recommend several companies, company-level totals exceed the number of answers, so they should not be read as market share. Answers recommending no tracked company may still have named companies outside this comparison, which limits any claim of overall market dominance.

Reach and affirmative recommendation

Rocket Mortgage ranks 1 by recommendation count. Mentions: 523 (98.49%); recommendations: 445 (83.80%). Top 3 placements: 407 (76.65%); first-place placements: 265 (49.91%).

Wording about the company: 452 positive, 71 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 85.1%. The net framing score was 0.86 (defined in Methodology).

78 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 91.46% were Top 3 and 59.55% were first-place.

Rocket Mortgage illustrates why mention and recommendation must be separated: it appeared in nearly every answer but was affirmatively endorsed in fewer. The gap between the two counts represents mentions without a recorded recommendation. Reach describes presence in the answers; recommendation describes endorsement. Neither establishes why an answer included or endorsed a company.

Recommendation order and placement

Top-three and first-place counts sit inside the recommendation totals rather than beside them, so they cannot be summed with recommendations. A company recommended often may still be placed first rarely, and the reverse pattern appears too. Placement reflects position within an answer's wording, not customer choice, conversion or a ranking of product quality.

Classified framing in context

Framing classifies the wording surrounding each mention as positive, neutral or negative. Most companies here drew largely positive wording, while Rate and Wells Fargo show substantial neutral shares and a few negative mentions. Framing is not customer sentiment or a quality judgment, and neutral wording does not show why a recommendation was or was not recorded.

Company results in detail

Rocket Mortgage

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Rocket Mortgage mentions, recommendations and placement?

Rocket Mortgage ranks 1 by recommendation count. Mentions: 523 (98.49%); recommendations: 445 (83.80%). Top 3 placements: 407 (76.65%); first-place placements: 265 (49.91%).

Wording about the company: 452 positive, 71 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 85.1%. The net framing score was 0.86 (defined in Methodology).

78 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 91.46% were Top 3 and 59.55% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Rocket Mortgage's mention count rose from 519 to 523, while its recommendation count rose from 419 to 445. The recommendation rate was 79.21% and 83.80% respectively.

Rocket Mortgage leads on recommendation count and appears in nearly every answer, with most mentions also carrying an endorsement. Its placements skew heavily toward the top of answers, and its wording is almost entirely positive. The month-over-month comparison shows both counts higher than the prior sample, though the samples differ and no cause is established.

loanDepot

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about loanDepot mentions, recommendations and placement?

loanDepot ranks 2 by recommendation count. Mentions: 345 (64.97%); recommendations: 293 (55.18%). Top 3 placements: 112 (21.09%); first-place placements: 16 (3.01%).

Wording about the company: 296 positive, 49 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 84.9%. The net framing score was 0.86 (defined in Methodology).

52 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 38.23% were Top 3 and 5.46% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, loanDepot's mention count rose from 300 to 345, while its recommendation count rose from 261 to 293. The recommendation rate was 49.34% and 55.18% respectively.

loanDepot holds second place by recommendation count, with a recommendation-to-mention ratio close to Rocket Mortgage's. Its placements, however, are far less top-heavy: relatively few recommendations land in the top three and fewer still first. Wording is overwhelmingly positive. The prior-month comparison shows both counts higher, but the samples are separate and the change is not explained.

Bank of America Corp.

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Bank of America Corp. mentions, recommendations and placement?

Bank of America Corp. ranks 3 by recommendation count. Mentions: 273 (51.41%); recommendations: 218 (41.05%). Top 3 placements: 99 (18.64%); first-place placements: 34 (6.40%).

Wording about the company: 226 positive, 47 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 79.9%. The net framing score was 0.83 (defined in Methodology).

55 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 45.41% were Top 3 and 15.60% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Bank of America Corp.'s mention count rose from 236 to 273, while its recommendation count rose from 188 to 218. The recommendation rate was 35.54% and 41.05% respectively.

Bank of America Corp. ranks third, with a recommendation-to-mention ratio somewhat below the two leaders. Its first-place share is modest relative to its recommendation total, and its wording is almost entirely positive. Both mention and recommendation counts are higher than in the prior sample, a recorded comparison that does not establish why the change occurred.

Chase Credit Journey

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Chase Credit Journey mentions, recommendations and placement?

Chase Credit Journey ranks 4 by recommendation count. Mentions: 305 (57.44%); recommendations: 173 (32.58%). Top 3 placements: 63 (11.86%); first-place placements: 9 (1.69%).

Wording about the company: 179 positive, 125 neutral, 1 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 56.7%. The net framing score was 0.58 (defined in Methodology).

132 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 36.42% were Top 3 and 5.20% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Chase Credit Journey's mention count rose from 4 to 305, while its recommendation count rose from 3 to 173. The recommendation rate was 0.57% and 32.58% respectively.

Chase Credit Journey ranks fourth despite a recommendation-to-mention ratio well below most peers, meaning many appearances carried no endorsement. Its wording includes a large neutral share and a single negative mention. The prior-month figures are extremely sparse, so the month-over-month jump should be read as a recorded comparison between separate samples, not as evidence of a turning point.

Better.com

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Better.com mentions, recommendations and placement?

Better.com ranks 5 by recommendation count. Mentions: 184 (34.65%); recommendations: 151 (28.44%). Top 3 placements: 115 (21.66%); first-place placements: 12 (2.26%).

Wording about the company: 153 positive, 31 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 82.1%. The net framing score was 0.83 (defined in Methodology).

33 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 76.16% were Top 3 and 7.95% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Better.com's mention count rose from 152 to 184, while its recommendation count rose from 146 to 151. The recommendation rate was 27.60% and 28.44% respectively.

Better.com ranks fifth with a high recommendation-to-mention ratio and an unusually large share of its recommendations placed in the top three, though first-place finishes are rare. Wording is mostly positive. Its counts are close to the prior sample, and the small movement does not demonstrate stability or change in any causal sense.

PennyMac

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about PennyMac mentions, recommendations and placement?

PennyMac ranks 6 by recommendation count. Mentions: 183 (34.46%); recommendations: 137 (25.80%). Top 3 placements: 33 (6.21%); first-place placements: 10 (1.88%).

Wording about the company: 139 positive, 43 neutral, 1 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 74.9%. The net framing score was 0.75 (defined in Methodology).

46 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 24.09% were Top 3 and 7.30% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, PennyMac's mention count fell from 198 to 183, while its recommendation count fell from 140 to 137. The recommendation rate was 26.47% and 25.80% respectively.

PennyMac ranks sixth, with a moderate recommendation-to-mention ratio and relatively few top-three placements. Wording is largely positive, with one negative mention. Both mention and recommendation counts are slightly lower than in the prior sample; that recorded decline does not establish why it occurred, and the monthly samples are separate.

United Wholesale Mortgage

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about United Wholesale Mortgage mentions, recommendations and placement?

United Wholesale Mortgage ranks 7 by recommendation count. Mentions: 174 (32.77%); recommendations: 127 (23.92%). Top 3 placements: 100 (18.83%); first-place placements: 37 (6.97%).

Wording about the company: 129 positive, 45 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 73.0%. The net framing score was 0.74 (defined in Methodology).

47 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 78.74% were Top 3 and 29.13% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, United Wholesale Mortgage's mention count rose from 153 to 174, while its recommendation count rose from 97 to 127. The recommendation rate was 18.34% and 23.92% respectively.

United Wholesale Mortgage ranks seventh but shows a distinctive placement pattern: most of its recommendations land in the top three, and a substantial share are first-place. Its recommendation-to-mention ratio is moderate. Both counts are higher than in the prior sample, a comparison across separate samples that does not explain the movement.

New American Funding

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about New American Funding mentions, recommendations and placement?

New American Funding ranks 8 by recommendation count. Mentions: 108 (20.34%); recommendations: 96 (18.08%). Top 3 placements: 20 (3.77%); first-place placements: 0 (0.00%).

Wording about the company: 99 positive, 9 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 88.9%. The net framing score was 0.92 (defined in Methodology).

12 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 20.83% were Top 3 and 0.00% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, New American Funding's mention count rose from 100 to 108, while its recommendation count rose from 91 to 96. The recommendation rate was 17.20% and 18.08% respectively.

New American Funding ranks eighth with the highest recommendation-to-mention ratio among tracked companies, though on a smaller mention base, so the ratio warrants caution. Its wording is almost entirely positive. Notably, it recorded no first-place placements, so its recommendations cluster lower in answers. Counts are close to the prior sample.

Rate

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Rate mentions, recommendations and placement?

Rate ranks 9 by recommendation count. Mentions: 424 (79.85%); recommendations: 65 (12.24%). Top 3 placements: 24 (4.52%); first-place placements: 3 (0.56%).

Wording about the company: 67 positive, 357 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 15.3%. The net framing score was 0.16 (defined in Methodology).

359 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 36.92% were Top 3 and 4.62% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Rate's mention count rose from 30 to 424, while its recommendation count rose from 22 to 65. The recommendation rate was 4.16% and 12.24% respectively.

Rate appears in many answers but is recommended in comparatively few, giving it the lowest recommendation-to-mention ratio in the table. Its wording is dominated by neutral mentions, and its net framing score is correspondingly low. The prior-month comparison shows a much larger mention count, but the samples differ and no cause is inferred.

Wells Fargo & Co.

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Wells Fargo & Co. mentions, recommendations and placement?

Wells Fargo & Co. ranks 10 by recommendation count. Mentions: 86 (16.20%); recommendations: 40 (7.53%). Top 3 placements: 15 (2.82%); first-place placements: 2 (0.38%).

Wording about the company: 41 positive, 41 neutral, 4 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 46.5%. The net framing score was 0.43 (defined in Methodology).

46 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 37.50% were Top 3 and 5.00% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Wells Fargo & Co.'s mention count fell from 93 to 86, while its recommendation count rose from 34 to 40. The recommendation rate was 6.43% and 7.53% respectively.

Wells Fargo & Co. ranks last by recommendation count, with a recommendation-to-mention ratio below half and the only notable cluster of negative mentions. Neutral and positive wording are evenly split. Mentions fell while recommendations rose relative to the prior sample; that mixed recorded comparison does not establish improvement, loss of standing or any cause.

Earlier ranking snapshot context

Questions This Section Answers

• How do the available Mortgage Refinance Lenders snapshots from July 2026 to November 2026 differ in recommendation coverage and measurement scope?

Only months with verified results are shown. Monthly sample coverage is listed in Methodology.

The monthly snapshots come from separate answer samples with differing totals, so counts and rates should be read together rather than as a continuous series. Rank positions are shown for context only; a changed rank or rate does not demonstrate improvement, decline or the effect of any intervention. Only verified months appear.

What the November Rankings Show

These sections answer different questions. Reach asks whether a company appeared; recommendation asks whether the answer affirmatively endorsed it; placement asks where within that endorsement it sat; framing asks how the wording read. A company can be visible without being endorsed, endorsed without leading an answer, or framed positively without a recommendation. The rankings order companies by recommendation count alone, so they should not be read as a measure of quality, customer preference or market share.

Methodology

Questions This Section Answers

• How were the November 2026 Mortgage Refinance Lenders AI visibility measures counted, and what do they not establish?

This benchmark has partial coverage: 3 of 3 planned question categories contributed usable observations; 0 contributed none. This describes question-category coverage, not demonstrated platform outages. Findings apply to the available answer set.

The month in the title is the reporting period. The exact dates when the original AI answers were collected have not been verified.

Each company is counted at most once in each answer that meets the benchmark rules. A recommendation requires both an affirmative endorsement and positive wording. Mention, recommendation, Top 3 and first-place rates use the full benchmark answer total. Top 3 and first-place results are included within recommendations, not added to them.

The recommendation-to-mention ratio divides recommendations by mentions. It describes AI answer wording, not customer conversion. Net framing is positive minus negative mentions, divided by all mentions, on a scale from -1 to +1. It does not measure customer satisfaction or company quality.

Market: US; 10 tracked companies. AI services represented: ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity.

Research screening totals (answer observations can include repeated questions):

The source does not provide a reader-facing definition of “reserved”; that screening label is reported without inferring a reason for exclusion. Only the included benchmark answers form the rate denominator.

One answer can mention or recommend several companies. Adding company totals would therefore count some answers more than once. The results describe the AI answers reviewed, not independently verified facts about the companies or their products.

Monthly sample coverage:

July 2026 measured a different set of companies, so it is excluded from this comparison. August 2026 measured a different set of companies, so it is excluded from this comparison.

The answer samples differ between months. These comparisons show how the recorded results changed; they do not establish why they changed.

Coverage is partial: findings apply to the included answers, and the exact collection dates are unverified. Each company counts at most once per answer, and top-three and first-place results are nested within recommendations. The recommendation-to-mention ratio and net framing describe answer wording, not customers, sales or company quality. Monthly samples differ, so comparisons show recorded change without establishing its cause.