Pennymac vs UWM:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pennymac had more branded searches than UWM among mortgage lenders in the United States. Pennymac had about 450,000 branded searches, while UWM had 60,500. Pennymac made up 19.9% of all mortgage lender searches we track, and UWM accounted for 2.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mortgage lenders, neither Pennymac nor UWM appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Pennymac, about 7 searches for every 1 for UWM
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
Follow Pennymac vs UWM and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top mortgage lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Pennymac nor UWM showed up in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Rocket Mortgage5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bank of America4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Chase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
loanDepot3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Veterans United2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Rate2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Truist2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Navy Federal Credit Union2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
SoFi2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
UWM0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about mortgage lenders
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which mortgage lender should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best mortgage lenders in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best mortgage lender in the US for a first-time home buyer?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mortgage lenders”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best mortgage lenders”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Pennymac or UWM more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Pennymac and UWM by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 13 mortgage lenders we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Pennymac, UWM. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Rocket Mortgage | Pennymac | Mr. Cooper | loanDepot | Bank of America | Chase | UWM | Veterans United | Rate | Truist | Navy Federal Credit Union | Better | SoFi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 29% | 19.4% | 29% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.64% | 0.64% | 0.12% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.7% | 22.6% | 27.7% | 4.6% | 3% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.1% | 20.1% | 30.1% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.81% | 0.54% | 0.44% | 0.13% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.3% | 22.4% | 33.2% | 3.7% | 2% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 0.96% | 0.74% | 0.49% | 0.49% | 0.15% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.7% | 19.1% | 28.5% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 0.96% | 0.77% | 0.51% | 0.42% | 0.12% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.4% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.57% | 0.47% | 0.14% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.4% | 20.4% | 13.7% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.45% | 0.45% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 50.1% | 18.5% | 10.1% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.74% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.15% |
| Jun 2026 | 50.8% | 18.7% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 0.98% | 0.75% | 0.41% | 0.41% | 0.15% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.7% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.1% | 0.81% | 0.44% | 0.44% | 0.36% |
| Aug 2026 | 51.9% | 19.1% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 2.5% | 1% | 0.77% | 0.42% | 0.51% | 0.15% |
| Sep 2026 | 54.1% | 19.9% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.8% | 0.54% | 0.36% | 0.19% |
How has the Pennymac and UWM comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pennymac was ahead of UWM in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pennymac’s share of searches among mortgage lenders in the United States moved from 19.4% to 19.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, UWM’s share of searches among mortgage lenders in the United States moved from 3.9% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 60.5K.
How did search popularity change for United States mortgage lenders in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Pennymac gained share of searches among mortgage lenders in the United States, from 19.1% to 19.9%.
In September 2026, UWM lost share of searches among mortgage lenders in the United States, from 4.7% to 2.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Pennymac’s and UWM’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among mortgage lenders
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.