What Makes Non-Delegated Correspondent a Smart Way to Scale?

Non-Delegated Correspondent lending allows you to originate and close loans in your own name while relying on the lender’s underwriting, pricing, and fulfillment infrastructure. You maintain control of the borrower relationship and your brand—without carrying the full operational burden alone. And when you partner with Cardinal Financial®, you get a true partnership built on speed, confidence, and visibility.

Cardinal Financial entered the Non-Delegated Correspondent space with intention. Built from direct partner feedback, the channel is designed to remove friction, eliminate guesswork, and give correspondents the speed and clarity they’ve been asking for—without sacrificing control.

Non-Del at a Glance

Delegated vs. Non-Delegated Correspondents

Is a non-delegated correspondent the same as a broker?
No. Unlike brokers, non-delegated correspondents close loans in their own name and fund using their own warehouse line.

Who typically uses non-delegated correspondent lending?
Brokers, mini-correspondents, and growing lenders looking to scale without taking on full underwriting risk.

Why choose non-delegated over delegated correspondent lending?
Non-delegated models reduce staffing and capital requirements while preserving control over the borrower relationship.

How Does Non-Del Work at Cardinal Financial?

As a Non-Delegated Correspondent, you originate loans under your own name and fund through your own warehouse line, while Cardinal’s living loan engine, Octane®, powers underwriting, pricing, disclosures, and workflow automation. Everything lives in one system, giving you a single source of truth from lock to close.

Octane flags issues in real time, automates redisclosures, and adapts workflows dynamically. That means your team spends less time chasing conditions and more time closing loans.

The result? Faster decisions, fewer touches, and visibility you can trust.

How Much Control Do Non-Delegated Correspondents Really Have?

One of the biggest misconceptions about non-delegated lending is that you give up control. Not at Cardinal Financial.

With Octane, our Non-Delegated Correspondents are firmly in the driver’s seat. You get automated margin management built directly into the pricing engine—eliminating spreadsheets, manual math, and inconsistencies across your team.

You also retain full visibility into pipeline status, conditions, and next steps—no mystery, no waiting on emails, no blind spots. It’s transparency that actually shows up when you need it.

What Makes Cardinal Financial’s Non-Delegated Channel Different?

Cardinal didn’t rush into Non-Delegated Correspondents just to check a box. The channel was built with intention to solve problems brokers and correspondents have faced for years.

Key differentiators include:

Built-in processing support, so your team isn’t stretched thin
End-to-end document automation, with custom disclosures generated directly in Octane
True transparency, with live loan status and real-time alerts
Automated funding integration (coming soon) to reduce friction at the finish line

The Non-Del channel is a smarter way to scale, backed by a lender that treats third-party relationships like true partnerships, not transactions.

Who Is the Non-Delegated Correspondent Model Built For?

The Non-Delegated Correspondent channel is ideal for brokers and correspondents who want to grow without adding unnecessary risk or overhead. It’s a great fit if you want:

Control of your brand and borrower experience
Clear, consistent pricing
Technology that adapts instead of breaks
A lender partner who prioritizes visibility and speed

Is Non-Delegated Lending the Right Next Step for Me?

Non-Delegated Correspondent lending isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. But for many mortgage professionals, it offers a practical path to growth.

Our Non-Delegated Correspondent channel combines centralized underwriting and automation with the flexibility correspondents need to run their business their way. Powered by Octane, Cardinal’s approach emphasizes transparency, coordinated workflows, and technology that reduces friction rather than adding to it.

If you’re looking to move beyond wholesale, retain your brand, and scale without assuming full underwriting risk, becoming a Non-Delegated Correspondent could be right for you.