The Baldwin Group Announces Strategic Partnership With Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation

Key Terms

mortgage origination financial

Mortgage origination is the process by which a lender creates and issues a home loan, from taking the borrower's application through approval, pricing and funding. Investors care because origination volume and quality drive lenders’ revenue and risk exposure—think of it like a shop making and selling a product: more sales and better products boost profit, while many risky or low-margin loans can hurt earnings and increase potential losses, and both reflect housing and interest-rate trends.

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Baldwin Group ("Baldwin" or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BWIN), a leading independent insurance brokerage and advisory firm delivering tailored insurance solutions to a wide range of personal and commercial clients, today announced a new collaboration with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (“Fairway”), the sixth largest independent mortgage lender in the United States with more than 67,000 loans originated in 2024¹. Through this collaboration, Fairway will launch Fairway Home Insurance Agency, an affiliated insurance agency designed to deliver streamlined insurance solutions to homeowners nationwide. The strategic partnership is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2026.

This embedded partnership will enable Fairway to offer home and other personal insurance solutions to their mortgage clients while leveraging Baldwin’s proprietary technology platform, national insurance carrier relationships and industry expertise. The addition of Fairway as an embedded partner will enhance Baldwin’s ability to support the seamless sale of insurance solutions at the point of mortgage origination and home sale, while complementing Baldwin’s existing portfolio of embedded national mortgage and real estate partners.

"We're excited to partner with Fairway to bring enhanced insurance solutions to their customers," said David Smith, President and Executive Operating Officer, Mainstreet Insurance Solutions at The Baldwin Group. "This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting mortgage lenders and their customers with the tools, technology and access to insurance carriers they need to navigate today's complex insurance marketplace. By integrating insurance into the homebuying process, we're helping make homeownership more accessible and affordable."

"Through our partnership with The Baldwin Group, Fairway will be able to provide our customers with access to competitive insurance solutions backed by industry-leading technology and expertise,” said David Lazowski, President of Growth at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. “This is about delivering real value where and when our customers need it most."

ABOUT THE BALDWIN GROUP

The Baldwin Group, the brand name for The Baldwin Insurance Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWIN) and its affiliates, is an independent insurance distribution firm providing indispensable expertise and insights that strive to give our clients the confidence to pursue their purpose, passion, and dreams. As a team of dedicated entrepreneurs and insurance professionals, we have come together to help protect the possible for our clients. We do this by delivering bespoke client solutions, services, and innovation through our comprehensive and tailored approach to risk management, insurance, and employee benefits. We support our clients, colleagues, insurance company partners, and communities through the deployment of vanguard resources and capital to drive our organic and inorganic growth. The Baldwin Group proudly represents more than three million clients across the United States and internationally. For more information, please visit www.baldwin.com.

ABOUT FAIRWAY INDEPENDENT MORTGAGE CORPORATION

Founded in April 1996, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation employs over 10,000 employees in over 345 branches nationwide.

At Fairway, customer service is a way of life. Not only are we dedicated to finding the best rates for our customers, we also offer some of the fastest turn times in the industry. Our goal is to act as a trusted advisor, providing highly personalized service and guiding customers through every step of the loan process. It’s all designed to exceed your expectations, guarantee your satisfaction, and earn your trust.

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which represent The Baldwin Group’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and may include statements that address The Baldwin Group’s future operating, financial or business performance or The Baldwin Group’s strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “projects,” “potential,” “outlook” or “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements.

Factors that could cause actual results or performance to differ from the expectations expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described under the caption “Risk Factors” in Baldwin’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in Baldwin’s other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available free of charge on the SEC’s website at: www.sec.gov, including those risks and other factors relevant to Baldwin’s business, financial condition and results of operation. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All forward-looking statements and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to The Baldwin Group or to persons acting on behalf of The Baldwin Group are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and The Baldwin Group does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law.

¹ Based on data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260225595257/en/

MEDIA RELATIONS

Anna Rozenich, Senior Director, Enterprise Communications

The Baldwin Group

630.561.5907 | anna.rozenich@baldwin.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Bonnie Bishop, Executive Director, Investor Relations

The Baldwin Group

813.259.8032 | IR@baldwin.com

Source: The Baldwin Group