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Rocket Companies, Inc. (RKT)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Rocket delivered a strong Q3: adjusted revenue $1.78B beat the high end of guidance; adjusted EBITDA rose to $349M with ~20% adjusted EBITDA margin, and adjusted EPS was $0.07 .
  • Versus Wall Street: Q3 EPS beat ($0.07 vs 0.048*), and revenue (S&P basis) modestly beat ($1.70B* vs $1.65B*). Q4 guidance for adjusted revenue of $2.1–$2.3B is inclusive of full-quarter Redfin and Mr. Cooper .
  • Strategic integration accelerated: Redfin mortgage attach rate climbed from 27% to ~40% with >500K users starting pre-qual in September; 13% of retail purchase closings came via Redfin; Mr. Cooper closed Oct 1 with rapid early lead flow and first loan closed in three days .
  • KPIs strengthened: net rate locks rose 26% Q/Q to $35.8B and closed volume increased 11% Q/Q to $32.4B; gain-on-sale margin held steady at 2.80% .
  • Liquidity robust and capital structure simplified for the combined entity; undrawn lines upsized post-quarter; management sees continued market share gains into Q4 and strong setup for 2026 with synergy tailwinds .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Beat and momentum: Adjusted revenue ($1.78B) exceeded the high end of guidance; adjusted EBITDA rose to $349M with margins expanding to ~20% from 13% in Q2 . “We gained market share, we beat our adjusted revenue guidance” — Varun Krishna, CEO .
  • Redfin integration traction: Mortgage attach rate moved from 27% to ~40% and >500K Redfin users started applications in September; 13% of direct-to-consumer purchase closings came via Redfin .
  • AI execution: New agentic AI tools (Pipeline Manager, Purchase Agreement, Rocket Pro Underwriting) lifted follow-ups by 9pts and cut processing time by 80%, enabling sub‑15 min broker underwriting tasks .

What Went Wrong

  • GAAP profitability remains pressured: Q3 GAAP net loss of $124M despite operational momentum (non-cash MSR fair value and acquisition costs are meaningful drivers) .
  • Partner Network margin pressure: Sold loan gain-on-sale margin of 1.11% vs 1.47% in Q3’24; contribution margin of $96M vs $112M a year ago despite higher sold loan volume .
  • Elevated costs from transactions: Q3 included ~$90M one-time costs tied to acquisitions and restructuring; Q4 guide embeds $140M one-time costs and $120M intangibles amortization before normalizing to ~$2.0B underlying expenses .

Financial Results

Headline P&L (chronological columns older → newer)

MetricQ3 2024Q2 2025Q3 2025
Total revenue, net ($USD Billions)$0.647 $1.360 $1.605
Adjusted revenue ($USD Billions)$1.323 $1.340 $1.783
GAAP Net income (loss) ($USD Millions)$(481) $34 $(124)
Adjusted net income ($USD Millions)$166 $75 $158
Adjusted EBITDA ($USD Millions)$286 $172 $349
Adjusted diluted EPS ($)$0.08 $0.04 $0.07

Notes: Management cited ~20% adjusted EBITDA margin in Q3 (vs ~13% in Q2) tied to scale and mix benefits .

KPIs

KPIQ3 2024Q2 2025Q3 2025
Net rate lock volume ($USD Billions)$29.835 $28.429 $35.829
Closed loan origination volume ($USD Billions)$28.496 $29.056 $32.413
Gain-on-sale margin (%)2.78% 2.80% 2.80%

Segment Breakdown

Direct to Consumer (DTC)

MetricQ3 2024Q2 2025Q3 2025
Sold loan volume ($USD Millions)$14,006 $14,118 $17,139
Sold loan GOS margin (%)4.10% 4.40% 4.35%
Total revenue, net ($USD Millions)$331 $1,030 $975
Adjusted revenue ($USD Millions)$1,007 $1,010 $1,153
Contribution margin ($USD Millions)$456 $367 $469

Partner Network

MetricQ3 2024Q2 2025Q3 2025
Sold loan volume ($USD Millions)$12,405 $13,411 $13,671
Sold loan GOS margin (%)1.47% 0.90% 1.11%
Total revenue, net ($USD Millions)$177 $148 $168
Adjusted revenue ($USD Millions)$177 $148 $168
Contribution margin ($USD Millions)$112 $83 $96

Performance vs S&P Global Consensus (Q3 2025)

MetricStreet ConsensusActualSurprise
Revenue (S&P basis) ($USD Billions)$1.649*$1.696*+$0.047*
Primary EPS ($)$0.048*$0.070*+$0.022*

Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Adjusted revenueQ4 2025N/A$2.1–$2.3B New
Total expenses (consolidated)Q4 2025N/A≈$2.3B incl. $140M one-time and $120M amortization New
Underlying expenses (ex one-time & amort.)Q4 2025N/A≈$2.0B New
Interest expense (unsecured + MSR facilities)Q4 2025N/A~$215M New

Notes: Q4 will fully consolidate Redfin and Mr. Cooper; on a Rocket standalone basis, adjusted revenue at midpoint expected up ~7% YoY .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q1 & Q2 2025)Current Period (Q3 2025)Trend
AI/technology initiativesQ1: Agentic AI for transfer tax, digital refi; Q2: AI banker comms lift +20% follow-ups; EMD agent saves ~20K hours Launched Pipeline Manager (follow-ups +9pts), Purchase Agreement agent (−80% processing time), Broker underwriting agent (<15 min tasks) Expanding scope, measurable conversion/capacity gains
Redfin integrationAnnounced/closed; Rocket Preferred Pricing; synergies targeted; purchase funnel expanding Mortgage attach rate 27%→~40%; >500K pre-qual starts in Sept; 13% of retail purchase closings via Redfin Faster-than-plan synergy realization
Mr. Cooper integration/recaptureAnnounced Q1; targeted close Q4’25 Closed Oct 1; early lead flow (40K by day 9), first close in 3 days; ~$500M synergies planned ($400M cost, $100M revenue) Integration on track; synergy visibility rising
Macro/ratesN/A specific in Q1/Q2 narrative30‑yr fixed dipped to ~6.3% in Sept, triggering refinance wave; Rocket captured share Beneficial rate move leveraged
Regulatory/legalN/AFHFA 20% cap question: management comfortable with growth room; capital/liquidity above requirements Low concern flagged
Cost structure & synergiesRedfin cost synergy plan underway Majority of Redfin’s $140M annual expense synergies executed; Q4 full run-rate; Mr. Cooper $400M expense synergy identified Accelerating synergy capture

Management Commentary

  • “We gained market share, we beat our adjusted revenue guidance, and we brought three public companies together… We are building a vertically integrated homeownership platform for the AI era.” — Varun Krishna, CEO .
  • “Adjusted EBITDA reached $349 million, expanding margins to 20% from 13% the prior quarter… Our guidance beat was driven by a surge in refinance activity as rates moved lower and our execution that drove our market share gains.” — Management remarks .
  • “Mortgage attach rates [Redfin] have climbed from 27% to 40%… In September, over 500,000 Redfin users started applications… 13% of Rocket Mortgage retail purchase closings came from clients who used both Redfin and Rocket.” — Management .
  • “By day nine, 40,000 leads from Mr. Cooper’s servicing book flowed directly into the Rocket pipeline… first Mr. Cooper client closed in just three days.” — Management .

Q&A Highlights

  • Guidance context: Q4 adjusted revenue guide ($2.0–$2.3B inclusive of acquisitions) reflects typical seasonality; Rocket standalone midpoint +~7% YoY; purchase pipeline at record levels .
  • Synergies: Mr. Cooper ~$500M total (≈$400M cost, ≈$100M revenue) with expense items identified; Redfin $140M annual expense synergies largely executed, full run-rate in Q4 .
  • Redfin momentum: Attach rate ~40% vs 27% at close; >500K pre-qual starts in Sept; Rocket Preferred bundle driving adoption; target to integrate more mortgage process into Redfin app .
  • Regulatory cap: Management not concerned about FHFA 20% servicing cap; sufficient capacity to grow within capital/liquidity standards .
  • AI leverage: Digital chat and automation increased banker capacity during September rate dip; production team members can handle 63% more loans vs two years ago; servicing AI roadmap includes Sierra partnership .

Estimates Context

  • Q3 2025 vs S&P Global consensus: Revenue (S&P basis) $1.696B* vs $1.649B* consensus (beat); Primary EPS $0.07* vs $0.048* consensus (beat). Values retrieved from S&P Global.
  • Q4 2025: Company guides adjusted revenue $2.1–$2.3B ; S&P Global revenue consensus for Q4 is ~$2.155B* — guidance range brackets consensus; Values retrieved from S&P Global.
  • Note: Company emphasizes adjusted revenue and adjusted EBITDA in guidance and results ; S&P Global consensus “Revenue” and “EBITDA” may not be directly comparable to company “Adjusted revenue” and “Adjusted EBITDA.” Values retrieved from S&P Global.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Adjusted revenue and EPS beats with margin expansion to ~20% adjusted EBITDA margin; momentum driven by refi surge and share gains .
  • Integration flywheel working: Redfin attach rate nearing 40% and meaningful purchase contribution (13% of DTC closings), plus immediate Mr. Cooper lead recapture — tangible synergy progress .
  • Q4 setup: Guidance $2.1–$2.3B adjusted revenue includes full-quarter Redfin/Mr. Cooper; seasonality offsets some momentum; underlying OpEx ~$2.0B post one-time and amortization charges .
  • KPI strength: Q/Q net rate locks +26% and closed volume +11% with steady 2.80% gain-on-sale margin — positive operating leverage into Q4 .
  • Capital and liquidity robust with upsized revolver and simplified debt; management comfortable regarding regulatory caps; supports execution of synergy and recapture strategy .
  • AI is a real capacity lever: measurable throughput and conversion benefits should underpin structurally lower unit costs and faster response to rate-driven demand spikes .
  • Medium-term thesis: Vertically integrated origination + servicing + real estate platform, enhanced by AI, positions Rocket to outperform across rate cycles; 2026 outlook supported by market growth expectations and synergy run-rate realization .

Additional Detail

  • Liquidity/Balance Sheet: Total liquidity $9.3B at 9/30/25 (cash $5.8B, $1.1B undrawn lines, $2.0B undrawn MSR lines); undrawn lines upsized to $2.3B post-quarter; pro forma available cash ~$4B and total liquidity ~$11B as of Oct 1 with Mr. Cooper .
  • Servicing: UPB $613B, ~2.9M loans; ~ $1.7B annualized servicing fee income .
  • Segment contribution in Q3: DTC adjusted revenue $1,153M and contribution $469M; Partner adjusted revenue $168M and contribution $96M .

Values marked with * retrieved from S&P Global.