The History of RP Funding

As the American housing market collapsed, mortgage companies were going out of business left and right. Out of a job, Robert Palmer aspired to create a direct mortgage lender that put consumers first. While it would be one of the biggest risks of his life, it was also an opportunity for a fresh start—not just for himself, but for the mortgage industry, as a whole.

Launched in Orlando, Florida during one of the worst times for the mortgage industry, RP Funding stood apart from the competition with the focus on keeping money in customers’ pockets, not its own. While competitors chose to charge clients for credit checks, applications, documentation, and more, RP Funding believed unnecessary fees had no place in the process. This belief gave birth to the notion of never charging lender fees.

RP Funding continued to further the goal of earning business while saving consumers money. In addition to the “We Pay Your Lender Junk Fees” promise, RP Funding developed a unique business structure that enabled all loans to be underwritten, closed, and funded in-house—allowing the company to save even more by eliminating middlemen.

Instead of profiting from those savings, Robert Palmer reinvested every penny into extensive and innovative marketing campaigns to help advertise the consumer savings offered by RP Funding. His venture worked, resulting in a Super Bowl ad and dynamic growth that established RP Funding as a lending firm that customers could recognize and trust.

After several years of growing RP Funding into one of the top lenders in Central Florida, Owner and CEO Robert Palmer was awarded the Orlando Business Journal's Outstanding Small Business and Small Business Executive of the Year awards, named as one of Orlando’s 40 Under 40, and selected as one of Governor Rick Scott’s top Innovators Under 40 for his role in job creation in Florida.

More achievements followed as RP Funding was ranked Florida's 17th fastest growing company in the Florida Fast 100, and 75th nationally in the Inc. 500 | 5000 list in Financial Services for their continued growth and revenue creation. The company was also recognized for their continued support of the Special Olympics by receiving the 2013 Spirit Award from Special Olympics Florida. The same year, Robert Palmer was personally honored as a top business professional by the Orlando Business Journal's 40 under 40, and recognized for keeping the economy moving forward as an Inc. Hire Power Honoree.

Initiated as a temporary trial promotion, RP Funding offered to pay Closing Costs for eligible consumers looking to refinance their home loan. Now a permanent fixture, the Closing Cost Refinance Program has since paid over $30 million in refinancing closing costs for qualified clients of RP Funding. During this period, RP Funding committed to being involved in the local real estate communities with their Diamond Partnership with the Orlando Regional Realtors Association.

In October of 2015, RP Funding made history by closing one of the nation’s first home loans under the new TRID regulations—in just 10 days! Later that same month, RP Funding Lakeland opened its doors becoming the second location for the company’s direct mortgage lending services and serving as a homecoming for CEO Robert Palmer.

RP Funding Jacksonville became the third branch to provide homebuyers with the best deals in home financing when it opened its doors in the fall of 2016.

Robert Palmer’s hard work and determination came full circle as he was honored as the title sponsor of the RP Funding Center in Lakeland—the very same building he sat in for his high school graduation. RP Funding was once again ranked on the coveted Inc. 5000 list, this time placing at No. 1139 among the fastest-growing businesses in the nation. The same year, RP Funding was named as one of the Orlando Business Journal’s Fast 50, and Robert Palmer was personally inducted into the Mid-Florida Business Hall of Fame as an Entrepreneurial Vanguard by Junior Achievement of Central Florida.

RP Funding launches Closing Costs Programs allowing customers to reinvest their closing cost savings into buying down their interest rate.