Real estate portal to connect high-intent homebuyers directly with Lower's loan officers
Digital mortgage lender Lower has acquired Movoto, a real estate search portal, in a strategic move aimed at building an integrated homeownership platform and accelerating its national expansion.
Movoto, which recorded over 150 million visits in 2024, connects consumers with local real estate agents and was previously owned by OJO Labs. The acquisition enables Lower to connect these agents with its network of loan officers, forming what the company describes as an end-to-end service model for homebuyers.
Buyers on Movoto.com will now have access to Lower's local loan officers earlier in their home search process. The company says the integration is designed to support buyers as they make decisions about affordability and location, while also routing motivated leads directly to loan officers and agents.
Lower CEO Dan Snyder said combining a consumer-facing real estate portal with lending services is a step toward creating a unified homeownership experience.
"Acquiring Movoto strengthens our position as the challenger platform," Snyder said in a press release, noting the company's goal is to expand market share through localized, tech-enabled services.
Movoto CEO John Berkowitz will remain with the combined company as president of real estate. He said the goal is to improve consumer support throughout the real estate process, contrasting Lower’s approach with other large portals that focus on lead generation without facilitating full transaction support.
According to Lower, the acquisition provides a direct pipeline of purchase-ready buyers to its originators and affiliated real estate agents. Craig Montgomery, chief strategy officer and head of retail, said that real-time opportunities from the Movoto platform will allow loan officers to focus on client relationships rather than lead generation.
Adam Wiener, president of Lower and a former Redfin executive, said the company intends to engage clients across the full homeownership cycle, from initial search to eventual resale, leveraging Movoto’s traffic to drive repeat engagement.
The combined company now employs more than 1,000 people, with offices in Columbus, Ohio, and Austin, Texas. Movoto will be rebranded under the Lower name following the closing of the deal. Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to OJO Labs in the transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In recent months, Lower launched its proprietary LowerOS mortgage platform and acquired Neat Labs, positioning itself as a broader fintech operation.
Founded in 2014, Lower operates through a digital platform and a retail branch network. It is backed by Accel Partners, SoFi, and Veritex Bank.
Movoto, prior to the acquisition, operated as a technology company under OJO Labs, offering property search tools and consumer-agent matching services.
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