In private lending, every lender competes on rates, speed, and service. RCN Capital's Executive Advantage Program cuts through with something more concrete, a tiered rewards structure that has grown from its correspondent lending roots to include brokers for the first time. The program's evolution signals a deliberate strategic shift: building lasting broker relationships rather than competing for one-off deals.
The EAP is a tiered rewards structure for brokers and correspondent lenders who close loans with RCN Capital. Entry thresholds are set low deliberately, so that a one-person shop or a newly onboarded broker can qualify at the base level. Rewards are additive, coming directly from RCN and bypassing existing commission structures entirely. Nothing is passed to the end client. Alan Johnson, director of partnerships at RCN Capital, says the expansion reflects a broader strategic shift. "Our partners are always looking for an edge for themselves and their clients," he says. "As we move to a more wholesale lending platform, we wanted to incentivize our brokers and correspondent lenders to partner with RCN more often."
The original EAP was built for correspondent partners. It was well received but drew pushback on its complexity. Too many metrics, too much reporting, and time-to-close calculations made it difficult for participants to know where they stood. RCN responded by moving to a fully volume-based model. That change also opened the door to broker participation. Johnson says the earlier version tried to do more than it needed to. "This time around, we really wanted to encompass more of our clients. Not a ranking base, not who is better or who did more to only incentivize the top 30 or 40. Every single one has the ability to achieve it, regardless of where they rank amongst their peers at RCN. It's so much more inclusive and easy to understand."
Quarterly payouts put money in partners' hands right away. Erica Sikoski, wholesale marketing director at RCN Capital, says the timing matters more than it might appear. Funds paid each quarter can go toward marketing budgets for more leads, toward hiring processors, or toward expanding loan officer teams. "All of that comes back around and helps them hit the next tier," she notes. Real-time recognition also changes how partners relate to the program. "Now participants can celebrate as soon as they hit a tier without having to wait and be told at the end of a quarter that they reached it," Sikoski explains. "That really emphasizes that partnership model that we're working towards."
RCN runs separate feedback surveys throughout the year for both correspondent lenders and brokers. Those surveys ask how the lender is performing and what can improve. The shift from a multi-metric model to a volume-only structure came directly out of that process. Sikoski says listening is built into how the company operates, and the lender intends to revisit the EAP once brokers share their experience with it. "We really love listening," she says. "One of the big outcomes of that process was how we could evolve this program to not only make it easier to obtain and track, but to include our broker clients as well."
The EAP sits inside a wider support structure. The Accelerated Launch Program is designed to get new brokers producing within their first 90 days. Amplify, RCN's self-paced training platform, covers DSCR, processing, and platform use, giving partners the knowledge base to grow at their own pace. For correspondent lenders specifically, mastermind strategy calls with RCN's upper management add one-on-one strategic depth. Sikoski says the goal is growth past the rate conversation. "What really resonates is helping them grow beyond just the rate talk. Incentives are tools in our toolbox, alongside education, technology, and marketing resources, to do that. If you're working with RCN, we want to reward that and help you grow alongside us."
Mordor Intelligence forecasts the US mortgage broker market will grow from $7.62 billion in 2025 to $9.88 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 4.42 percent. The Mortgage Bankers Association projected total single-family mortgage origination volume would reach $2.2 trillion in 2026, up from $2.0 trillion in 2025. Fix-and-flip activity is rising too. A February 2026 survey by John Burns Research and Consulting and Kiavi found that 71 percent of active fix-and-flip investors expect to purchase more properties in 2026 than in 2025. That share is the highest in the survey's four-year history. More analysis of the private lending market is available in MPA's premium reports.
RCN tracks engagement signals on the broker side: activity on Amplify, meetings scheduled with the lead development team, deals priced in the loan calculator, and rising application volumes. A broker who doubles volume within a quarter signals early success. A correspondent lender who re-tiers in three months rather than six shows something similar. Success, ultimately, means RCN becoming a partner's primary lender. "The biggest reward a broker can receive from the program is that partnership," Johnson says. "We're hoping when people hear about this program, they'll start thinking more relationship rather than transactional. That's the whole point." Sikoski adds: "An ideal partner is somebody who's engaged and consistently trying to work and adapt with us. It's about longevity." Share this article on Facebook or X.
Alan Johnson: director of partnerships, RCN Capital; leads broker and correspondent lender partnerships.
Erica Sikoski: wholesale marketing director, RCN Capital; oversees broker marketing and program development.