After recently touting the cost savings it expects artificial intelligence to deliver, mortgage lender Newrez announced the launch of an AI-backed borrower-assistance tool within ChatGPT. 

Dubbed Rezi Mortgage Assistant, the lender's large language-model guide sits squarely within OpenAI's generative chatbot platform. Output from the assistant is based on Newrez's internal underwriting guidelines and lending policies, allowing for tailored responses to an individual borrower's mortgage- or home equity-related questions, company leaders said.  

"We built Rezi Mortgage Assistant to bring clear, Newrez-specific mortgage guidance directly into the platform where millions of consumers already go for answers," said chief information officer Brian Woodring in a press release. 

"By applying our actual underwriting and lending logic inside ChatGPT, we're giving borrowers an accessible way to learn without pressure," he added. 

Currently available in the GPT Store, Rezi Mortgage Assistant responds in a conversational manner and gives borrowers the flexibility to explore the mortgage process at any hour of the day. It also is aimed at easing perceived sales pressure and the need for any forms or phone calls until customers are ready to move forward. 

"It helps demystify the mortgage process and removes friction by giving borrowers relevant answers from the start, allowing them to learn on their own terms," chief commercial officer Leslie Gillin remarked. 

Rezi Mortgage Assistant launches at the same time Americans increasingly demonstrate their willingness to consult artificial intelligence for financial guidance, according to a recent study from TD Bank.   

Fifty-five percent of consumers this year said they now turn to tools, like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Anthropic's Claude, to help with financial management, with sentiment leaping from just a 10% share in 2025. Generation Z and millennials were most likely to utilize the platforms, with more than 70% of both groups tapping into the technology's financial expertise. While smaller, the share of Generation X and baby boomers seeking assistance from AI is also trending upward. 

Newrez investments into AI

The move is the latest AI development to come out of the Fort Washington, Pennsylvania-based mortgage subsidiary of Rithm Capital this year and arrives just weeks after it reported positive first-quarter earnings.

During the earnings call, Newrez President Baron Silverstein explained how artificial technology was turning into a winning strategy driving growth, with AI advancements expected to bring significant returns on investment, including an eventual 15% reduction in loan production costs. 

Earlier this year, the company announced a strategic investment in the AI-backed underwriting software firm HomeVision, with co-developed tools planned for rollout later this quarter. The ChatGPT deal also comes after Newrez's parent, Rithm Capital, struck an agreement in February for a minority ownership stake in servicing software firm Valon, with the lender planning to move its loans onto the former's AI-backed platform in early 2027.

Last week, Valon Mortgage announced it agreed to merger terms with Carrington Mortgage Services. Valon's new partnership with Carrington would have no impact on the Rithm announcement, a spokesperson from the latter company said this week. 

OpenAI's growing presence in mortgage today

Although Newrez may be one of the first top players to offer a consumer-facing GPT tool, OpenAI has previously reached cooperation agreements with other major lenders, assisting them in their efficiency efforts. 

Last summer, executives at Fairway Home Mortgage said the company would partner with OpenAI, making use of generative artificial intelligence software to quickly analyze and process data for loan officers. The decision to work with the Sam Altman-led company would allow LOs to shift more of their focus to serving customers, Fairway said. 

In March, Better Home and Finance unveiled a newly created integration to easily connect ChatGPT enterprise customers to its Tinman loan origination system. The link allows lenders to expedite underwriting and processing by providing AI access to guidelines, pricing and customer relationship management data held within the LOS.