What does Lower need to accomplish over the next three years?
For Chelsea Wagner, executive vice president of revenue at Lower, the answer starts with growth, but it quickly turns to execution.
Wagner, an industry leader who was recognized as one of HousingWire’s 2025 rising stars, said the company’s priorities are clear. “What we really need to do is gain market share and really find the competitive edge of where Lower’s gonna play in the market.”
Learn more about Wagner's vision for Lower's future in the video below.
“The Next Three Will Really be About Execution”
Wagner said Lower is operating in an “ever-changing environment” shaped by interest rates, affordability pressures, inventory constraints and other market forces.
“There’s so many external factors that play into how we need to operate this business,” she said.
But she argued that Lower has already shown it can adapt.
“One thing I’ve always loved so much about Lower and respected about our organization is our ability to pivot and take advantage of that and really make sure that we’re positioned to excel in any market,” Wagner said. “I think we’ve proven that over the last few years. So the next three will really be about execution.”
That emphasis on execution, she said, is what will determine whether Lower can translate ambition into market share.
Building Out Consumer Direct
Wagner said one of the company’s three main focus areas is “really building out our consumer direct channel.”
She said building a seamless online experience is key to that effort. It will also involve partnerships and a more deliberate acquisition strategy.
“A big piece of that is gonna be focused on our corporate partnerships, injecting ourselves into organizations, ultimately helping those customers and finding them and being really strategic about how we diversify and rethink our acquisition strategy,” she said.
In Wagner’s view, that work is central to building a more effective digital business.
“It is going to be really important to build a state-of-the-art and ridiculously effective online consumer business,” she said.
Boosting Retail with Movoto
Retail remains a key part of Lower’s identity and long-term strategy moving forward, Wagner said.
She tied that opportunity directly to Lower’s recent acquisition of Movoto, a top 5 U.S. real estate platform. That acquisition is part of Lower’s effort to create a modern one-stop shop for homeownership.
“We have a serious advantage and a really huge opportunity with our recent acquisition of Movoto,” Wagner said.
“Blending Technology with a Handshake”
Technology has always been a core aspect of Lower’s strategy, and Wagner said that will continue to be the case going forward.
Wagner said Lower has long described its approach as “blending technology with a handshake.”
She said the company wants to use technology to support both customers and employees, while preserving the human element of the business.
That means “building technology to support both our customer and our team members so they can then go do what only humans can do,” Wagner said.
The goal is to use technology to help human experts do what they do best, she said.
“We want to be able to build tech in a way that does not replace our humans whatsoever,” she said.
Instead, Wagner said Lower wants its systems to make employees more effective by freeing them to focus on relationships and business development.
“They can be out in the field, they can be face to face with customers, they can be talking to customers, they can be talking to real estate agents, partners, whatever it is that ultimately is growing our business,” she said. “They can do what they do best while we are building behind the scenes to ultimately support that.”.
Becoming a Household Name
Wagner said the company’s broader ambition is to become a widely recognized brand across lending.
“We want to grow into a household name,” she said. “We want to be the true go-to for all lending needs.”
But she argued that ambition alone is not enough. The real differentiator, she said, is whether a company can execute consistently.
“What really differentiates people from gathering market share and becoming that household name is execution,” Wagner said.
She added that there is no shortage of ideas in business. The challenge is turning them into reality.
“We can talk about all day, like the best customer experience, let’s have the easiest platform, let’s be the best place to work. That’s all great,” she said. “I think there’s never a shortage of ideas out there, but how do we actually bring that to life? How do we execute that? And then how do we genuinely deliver on it?”
She said execution matters “as an organization for the people that work here and have chosen to build their careers here and support their families here.”
It also matters, she said, “for our customers that trust us with one of their largest financial assets and one of the biggest purchases they’ll make in their life.”
That dual focus helps explain why she returned repeatedly to experience and delivery rather than just growth targets.
“It All Comes Down To” Customer Experience
In the end, Wagner said the throughline across Lower’s strategy is the customer experience.
“I think a lot of that comes down to just honestly being obsessed at every level with the customer experience,” she said. “And it all comes down to that.”
