Through Better's Equity Unlocker program, borrowers pay a higher interest rate and Better can seize pledged shares if owners default or try to sell their stock before paying off their mortgages
Founder has been taking a break to 'reflect on his leadership, reconnect with the values that make Better great and work closely with an executive coach'
Company says it's positioned for growth as lenders shift their focus from refinancing mortgages to providing purchase loans
Program launches as Better moves to finalize its bid to become a public company
Better's real estate brokerage subsidiary has largely flown under the radar, but that's about to change as it seeks to become licensed in all 50 states
With $778M in IPO funding, the company also aims to grow its real estate brokerage and title insurance businesses