Digital Media Solutions (DMS) Acquires Best Rate Referrals

CLEARWATER, Fla. - July 18, 2016 - PRLog -- Digital Media Solutions (DMS), an end-to-end solutions provider for brands focused on customer acquisition and retention, has entered the mortgage market through the strategic acquisition of Best Rate Referrals. Founded in 2005, Best Rate Referrals is an award-winning mortgage marketing firm that offers a variety of lead generation solutions and works with some of the top brands within the mortgage industry.

As a result of this acquisition, Best Rate Referrals is now able to tap into the comprehensive suite of DMS resources, comprised of full-service creative, marketing and media solutions, to better serve their current and future mortgage industry clients. "As a company that has been on the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 lists multiple times, we are focused on identifying opportunities that support and enhance our growth. Joining the DMS team marks the transition of Best Rate Referrals into our next chapter," said Raymond Bartreau, CEO and founder of Best Rate Referrals. "Now we can scale our services to enhance the marketing performance of our mortgage industry clients."

DMS is in a period of expansion and has been actively growing its portfolio of brands over the past few years. Specifically aiming to scale high-spend categories through a combination of strategic acquisitions, product development and sales, DMS has been noted for its size and growth on the Inc. 5000 and Florida Fast 100 lists. "We strive to be the best partner for marketers focused on customer acquisition and retention," explained Joe Marinucci, CEO of DMS. "To do that, we need to offer end-to-end solutions across all of the top verticals. Best Rate Referrals is one more piece of this puzzle." Earlier this year, DMS purchased Sparkroom, a leader in performance marketing that provides full-service data-driven marketing and technology solutions. Sparkroom is a cross-vertical solution provider with a strong history in education marketing.

Prior to the acquisition of Best Rate Referrals, the DMS portfolio included both consumer finance and lead generation brands. The acquisition of Best Rate Referrals magnifies both of these categories and positions DMS to support the mortgage industry. Expanding since 2013 due to a combination of economic growth, a strong job market, rising rents and historically low interest rates, the mortgage market is estimated to account for more than 75% of all consumer debt in the U.S. by the end of 2016. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, $1.66 trillion in total mortgage originations are anticipated in 2016, with $970 billion for new purchases and $690 billion for refinances. In 2015, it is estimated that $31.8 billion was spent by the real estate industry and $12.3 billion by mortgage lenders to support marketing efforts.

The Best Rate Referrals senior leadership will remain in their current roles, and the company will maintain its autonomy within the DMS umbrella of brands. The Best Rate Referrals headquarters is relocating from Las Vegas, Nevada to the DMS office in Clearwater, Florida. As a result of this transition, it is expected that new jobs will be created within the Tampa area.

About Best Rate Referrals

Best Rate Referrals supports the marketing efforts of the mortgage industry by offering exclusive and semi-exclusive mortgage leads; highly filtered lists for targeted marketing campaigns; 100% exclusive, pre-qualified, highly interested hot transfer prospects; and complete direct mail solutions including design and fulfillment. The Best Rate Referrals lead generation network of websites includes mortgagehomebase.com, refinance101.com, veteransvaloans.com, reversemortgage.loans and mortgagehomebase.net. Best Rate Referrals is a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). To learn more about Best Rate Referrals, visit www.bestratereferrals.com.

About Digital Media Solutions

Digital Media Solutions (DMS) is an end-to-end customer acquisition and retention solution provider. Using actionable data, insightful analytics and proprietary technology, DMS efficiently and effectively reaches, engages and acquires customers for clients across multiple verticals. The DMS team has expertise across all marketing channels to deliver scalable, repeatable and sustainable results. The company's focus is on high-spend industries including consumer finance, education and healthcare. In 2015, DMS was listed as #742 on the Inc. 5000 list and ranked #5 on the Florida Fast 100. To learn more about DMS, visit www.thedigitalmediasolutions.com.