Case Study: AREC Mortgage Corporation achieves reliable borrower location and expanded microloan access with what3words

Financial inclusion in Mongolia with what3words and AREC Mortgage Corporation

AREC Mortgage Corporation, a microfinance lender in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, faced a major barrier to serving low-income residents in the rapidly growing Ger districts: many homes lack street names or house numbers, making it hard to locate borrowers and document addresses. This exclusion kept large numbers of former herders and other vulnerable families from accessing loans and essential financial services.

AREC began recording what3words 3‑word addresses during home assessments, allowing staff to reliably find and log each borrower’s location—even offline—and to share addresses easily by phone or SMS. The simple, precise addressing system reduced follow‑up uncertainty, streamlined loan paperwork, and enabled more residents of the Ger districts to secure microfinance.

AREC Mortgage Corporation

Oliver Thirlwall

Founder