Doug Lebda, Founder and CEO of LendingTree, Inc. Named "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year"

Business Wire, June 26, 2000

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CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2000

Ernst & Young recognized Doug Lebda, founder and CEO of LendingTree, Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE), as a Year 2000 Entrepreneur Of The Year(R)for the Carolinas. The honor was conferred on to LendingTree's founder and CEO at a black-tie banquet in downtown Charlotte on Friday, June 23.

"It is an honor to be recognized amongst such a distinguished group of entrepreneurs," said Mr. Lebda, who took LendingTree public in February of 2000. "I could not have achieved this goal without all of the hard work and dedication of the entire LendingTree team."

Mr. Lebda will now advance to Ernst & Young's National Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards competition. All National Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists and award recipients will be announced at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year International Conference in Palm Springs, Calif., on November 11, 2000. Mr. Lebda is now a lifetime member of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame.

LendingTree Inc is a leading online loan marketplace and loan exchange technology provider, and was founded in 1996 by Mr. Lebda. The company's unique business model and technology empowers both borrowers and lenders in the lending process. Consumer can come to the LendingTree Marketplace at www.lendingtree.com, which enjoys the participation of more than 100 banks and lenders, and fill out one simple loan request for a home mortgage, home equity, automobile financing, personal loan, credit card or business loan. Qualified consumers receive multiple loan offers in response to a single loan request within 24 hours. Banks, lenders and industry-leading Internet companies such as priceline.com, S1 Corporation, CNBC.com, and Wachovia have chosen LendingTree's powerful loan exchange technology, Lend-X, to power their online lending initiatives.

LendingTree Facts and Figures

LendingTree has more than 100 banks and lenders in the LendingTree marketplace at www.lendingtree.com. 15 of the top 25 national banks are either in the LendingTree marketplace or use LendingTree's loan exchange technology, Lend-X, to power their online loan resources.

50% of Gomez Advisor's top ranked online loan mortgage sites are also in the LendingTree marketplace. More than one million consumers have come to LendingTree to obtain a home mortgage, home equity, automobile financing, personal loan or credit card.

LendingTree's Lend-X technology supports not only the online loan marketplace at www.lendingtree.com, but the online loan resources for other well-known financial, e-commerce, and Internet companies such as S1 Corporation, priceline.com, CNBC.com, AutobyTel.com, MSN Money Central, and Wachovia.

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program is nationally sponsored by USA Today, CNNfn and CNN, the Nasdaq Stock Market, and the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, as well as local sponsors, Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP and The Business Journals of North Carolina.

About LendingTree, Inc.

LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the Internet-based loan marketplace for consumers and lenders. LendingTree collects consumer credit requests and compares those requests and related credit information to the underwriting criteria of more than 100 participating lenders in the LendingTree marketplace. Consumers can receive multiple offers in response to a single loan request within hours and then compare, review and accept the loan offer that best suits their needs. Lenders can generate new business that meets their specific underwriting criteria at reduced acquisition costs. The LendingTree Marketplace encompasses most consumer credit categories, including mortgages, home equity loans, automobile loans, credit cards, personal loans and provides access to small business loans. For more information, please visit www.lendingtree.com or call 704-541-5351.

About Lend-X(sm)

Lend-Xsm is LendingTree's online loan exchange technology that enables B2B clients to quickly and easily embed a customized private label or co-branded loan marketplace into their site. Lend-Xsm technology provides a fast, adaptable and reliable online lending solution for lenders and non-lenders alike with valuable access to LendingTree's online lending exchange of more than 100 banks and lenders. Lend-Xsm currently powers more than 20 companies' loan exchange systems including S1 corporation, priceline.com, MSN MoneyCentral, CNBC.com, AutobyTel.com, Wachovia, PNC, Fleet Bank, Citizens Bank and Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward looking statements. For a detailed discussion of these cautionary statements, risk factors and uncertainties please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.