Technology is revolutionizing the mortgage industry by giving lenders new ways to streamline and enhance their processes. This not only gives them competitive advantages in an increasingly crowded market, but it also results in improved customer experiences.
Technology plays an integral role in the mortgage process, yet integration can be challenging without a clear strategy. Many lending institutions have yet to figure out how best to use their systems for efficiency gains or customer needs fulfillment.
Home Loan Technology
Technology has revolutionized nearly every industry, and the mortgage industry is no exception. As new players enter the market with innovative ideas for improving home loan experiences, we are witnessing massive transformation in this space.
Traditional lenders have been slow to adopt digital processes, but are now realizing the value of investing in the latest tools. These innovations can simplify the mortgage process, save them money and boost customer satisfaction levels.
Lenders must implement these tools to meet their customers’ expectations, yet they also need to consider the following challenges on their digital transformation journey:
Speed Issues: The mortgage process can be lengthy, taking weeks or months for a loan to close. Fortunately, new solutions that enable customers to upload files and complete documents online significantly reduce time and effort required for this step.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation can be employed to eliminate human error and reduce staff hours and costs. This also assists borrowers in getting their loans processed faster, leading to higher satisfaction levels for them.
Millennials are the largest demographic among homebuyers, and they’re demanding a completely digital mortgage experience. They want to apply online and have their loan approved within minutes.
Non-bank lenders are now enjoying greater market share than ever, due to their lower fees and higher rates that rival banks’. Not only can these providers provide a better home buying experience for customers, but their recommendations are unbiased which may lead to greater borrower satisfaction as well.
Smart lenders are taking advantage of this chance to compete on price, service and customer experience. Furthermore, they’re using technology to target ads specifically at certain audiences.
Additionally, they’re taking advantage of APIs to connect multiple systems and applications. This creates a technological ecosystem that facilitates automated communication between these platforms.
The digital transformation of the mortgage industry shows no signs of abating, which is encouraging for astute lenders. Those willing to invest time and energy into adopting new tools will reap rewards such as improved customer satisfaction and more profitable businesses.
Digital Mortgage Process
The mortgage industry is experiencing a major transformation, shifting from paper-based systems to fully digital experiences. This transformation has been enabled by numerous technological advances that make home loan transactions faster, cheaper and simpler for both lenders and borrowers.
Technology continues to advance at an accelerating rate, making it more and more important for lenders to evaluate their current processes. Utilizing new technologies can improve customer experience and maximize return on investment for lenders.
Digital mortgage platforms enable customers to complete an application online and upload any necessary documents for processing. Furthermore, these software packages automate many tasks that once took hours for a loan officer to accomplish.
Another key benefit of digitizing mortgage processes is that they offer a unified experience for all parties involved in the transaction – lender, borrower and any third parties such as title companies, real estate agents or notaries.
Cheryl Chiodi, director of industry marketing for financial services at ABBYY, states that a lack of unified systems often results in inefficiencies and customer dissatisfaction. Employees must input data into multiple systems and search physical copies of documents for information, making the process slower and more time-consuming for both staff members and customers alike.
Additionally, employees are hindered from providing superior customer service when they can’t quickly access a centralized source of documentation or follow a borrower through the process. These issues may lead to missed chances to develop relationships with borrowers and generate repeat/referral business for lenders.
Moreover, the industry is highly regulated, necessitating institutions to exercise caution when it comes to innovation and the adoption of new technology. This is especially true for AI-based credit underwriting models which need extra scrutiny from legal and compliance teams.
Automating the mortgage application process through automation allows lenders to maximize efficiency and scaleability. This becomes especially crucial as the volume of applications increases. Not only will this save them time, money and resources – it provides a superior experience for customers as well as employees.
Customer Experience
The mortgage industry is highly competitive, dominated by non-bank players that are driving innovation and customer centricity forward. Traditional lenders face mounting pressure from regulators and consumer advocates who are advocating for change. This volatile environment has forced some to rethink their strategies and take the initiative.
According to a recent Gallup survey, customer experience is the single most important differentiator for mortgage companies in an increasingly commoditized market. This includes speed of processes, assurance, transparency and simplicity in operations.
Customers of all ages desire a mortgage experience that provides them with satisfaction and leaves them feeling like their money is well-managed. To achieve this, lenders must understand what drives customers and provide a digital experience tailored to meet the needs of each individual during every stage of their financial journey.
Acing Customer Experience correctly involves more than just marketing or implementing new technologies; it requires an integrated strategy that begins with clarifying and supporting core values throughout the organization. Furthermore, effective collaboration across departments and a shared responsibility must take place to guarantee CX becomes part of everyone’s culture from top to bottom.
This strategy can help you avoid costly and time-consuming losses while cultivating loyalty among your customers. Furthermore, it helps lower churn rates – an integral factor in any company’s profitability – which are crucial indicators.
A successful mortgage customer experience relies on communication and digital tools that simplify and streamline the process, giving consumers a sense of control over their finances and making it simpler for them to find and qualify for a home loan. This includes offering personalized service tailored to each individual’s needs, using educational resources that make them aware of available products, as well as keeping them informed regarding the progress of their application.
Additionally, digital processes should be utilized that minimize excessive document requests and the submission of multiple applications for multiple products. Doing this will save lenders both time and resources.
Many lenders are adopting digital mortgage processes that make life easier for their customers. These include instant KYC document sharing, eforms, and digital signatures.
Communication
The mortgage industry is facing major transformations in terms of technology, processes and customer experience. This is largely due to the Great Recession and subsequent national banking crisis which placed additional regulatory demands on lenders.
Lenders and mortgage services providers have been forced to find ways to stay competitive while providing better, more efficient, and higher-quality service. One such solution is improving communication with borrowers.
Studies have demonstrated that a lack of communication can significantly lower the Net Promoter Score (NPS) a lender. This is especially true for borrowers who do not receive frequent emails or phone calls during the loan process.
Thankfully, lenders now have many solutions to stay connected to borrowers and referral sources throughout the mortgage life cycle. This is an essential step in building trust, confidence, and loyalty between all parties involved – customers and referral sources alike.
By leveraging digital platforms, lenders can craft personalized and pertinent communications for their clients. For instance, providing a monthly newsletter with an overview of financial market impacts is one way to strengthen a client’s connection with the lender and assure them that their loan is in excellent hands.
Additionally, automated communication keeps borrowers updated about their loan status and when they might hear back from the lender. Ultimately, this leads to greater consumer satisfaction and a better reputation for the lender.
Brokers and loan processors can benefit by freeing up time to focus on other aspects of their businesses such as sales or strategy. Low-code technology helps them streamline workflows and eliminate tedious tasks like data entry or record keeping.
Low-code systems reduce the potential risk of human error and slowness associated with manual spreadsheets and legacy databases. Furthermore, low-code systems provide intuitive interfaces and dashboards so brokers and loan processors can stay abreast of their processes at all times.
These tools also help reduce the expense of training employees and retaining them. Employee retention is one of the biggest challenges facing mortgage companies today.
