{"id":62825,"date":"2026-04-18T03:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T01:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/three-lessons-for-mortgage-leaders-right-now\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T03:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T01:00:15","slug":"three-lessons-for-mortgage-leaders-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/ru\/three-lessons-for-mortgage-leaders-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Three lessons for mortgage leaders right now"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I became a grandma recently, which has been equal parts magical \u2026 and also mildly humiliating. Because apparently, everything we did thirty years ago is now wrong. Like, way wrong. I marvel that my daughter survived to age one.<\/p>\n

Put the baby on their stomach? Wrong. Kiss that baby on the face? Not yet, Grandma. Add a blanket and a stuffed animal to the crib? Horrors. Let them cry it out for a few minutes? Essentially a felony.<\/p>\n

I did manage to bite my tongue before saying \u201cBut we did it this way and you turned out ok \u2026\u201d which I\u2019ve learned, is not considered a compelling, data-grounded argument in 2026.<\/p>\n

And honestly?\u00a0 They aren\u2019t wrong.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s parents have more data, more tools, more access to information \u2013 and as a result, they are making different, often better decisions.\u00a0Not because the old ways were foolish or bad \u2026 but because we know more now.<\/p>\n

So it got me thinking.<\/p>\n

If we can see how parenting tactics have evolved with better information and the ability to look back and see what worked well and what didn\u2019t \u2026 why do we still make some of the same mistakes in the mortgage industry that we were making back in 1995?<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing that becoming a grandma (\u201cGigi,\u201d for the record) has reinforced for me, it\u2019s that just because something worked in the past, it doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s still the best way to do it.\u00a0And yet, we cling to our old habits like comfy security blankets.<\/p>\n

Some of that is understandable, as this is a high-stakes business with much on the line, and old habits that have served well over the market cycles are hard to shed. But some of those old ways of thinking may be costing us growth, talent, revenues and relevance. And this market has exposed some of the places where we simply must evolve.<\/p>\n

Here are three places where I think we\u2019re still getting it wrong \u2013 and one where I think we are finally doing it exactly right.<\/p>\n

Over-reliance on top producers instead of building systems<\/h2>\n

We know the stats: 30% of loan officers are doing 70% of the production, year after year (InGenius). So we chase them, give big signing bonuses, build entire strategies around making sure they are happy and never want to leave us. But this isn\u2019t a growth strategy, it\u2019s a dependency. <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong. While I might not have originated enough to be listed in the new HousingWire Mortgage Rankings<\/a>, I was a decent MLO in my own right \u2013 and I have a lot of respect and love for the hard work originators do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But I will suggest that the best companies out there have shifted to creating repeatable systems and best practices \u2013 supported by technology \u2013 that create more consistency and raise up better producers across the board. Think playbooks over personalities. I\u2019ve also found that the best of the best top producers are surprisingly generous, and generally willing to help capture their best practices and habits to help lift others around them.<\/p>\n

Designing around the company rather than the customer<\/h2>\n

Every single mortgage company website says they are customer-centric, customer first, customer is numero uno. But then the processes, tech interfaces and communications are built to make sense for the company, internally. But not externally, to that customer to whom each mortgage company has pledged their undying love and affection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s consumer has an expectation of an easy-to-understand process that helps build understanding and trust \u2013 and when that isn\u2019t delivered, they notice.<\/p>\n

Secret shopping<\/a> results show that the customer experience in mortgage still has a whole lot to be desired. Not to mention the miserable repeat and retention rates that still hover darn close to 18%, according to the MBA. Where is the love, and what to do?<\/p>\n

Test out your process, end to end \u2013 and not with an internal eye, but purely the view from the prospect or customer seat. Secret shop in earnest. Survey your customers. And most importantly, stare your results in the face, and be relentless about not just removing friction points \u2013 but considering the ways you can delight your customer. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Underestimating the speed of technology adoption \u2026 including AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n

AI isn\u2019t coming soon \u2013 it\u2019s here, and it\u2019s already infiltrating many unexpected nooks and crannies of our personal and professional lives. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet I know a lot of brilliant, experienced mortgage professionals, from the executive suite to the front lines, who are simply overwhelmed trying to keep up.<\/p>\n

Last fall, Ruth Porat<\/a>, president and CIO of Google <\/strong>\u0438 Alphabet<\/strong> talked about AI, stating \u201cI think of it as a time where there are two speeds. One is the speed of change, the speed of breakthroughs, the science that we\u2019re seeing, but the other really important part is a slower speed. And that\u2019s the speed of adoption in a truly substantive way so that each one of us can have that economic uplift that AI offers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

So well said \u2013 the pace of innovation is far faster than the speed at which humans can adopt it, and it doesn\u2019t seem to be slowing down any time soon.<\/p>\n

So what are smart lenders doing?\u00a0Starting small, but starting immediately.\u00a0They are building internal AI task forces that include participants from each major department \u2013 both to watch for unintended consequences, help find adoption best practices, and to create internal champions to help buy-in across the company. They are focusing on applications that support and serve their staff, not replacing them. That day will come and not just in mortgage, but that\u2019s a topic for a different day. \u00a0<\/p>\n

And \u2026 have patience. Many employees are wildly stressed by technology change, particularly AI. Take adequate time to help them understand the why, learn and adopt.<\/p>\n

So what are we getting right?<\/h2>\n

This challenging market that seems never-ending has driven us to question everything. And this is a very good thing. Putting everything on the table and questioning if there is a better way. Pushing back on long held assumptions that things need to be done this way \u2026 because it\u2019s always been done this way. Developing an openness to new technologies, new partnerships, new ways of working. A willingness to embrace data and take significant action. Making daily learning and listening a must do, not a sometimes do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Attending industry events and not just sitting in the sessions scrolling on our phones, but intentionally bringing meaningful strategic learnings and actions back to the team. Learning from the past and what worked well but actively questioning, seeking out and embracing the new.<\/p>\n

So 30 years ago, we did our best with what we knew at the time \u2013 and we and our children and our industry amazingly survived. But it turns out that \u201cwe\u2019ve always done it this way and survived\u201d isn\u2019t really a great strategy, in parenting or in the mortgage industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A new generation can make different choices, building on what we did in the past, with better information, tools, technology, data and insights. It\u2019s not a rejection of the past, but it is wisely and continually building on it. Growth will come from a willingness to question, tweak, learn, measure, adjust and keep trying. And for us old dogs, being willing to admit that in plenty of cases, the new ways are actually much better.<\/p>\n

Even if it means that from time to time, this Grandma will have to keep her parenting opinions to herself.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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