How Marketing Technology Can Empower Loan Officers in 2025

Should the goal of marketing technology be to ensure that a loan officer never has to log in? Or should LOs be encouraged to use marketing tools as much as possible to help them build their own brand and connections?

I started in the mortgage industry in 2015, working for large banks that had invested heavily in using technology to simplify the lending process for everyone involved. Ordering an appraisal was as easy as pressing a button. The loan terms were discussed via live chat and uploaded to an online portal where employees at another location I had never seen processed them and ensured the terms were met.

While this may have looked efficient on paper, it led to a harsh reality check when I transitioned to producing for an IMB and realized I didn’t know how a loan went from application to closing.

I didn’t understand the difference between an agency guideline and an overlay.

I had no idea what was happening when I clicked “Order Title,” and as a result, I had no relationship with local title companies whatsoever. This was especially problematic because the company I worked for didn’t have an “Order Title” button.

At the time, you might have argued that the entire industry was moving in the direction that the big banks had already implemented: simplifying the lending process at the expense of a comprehensive understanding to reduce errors and lower labor costs.

But fast forward to today, and there are still only a handful of companies capable of that level of loan process simplification. Knowledge of how a mortgage is originated, fulfilled, sold in secondary markets, and serviced remains critical to a mortgage lender that values ​​the ability to hang its license.

These banks have since significantly reduced their role in the mortgage sector. Their approach to production and efficiency has not improved.

Not only did they invest millions in their technology, but they also fostered a culture of fragmented accountability, creating a sales force of LOs who didn’t know enough about the lending process to help customers even if they wanted to.

What can we learn from this as we look to provide originators with the tools they need for success now and in the future? And how can we apply these lessons when deciding which marketing tools to equip LOs with?

First, when it comes to a CRM – the lifeblood of a digitally savvy LO enterprise – we should not choose solutions that minimize LO involvement. When I discuss CRMs with mortgage managers, all too often I hear some variation of the following points:

“Well, the loan officers won’t use it no matter how good it is, so whatever we choose should do everything for them automatically.”

Nowadays, “CRM” encompasses much more than just contact management. Platforms like HubSpot or HighLevel combine CRM features with powerful marketing capabilities, allowing an LO to manage essential aspects of their business from one place.

This type of technology, which empowers loan officers as individual brand owners, is more affordable than ever and is only getting cheaper.

Authenticity and individual connections are valued more by consumers today than since the early days of the Internet.

And yet companies still lean towards the originator’s tendency to want everything done for them automatically.

Rather than assuming that removing LOs from the marketing and communications process is best for manufacturing, we need to provide tools to help manufacturers market themselves effectively – and support this with the training they need to to be able to flourish.

From personal experience, I know that empowering hundreds or thousands of LOs is more challenging than just handling it for them. And yes, a significant portion of initiators, especially those further along in their careers, may prefer to rely on traditional methods until they become outdated.

There’s certainly a reason to offer both a ‘done-for-you’ and a ‘done-with-you’ experience. But don’t be the company that offers an automated solution without support for the next generation of top producers who want more control over their marketing.

The future belongs to those who equip their loan officers not only with tools, but also with the skills to use them to their full potential. Empowerment, not detachment, is the way forward.

Michael McAllister is the president of Empower LO.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial staff and its owners.

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