Ep #69: Embracing the Digital Mortgage Consumer

Sue Woodard and Geoff discuss why 2018 is a tipping point year for mortgage originators, covering the multi-app consumer problem, the shift to purchase market dynamics, and how to compete by combining automation with a strong personal brand. Best for veterans who feel their habits are stale and LOs trying to connect with millennial buyers.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Ask every new borrower at application: 'What is your preferred method of communication — call, text, email?' Then document it and use that channel exclusively for that client.
• Repeat your core marketing message at least 9 times before assuming your audience has heard it. Pick 2-3 messages max and run them far longer than feels comfortable — frequency builds familiarity, familiarity builds trust.
• Ask 3 people in your network right now: 'If you had to describe me in three words, what would they be?' Use their answers to audit whether your intended personal brand matches how you actually show up.
• Build an intentional personal board of directors: identify 8 people (don't tell them) who think differently than you and will give honest, critical feedback — not just cheerleaders.
• Set a public accountability goal on STICKK.com (free): name your specific target, assign a referee to verify completion, and designate a cause you strongly oppose as the recipient of your money if you fail.
• Integrate a cause into your visible personal brand — millennials actively choose lenders who stand for something. Pick a cause that genuinely intersects your personal values and your work (e.g., youth homelessness, affordable housing) and mention it consistently in your social presence and client conversations.

The playbook

1. 1. Identify your preferred communication channels to offer clients: phone, text, email, video call — pick a manageable standard set.
2. 2. At application intake, ask the client their preferred channel and log it in your CRM.
3. 3. Automate all status updates, document requests, and pipeline nurture touches through your platform (e.g., Total Expert) so they happen without manual effort.
4. 4. Use automation to flag the moments requiring human intervention — the system pings you to call, text, or meet at the right time.
5. 5. Reserve your personal energy for high-value human touchpoints: pre-approval consultation, rate lock decision, closing day follow-up.

Worth quoting

“Frequency brings familiarity and familiarity brings trust.”

“Your most important job is to be the head marketer for the brand called you.”

Best for

LOs with 10+ years of experience who know they need to modernize their client experience but aren't sure where technology ends and human connection should begin.