Advisory approach boosts mortgage satisfaction in 2025

"Mortgage lenders have come to recognize that the more educated their customers are about the details of their mortgage products, the more loyal and lucrative their relationships become, said Bruce Gehrke, senior director of wealth and lending intelligence at J.D. Power. The highest-ranked lenders in today's market aren't just those with the best rates, they're the ones that have perfected hybrid engagement."

"Mortgage lenders that provide guidance or advice received top scores from 79% of their customers, up from 76% in 2024. As a result, customers who rated their lenders highly for guidance were 2.3 times more likely to say they would definitely choose the same lender for future loans. Early engagement with borrowers also contributed to higher satisfaction. Customers reported satisfaction scores 32 points higher when lenders connected with them at the start of the homebuying journey, compared with later engagement."

"The study also found that more than half of customers (54%) are completely comfortable with lenders using artificial intelligence in the mortgage process, and 31% are partially comfortable. But 71% said it is very important for lenders to inform them when AI is being used. The U.S. Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study evaluates overall satisfaction based on six factors: communication, digital channels, level of trust, whether the loan meets the customer's needs, ease of doing business, and the quality of people."

Educating mortgage customers about product details increases loyalty and lifetime value. Lenders that combine high-touch advisor relationships with intelligent digital infrastructure achieve higher rankings than those focused solely on rates. Guidance or advice earned top scores from 79% of customers, and customers who rated guidance highly were 2.3 times more likely to choose the same lender again. Connecting with borrowers at the start of the homebuying journey raised satisfaction by 32 points versus later engagement, while first contact at application lowered satisfaction by 64 points. More than half of customers are completely comfortable with AI use, but 71% want to be informed when AI is used. Data reflect responses from 10,067 originators and refinancers collected between September 2024 and September 2025.

Read at www.housingwire.com