Speed to lead may be the most important factor in turning a mortgage lead into an applicant. An omnichannel marketing program, based on stellar mortgage marketing content, will enable lenders to nurture that lead from the application process all the way through closing and beyond.
First things first: What is speed to lead?
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In the mortgage industry, speed to lead refers to how quickly a person who has expressed interest in a mortgage product gets a response from the mortgage broker or loan officer they’ve contacted.
Studies have shown that lenders who respond within the first minute of getting a request for information are almost four times more likely to get the deal. The likelihood drops as the minutes pass. Waiting even five minutes after the request comes in reduces your advantage more than 10 times.
How can a busy lender consistently be that fast?
Whether you’re an independent mortgage broker or any other type of mortgage lender, chances are there’s no time to sit around waiting for leads to come in so you can call them immediately. And what happens if you’re working with one lead when another pops up? Just put them on hold?
Fortunately, you don’t have to be one of the Billboard Guys – those with large marketing budgets and “operators standing by” – to win leads. Options are available for lenders of all sizes. Automated marketing technology through a mortgage CRM tool like Surefire, especially when connected to a POS and PPE like LoanCatcher, solves the problem.
When a mortgage lead form is submitted, the Surefire CRM tool immediately notifies a loan officer. But there’s no need to drop everything. The system immediately places the lead on a workflow appropriate for the interest they express – refi or purchase, for example – and deploys a personalized text or email message. The prospective borrower, who is still excited and maybe nervous about taking such a big step, knows immediately that this is someone who is ready to help.
You’ve won the speed to lead battle. Now what?
Being the first to respond to an inquiry might make a prospect more likely to work with you rather than moving on to the next lender, but it doesn’t close the deal.
Don’t worry. Strong mortgage content will help.
When you choose a strong mortgage CRM like Surefire, you will have access to a full library of mortgage content, including mortgage calculators and loan milestone marketing that will move a prospect through the pipeline to the closing table. Plus, omnichannel marketing materials – ranging from digital messaging to postal mail to closing gifts – will help you engage the borrower where they are and keep them engaged as customers for life.
In fact, a strong mortgage CRM like Surefire will take contacts through the mortgage life cycle time and again, from mortgage lead generation all the way through post-close marketing.
Surefire has helped many mortgage professionals learn how to become a loan officer who closes more loans and keeps a full pipeline based on referrals and marketing automation. Schedule your demo today to see how it’s done.
Brian Larrabee
Content Director
Brian’s entire professional career has centered in real estate. He’s designed, built and brokered homes. He’s provided over half a billion dollars in mortgage loan financing to everyone from first time-buyers to the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies He’s a published author with articles in periodicals,
hedge fund websites and trade publications. Brian has traveled the country and been on broadcast radio to speak in front of hundreds of his industry contemporaries. He’s also created and developed hundreds of educational products from print to digital used throughout the U.S. and beyond, which make the process of buying and financing a home easier for all. Brian is a father, real estate investor, outdoorsman, pilot, skier, golfer and plays ice hockey in several men’s leagues every week of the year.