Mortgage Broker Inbound Document Management

Mortgage brokers play an essential role in helping borrowers secure home financing. However, managing documents and paperwork can be overwhelming, especially for brokers who handle a high volume of consumers. This is where inbound document management comes in.

What is inbound mortgage document handling?

Effective document management is critical to ensuring that mortgage brokers can process loan applications quickly and efficiently while maintaining the security and confidentiality of their client’s personal information. Inbound document management refers to receiving, organizing, and storing documents that come into a mortgage broker’s office. These documents include loan applications, tax returns, bank statements, and employment records.

Inbound Mortgage Document Handling Strategies

Consider a digital-first strategy.

Starting digital saves a tremendous amount of energy and effort. Some mortgage brokers offer digital-only experiences to control document flow into the office. This reduces the chance of lost documentation and makes document classification easier. Better document management can avoid losing critical paperwork that could lead to mistakes in closing cost fee calculations and result in costly fee cures.

Create a Centralized Document Repository

The first step in effective document management is to create a centralized repository where all documents can be stored. This can be a physical or digital storage room like Dropbox or Google Drive. The key is to have a single location where all documents can be accessed and managed. Ideally, these documents are easily accessed from your Loan Origination System (LOS).

Establish clear procedures for document handling.

Once you have a centralized repository, it’s important to establish clear procedures for how documents are handled. This can include guidelines for how documents are received, who has access to them, and how they are organized and stored.

Implement a Document Scanning System

While the best methods involve a digital-first document upload strategy, in some cases, paper is inevitable. Scanning paper documents into a digital format can be time-consuming, but it’s essential for efficient document management. A document scanning system can help streamline this process and ensure all documents are stored in a digital format.

Ideally, your workflow management allows access to these documents directly from the tools required to finish the origination process. This means quick checks, like document legibility, should occur in the mortgage software (like the Broker LOS) the mortgage broker already uses.

Use document management software.

Many document management software solutions are available to help mortgage brokers manage their documents more effectively. These solutions can help automate document processing, provide secure access to documents, and track document workflows.

Some Mortgage Broker technology solutions significantly improve outcomes with documents by streamlining the classification and storage from the outset of the process. For example, LoanCatcher by Black Knight is a broker LOS that will capture documents using an advanced POS to aid in classification. In addition, all documents are automatically converted to PDF and made available as a single upload package for lenders.

Train staff on document management best practices.

Finally, training all staff on document management best practices is essential. This includes everything from handling documents securely to organizing and storing documents in the centralized repository properly. Using software such as a borrower and loan officer-friendly POS can significantly reduce document collection training and automate some of the procedures related to document handling.

Conclusion

Effective document management is essential for mortgage brokers who want to provide their clients with the best possible service. By implementing these tips and best practices, brokers can streamline their document management processes and ensure that loan applications are processed quickly and efficiently while maintaining the security and confidentiality of their client’s personal information.