Owning a home is the American dream. So why has the mortgage process always been such a nightmare?
For agents, coaching buyers through the mortgage process requires their own special skill set. It can add stress, extra communication, and unexpected delays, all while you’re also ensuring appraisals, inspections, and title are clear to close. Needless to say, the mortgage experience can often feel like a nightmare for the buyer and their agent — and a long one at that.
Meanwhile, modern homebuyers expect a faster, more tech-forward approach. While 97% of Americans own a smartphone and 82% of households are Amazon Prime members, it still takes an average of 51 days to close a mortgage. After finding a home and locking in a rate, buyers spend weeks in limbo, not sure if the loan will fall through at the last second. These kinds of last-minute curveballs are terrible for buyers and agents alike — causing delays, extra costs, and in the worst-case scenarios, losing out on the house.
Sure, location is still important. But, we hear from agents across the country that the new top 3 rules of real estate are: Speed. Speed. Speed.
According to Bankrate, millennials are now the largest demographic of homebuyers of any generation. And they don’t want to close on a home in 51 days — they expect things now. And the expectation is reflected in the rise of more digital lenders than ever before. The best digital lenders can now match the experience of working with an expert team at a traditional lender, while also offering tools and technology to give agents and their buyers an edge in the buying process. Talk about a win-win.
“The Jason Mitchell Group embraced the real estate innovation wave years ago by growing our relationship with digital lenders like Better,” reports Jason Mitchell, founder of The Jason Mitchell Group, a RealTrends top 5 ranked Mega Team. “We understand that adjusting our approach to what the customer expects is how we maintain our edge in the marketplace. And what customers expect now from their mortgage lender is what the Better Team has been providing our clients for years: speed, convenience, simplicity, and service.”
Close more clients in less time
Digital lenders are investing in technology that streamlines the entire mortgage process, which helps your clients shop confidently and close more quickly. For example, Better Mortgage has just launched One Day Mortgage¹, taking your clients from rate lock to Commitment Letter in 24 hours — even on the weekends.
Pre-approval in minutes, edit on the fly
With an online dashboard, your clients can also get pre-approved in minutes, then update those pre-approval letters to make different kinds of offers. Plus, a digital lender allows your clients to lock a rate online, day or night. This kind of speed and flexibility is unmatched in the traditional mortgage industry and is a direct reflection of the investments digital lenders are making to improve the mortgage experience for buyers and agents alike.
Ground-breaking tech backed by an expert team
Digital lenders are redefining what it means to be local: speed and convenience that’s available in every state, paired with an expert team that’s available 24/7. Fast responses mean fast mortgages. Modern homebuyers don’t want to get a loan during banking hours — they want to be able to access the calculators to help them shop confidently, and then text a loan expert if they have questions. And that’s exactly the kind of support a great digital lender can provide.
The pandemic forced the real estate industry to adapt to new changes: remote viewings, virtual appraisals, and homebuyers who are hungry for a faster, easier loan experience. And those changes are here to stay.
Better is on a mission to make homeownership faster, easier, and just plain better for all Americans — which is why Better Mortgage has just launched One Day Mortgage¹. Since its founding in 2015, Better has originated over $100 billion in home loans, entirely online. Plus over $38 billion in insurance, and over $3 billion in real estate transactions, all entirely online and commission-free.
¹Terms apply. One Day Mortgage lets qualified customers receive a conditional underwriting decision within 24 hours of rate lock, which does not guarantee final underwriting approval. Better Mortgage Corp. NMLS #330511