Better Client Communication Tips for Loan Officers During the Homebuying Journey

As a loan officer, it’s no secret that maintaining consistent and transparent communication throughout the homebuying journey is crucial. From the initial onboarding process to reaching out after closing for a review, there are many important touchpoints to remember.

Client Communication Strategy

Aside from keeping your buyers in the loop to build trust, missing out or being too late in addressing concerns or requesting vital information can impact the overall success of the transaction. Therefore, being responsive and also remembering key moments for communication is essential to ensuring a seamless and positive experience for your clients.

We’ve done the research, so you don’t have to! Here are our top mortgage loan officer tips for developing a foolproof customer communication strategy.

Anticipate Their Needs

Whether you are personally reaching out to buyers or you are having a member of your team do it, communication shouldn’t just happen when you need something. In fact, you should be anticipating what your clients may be wondering or, at any point, what they may be concerned about. 

Put yourself in your client’s shoes; remember, they aren’t as familiar with the loan process as you are. When would they most likely appreciate receiving updates regarding your loan? What would their concerns be during any stage of the process? 

Learn From Seasoned LOs

Although the mortgage industry is known for being competitive, most loan officers don’t mind giving advice or suggestions regarding best practices to new LOs. Learning from someone within your field is a powerful tool. For this reason, many mortgage companies purposely pair newbies with a mentor during their first year.

Find an experienced loan officer on your team who seems to be winning the game of communication. What communication strategies are they using? Take note of when they reach out to clients and, when they do, what they say. If the loan officer you are shadowing is doing well, it is likely they are using the majority of these communication strategies:

Client Communication Strategies

• Proactive Communication: This type of message or call is simply to keep the buyers in the loop and make them feel reassured that everything is running smoothly.
• Educational Outreach: It’s a smart idea to keep your buyers educated on what they can look forward to in the homebuying process. This is also a great way to manage expectations! 
• Individualized Help: This form of communication is for the buyer who needs a little extra help with understanding the nuances of obtaining a loan or even how to use technology to sign an eDocument.
• Follow-Ups: This could be reaching out to a buyer post-closing for feedback or even following up with a buyer who hasn’t sent in essential information. Being persistent when follow-ups are needed is important. 

Utilize a Client Communication Tool

While we all go through a phase where we think we can remember it all, the reality is that crucial information escapes our memories as soon as work gets busy. And there is no busier work than that of a loan officer! Utilizing a client communication tool to help you automate communication throughout your clients’ homebuying journeys is a great way to stay organized. Client communication tools, such as Homer, are designed to help you make sure nothing falls through the cracks. With features curated for your convenience, Homer can help you reach out to clients at the right moments, all within Salesforce. For more insight regarding Homer’s specialized features, we invite you to reach out at any time!