Certainty and Confidence: Why Consumer-Permissioned Data is the Key to Winning First-Time Buyers
I’ve been in mortgage since 1991. Rates were north of 10%, “apply now” meant stacks of paper, and the concept of consumer-permissioned data didn’t exist.
Back then, verification was a grind of phone calls and faxes. Today, we’ve digitized much of that, but here’s what hasn’t changed: first-time buyers still walk into the process feeling uncertain, overwhelmed, and underprepared.
That’s where direct source, consumer-permissioned data is helping to change the game.
For years, we’ve talked about the benefits of income, employment, asset, and credit verification for lenders. Speed, accuracy, fraud prevention, even the potential for rep and warrant relief from the GSEs.
But the conversation rarely focuses on the consumer.
And yet for the early-journey first-time buyer, the renter saving for a down payment, the gig worker wondering if their income “counts,” the young couple overwhelmed by conflicting advice, certainty and confidence are the missing ingredients.
When consumers can connect their payroll, bank accounts, and credit data directly and securely, the process shifts from intimidating to empowering. They stop guessing. They start preparing with clarity. And that confidence makes all the difference when they decide which lender to trust.
The Confidence Gap in First-Time Buyers
The 2025 Homebuyer Report, published by Truework, lays this bare.
Over 60% of first-time buyers reported feeling overwhelmed by the mortgage process before they even started.
Down payment myths persist: nearly half still believe 20% is required, despite widespread low-down-payment options.
Income documentation is a top stressor: many buyers cited anxiety about whether their income would “qualify,” especially self-employed and gig economy workers.
Trust in institutions is low: younger buyers, especially Gen Z, are more likely to seek advice from social media and peers than banks or lenders.
But here’s the kicker: when consumers were offered tools to securely connect their own payroll and financial data, their confidence in the process jumped dramatically.
This lines up with what I hear in conversations with loan officers across the country. Borrowers aren’t asking for more marketing emails or rate sheets. They’re asking for clarity. They want to know where they stand before they risk rejection.
Truework’s Role in Building Trust
This is where Truework has emerged as a market leader.
Their platform reshapes verification by putting the consumer in control of their information through a user-permissioned credentials method. And it’s improving the experience for not only borrowers but lenders as well.
When users can easily connect their own payroll data, the benefits are clear:
Higher completion rates
Faster verification turnaround times
Faster closings
On the surface, that’s operational efficiency. But under the hood, it’s something bigger: consumer trust.
As Ethan Winchell, President of Truework, explains:
"Too often, first-time buyers feel like they’re stepping into the mortgage process blind—no one’s telling them what to expect, and they’re not sure what the lender will actually require. In our 2025 Homebuyer Report, 37% of Gen Z respondents said the mortgage process was more difficult than they expected, and 12% cited navigating paperwork—especially around income—as a top source of stress.
That’s where consumer-permissioned tools like Truework Credentials make a difference. Instead of waiting for the process to happen in the background, the borrower is in the driver’s seat. Once they select their payroll provider and enter their credentials, the system automatically pulls and packages verified information directly from the payroll system. This ensures the data is accurate, complete, and granting GSE rep and warrant relief, which is a big deal for lenders because it means loans close faster.
For homebuyers, it means no chasing down complicated documentation to move the
process forward. Borrowers know exactly what’s been shared; they feel more prepared, more credible, and more in control.”
Truework’s mission is simple but profound: to create trust in every financial transaction. By requiring explicit consumer consent, they give borrowers agency over their own sensitive data. And by orchestrating verification intelligently—routing requests to the most successful methods with built-in automation—they create a process that’s not just faster, but more accurate and less invasive.
In a market where younger buyers are skeptical of traditional institutions, that kind of transparency isn’t just nice to have. It’s table stakes.
The Early Journey Matters More Than Ever
The latest J.D. Power Origination Research confirms it:
45% of borrowers now engage with their lender when they first begin considering homeownership, which is up 18% in the past four years.
For Gen Y and Gen Z, it’s even higher: 48% start their journey with a lender by their side.
Borrowers who engage early report 71-point higher satisfaction, 80-point higher trust, and 133% more likelihood of repeat business.
Meanwhile, those who wait until after they’ve found a home are 31% more likely to shop around and apply with multiple lenders.
This is why I keep coming back to the idea of the “point of thought.” Our industry has perfected the point of sale, fast applications, seamless LOS integrations, digital disclosures. But if you’re waiting until the consumer raises their hand, you’re already too late.
The battleground is shifting further up the funnel.
And the winners will be the lenders who can show up early, offer clarity, and walk alongside consumers in the preparation stage.
What Certainty Looks Like in Practice
When a consumer connects their payroll through Truework and links their accounts in a tool like FinLocker’s KeySteps app, something powerful happens.
They see their verified income.They see their verified assets.They see their credit profile, not a confusing raw report, but a visual snapshot with
coaching tools to improve it.
That clarity answers the nagging questions in their head:
Do I make enough?
Is my credit good enough?
How much more do I need to save?
Instead of anxiety and guesswork, they have a plan. Instead of “maybe one day,” it becomes “here’s my path.”
And for the loan officer, that’s not just data. It’s the foundation for a deeper relationship. It’s the difference between a lead and a loyal client.
The Consumer Lens: Why This Matters
The 2025 Homebuyer Report highlights a critical point: borrowers expect the mortgage process to feel as seamless as signing up for a credit card online or opening a bank account on their phone.
They’re not comparing us to other lenders. They’re comparing us to Apple, Venmo, and CashApp.
If they can transfer money with a fingerprint, why should buying a home, the biggest financial decision of their life, feel like stepping back in time?
The answer is: it shouldn’t.
Consumer-permissioned data closes that gap. It gives buyers the modern, transparent experience they expect, while giving lenders the verified data they need.
Industry Transformation: Tech + Humanity
The 2025 State of the Mortgage Industry Half-Time Report makes a powerful observation:
We’re living in the “post-chatbot era.” Consumers are using AI tools to simulate scenarios, compare loan options, and educate themselves long before they speak with a loan officer.
That means by the time they do show up, they already have expectations. They’ve tested numbers in ChatGPT. They’ve watched TikToks about down payments. They’ve built a picture, accurate or not, of where they stand.
If lenders don’t meet that expectation with verified, consumer-permissioned data, we
risk losing them to the noise.
But when we do? That’s when we create what Dave Savage calls “AI-augmented humanity.” Technology handles the verification. Loan officers handle the trust. Together, they create certainty and confidence.
What Lenders Need to Do Next
Adopt consumer-first verification tools: Platforms like Truework aren’t just operational upgrades; they’re trust builders.
Engage at the point of thought: Don’t wait for the application. Offer tools like FinLocker’s KeySteps to help consumers prepare months in advance.
Educate with clarity: Use verified data to coach, not just qualify. Show consumers where they stand and how to improve.
Compete on confidence, not rates: Rates will always fluctuate. Trust and loyalty are what create long-term business.
Closing Thought
The future of mortgage won’t be won at the closing table. It will be won at the very first moment a renter starts to wonder, “Could I buy a home?”
Lenders who show up early, with tools that put consumers in control of their data, will build the certainty and confidence first-time buyers crave. And those buyers will remember who stood with them from the very beginning.
Because in this business, relationships aren’t owned, they’re earned.
And nothing earns trust faster than verified clarity.