Studying the mortgage industry for over 35 years, I’ve learned: the winners don’t just think better. They move faster. We talk a lot about rates, inventory, consolidation, and AI. All important. But none of it matters if you’re slow to act. Speed is no longer a tactic. It’s a discipline.
Consumer direct channels figured this out years ago with one simple concept: speed to lead. The data is overwhelming. The faster you respond to an inquiry, the higher your conversion rate. Minutes matter. Not hours. Not days. Yet too many traditional Loan Officers still treat follow-up like it’s optional. If a lead hits your inbox, assume it expires in 10 minutes. Call. Text. Leave a thoughtful voicemail. Show up. Consumers interpret speed as competence. Silence creates doubt.
This isn’t about being pushy. It’s about being present. Speed also applies to how you adapt. Don’t debate a new tool for six months. Test it for seven days. Don’t wait a quarter to refine your scripts. Review them every 30 days. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.
I’ve seen this before. In 2008, the lenders and LOs who survived weren’t always the biggest. They were the most adaptive. They made decisions quickly. They corrected course quickly. They didn’t wait for perfect clarity. In this market, speed doesn’t mean reckless. It means disciplined forward motion.
At the enterprise level, that may mean shorter hiring cycles and faster pilot programs. But for you, the Loan Officer reading this, it’s simpler:
Respond faster.Test faster.Adjust faster.
Your real competition isn’t just a big national brand. It’s the LO down the street who’s upgrading their experience faster than you are. Speed is a muscle. If you don’t use it, it atrophies.