The Point of Thought Advantage: What J.D. Power Data Reveals About Winning the Mortgage Consumer Before They Shop
Throughout my career in the mortgage industry, I’ve watched strategies come and go. Rate chasing. CRM drip campaigns. Lead buying. But the most important shift I’ve seen in the past 12 months? It’s this: If you wait until the borrower is ready to apply, you’ve already lost.
According to J.D. Power’s 2024 Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Survey, satisfaction is 107 points lower when the lender enters the conversation at the point of application instead of earlier in the journey. Even more powerful, when lenders show up at the point of thought (before the consumer starts shopping), satisfaction jumps 41 points, and trust scores increase by 133 points when that borrower relies on their lender’s advice to navigate the process.
Loan officers who engage homebuyers early at the point of thought win more business, see higher customer satisfaction, and earn greater loyalty. On the surface, it sounds obvious. But the data proves it. Consumers who work with a lender three, six, even nine months before applying for a loan score that experience significantly higher across every metric.
That’s not just a data point. That’s a direction. It’s proof that the long game is the only game worth playing, and that local lenders still have an edge. But only if they stop acting like loan takers and start acting like financial guides. Only if they earn the right to coach before the home search begins. Let’s talk about what that means for the future of origination, and how smart loan officers are leaning into this shift to win business before the big players even know there’s a deal on the table.
Why This Moment Matters
There’s a myth that today’s borrowers just want speed and slick tech. But the J.D. Power data tells a deeper story. Yes, the digital experience matters, but when it’s not paired with human guidance, satisfaction drops. In fact, the biggest year-over-year declines in satisfaction were in digital (-8 points), communication (-5), and loan offering meeting needs (-5). Only one factor went up: people.
When a local brand representative is directly involved, satisfaction rises 40 points. This isn’t about having the most advanced app or the flashiest landing page. It’s about being available when a consumer is trying to make sense of the market, their budget, and their next move. And that moment is happening earlier than ever.
Higher ‘for longer’ interest rates, low inventory, and headline-driven fear have forced buyers to slow down and think longer. The home search used to be step one. Now it’s step five. Before that, there are months of online learning, quiet financial reflection, and second-guessing. This is the moment when trust can be built or lost. Bruce Gehrke,
Head of Lending Intelligence J.D. Power said it best in our recent podcast episode: “The variability in rates and higher costs for buyers increases the importance of understanding consumers’ individual situations."
In fact, in a recent presentation, I shared early 2025 data from J.D. Power showing that nearly half of borrowers (45%) are now contacting their lender before a real estate agent, up 18% over four years. And among Gen Y and Gen Z, that number rises to 48%. That’s not just a shift in timing, it’s a shift in who they trust to lead. In other words, borrowers don’t need a lender. They need a guide. And the ones who show up with empathy, clarity, and tools to help prepare are going to win. Not just the deal, but the relationship.
The Power of Early Engagement
The concept of "point of thought" isn’t just a catchy phrase. It’s a strategic lever that the best loan officers are already pulling. In today’s environment, when borrowers begin to think about homeownership, they start gathering information quietly. They Google questions. They scroll on YouTube. They follow creators on TikTok. Some sign up for a credit monitoring app. Very few start by calling a lender. Unless you give them a reason to.
This is where the most successful loan officers are separating themselves. They aren’t waiting for the borrower to fill out a form. They’re inserting themselves upstream with tools, education, and presence. The J.D. Power study backs this up: When lenders engage at the point of thought, satisfaction rises 41 points, and consumers are significantly less likely to shop multiple lenders.
Why? Because early engagement builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust. And when trust is in place, the borrower doesn’t feel the need to second-guess. They’re less likely to chase a rate and more likely to follow a relationship. That’s why I was excited when Bruce Gehrke gave me a sneak peek at this year’s J.D. Power findings:
When borrowers engage before they start shopping, satisfaction is 71 points higher
Trust in the process is 80 points higher
NPS rises by 22 points
And they’re 133% more likely to use that same lender again
On the flip side, consumers who connect with a lender after they’ve already found a home? They’re a third more likely to apply with another lender. Early engagement doesn’t just win the deal, it protects it. It’s not just theory—this is playing out in real time. At FinLocker, we see it every day through our partner loan officers. When a consumer gets invited into a financial readiness app, begins tracking credit, links accounts, and shares a Buyer Vision report with their LO... that originator becomes the default trusted advisor.
That loan officer didn’t buy a lead. They earned it by showing up first and helping the
consumer get ready long before they were ready to buy. That’s the power of early engagement. It’s not just about a single transaction. It’s about anchoring the relationship that leads to the next loan, and the next referral.
What the Best Are Doing
Every year, the J.D. Power rankings spotlight who’s winning when it comes to customer satisfaction. And last year, the top spot went to Prosperity Home Mortgage, followed closely by Movement Mortgage and Bank of America. So what do these top performers have in common? They don’t just originate loans. They guide people through complexity, with consistency.
Veterans United is a very good example. Bruce Gehrke has mentioned them often as a standout. They’ve become the top VA lender in volume, not because they have the lowest rates, but because they’ve built a process rooted in communication, education, and proactive engagement. They didn’t start as a mortgage company. They started as a marketing company that got really good at mortgages.
Prosperity's strength isn’t just their product mix or pricing, it’s the personalization they bring to every step of the consumer experience. They invest in people, process, and education. And it shows in their scores. According to J.D. Power, when a local brand representative is directly involved, customer satisfaction jumps 40 points. That’s not accidental. That’s operational discipline meeting relationship-first strategy. There’s a lesson here for every loan officer: You don’t need to be the biggest to win. You just need to out-serve them in your zip code.
And the top-performing lenders aren’t chasing leads, they’re building systems that attract trust and deliver value before the application ever starts. That’s the new model. Coach first. Close later.
The Social + Tech Advantage
Let’s clear something up: Tech doesn’t replace relationships. It amplifies them. Especially with next-gen buyers. What's starting to show in the J.D. Power’s 2025 data is that Gen Z borrowers are more likely than Boomers to prefer face-to-face interaction, but they’re also more digitally fluent and more likely to be on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, gathering financial info before they ever talk to a professional.
What that means is simple: If you’re not educating your market, someone with a ring light and a hashtag is. And the scary part? That someone might have never closed a loan in their life. The best loan officers know that showing up online isn't about chasing views, it’s about meeting buyers where they already are. That’s why we’re seeing top producers using social video, screen shares, and credit-readiness tools to become the source of truth in their market.
It’s not about being an influencer. It’s about being visible and valuable. The FinLocker and FirstHome IQ platforms were designed for this exact moment. Not just to give
consumers a slick app, but to give loan officers a tangible way to deliver real-time, personalized guidance. When a consumer can track their savings goals, monitor credit, simulate loan eligibility, and share it all back with you in one click... that’s not just tech. That’s connection at scale.
So, if you’re wondering where to start, start where they’re already watching. Turn your camera on. Show your screen. Answer their real questions. In this market, social content isn’t optional. It’s your new front door.
What Loan Officers Can Do Today
This isn’t about overhauling your business overnight. It’s about being intentional with how, and when, you show up. Here’s what the most effective loan officers are doing differently right now:
They build relationships before the transaction.They don’t wait for a referral. They create reasons for consumers to engage, through education, guidance, and tools that make financial preparation easier.
They give consumers a place to start.If a buyer isn’t ready to apply, a link to your FinLocker app gives them something tangible. It shifts the relationship from “call me when you’re ready” to “let’s work on this together.”
They lead with value on social.Answer common buyer questions. Explain mortgage readiness in plain language. Highlight real prep journeys (with permission). Consistency beats polish.
They personalize their outreach.Drip campaigns don’t build trust. Personal check-ins do. Tools like FinLocker & Mortgage Coach help you know who to call and why and give you a smarter script to use when you do.
They coach, they don’t chase.The new model is high-trust, low-pressure. It's not “What can I get from this lead?” but “How can I serve this person well, today and for the next five years?”
The takeaway?
You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be early, useful, and consistent. Start with one educational video. Invite one new prospect into your app. Block 15 minutes a day to check in with your long-game clients. Because in this market, consumers don’t need more ads.
They need a guide who’s ready to meet them where they are and walk with them until they’re ready to move.
Future Outlook
The mortgage industry is shifting, but not in the way most people think. Yes, the tech stacks are evolving. Yes, big players are consolidating. Yes, AI is automating everything it can. But the loan officers who will win the next decade? They’re not necessarily the fastest with respect to click funnels and don’t have the lowest rates. They’re the ones who show up early, educate consistently, and stay connected long after most have walked away.
J.D. Power’s latest data doesn’t just confirm this, it proves it. Higher trust. Less rate shopping. More loyalty. All tied to early engagement and human connection. The point of thought isn’t a buzzword. It’s your opportunity.
To be the guide, not the pitch.To earn the relationship, not just the rate sheet.To build a career that outlasts the next cycle.
Are you still waiting for the borrower to be ready? Or are you building a system that helps them get there, with you by their side? Because in this business, the future belongs to those who show up first and stick around the longest.
If we can meet consumers earlier in life, before they’re even thinking about a mortgage, and guide them with financial literacy and heart-centered advice, they will remember us when it matters. J.D. Power’s data shows it. But more importantly, real people are proving it every day in this business.
Brian Vieaux, CMB – President|COO, FinLocker & Founding ‘Expert’ MLO Live