With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror, we were all reminded that family and friends are important. In fact, people are important. Financing a home, or refinancing a home, is not easy like renting a car or filling out a credit card application on an airplane. Consumers who come in with a level of expectation about what the process will look like, or what mortgage options are available, should rely on an expert broker. Internet research and AI tools have, perhaps inadvertently, turned up a notch the capability and responsibility of Orion’s brokers to not only meet but exceed these expectations with precision and empathy.

Orion’s brokers are adept at working with clients who come armed with more knowledge, but not necessarily knowing how to use it. They are good at further educating them and then showing them how to apply that education to what is the best mortgage product for them. This human-centered approach extends to the nuances of the lending process. Mortgages demand a high degree of human intervention, especially when the property or the borrower doesn’t fit into some preconceived box.

Technology used in streamlining the processes can be balanced with a high degree of human intervention. Technology from Orion can facilitate efficiencies (like allowing applications to be processed with minimal consumer input) but it should never supplant the advisory component. Communication about the borrower’s credit history, income, and assets is very important, and technology can help lay the groundwork… But not the understanding. In other words, modern tools, like loan comparisons or rent-versus-buy analyses, can resonate with today’s consumer preferences but having an experienced broker is critical.

In a competitive market, building trust and offering exceptional service are paramount. Borrowers will remember the individual, not the company. Customer retention is about providing them with an educational service. Brokers love hearing, “I’ve talked to three other lenders, and not one person has provided me with the level of education and information that you have.”

The internet can’t understand the challenges for loans for younger borrowers, especially with gig economy incomes, rising housing costs, higher insurance costs, and stringent lending standards. Good brokers can explain products like down payment assistance programs and non-qualified mortgages. “If it’s not working that way, let’s try this way.” Being a good broker means creating relationships that provide value to not only customers but also to referral partners.

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