Hear what customers loved and hated from their mortgage loan experience
The JD Power 2025 US Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study was released on Wednesday. More critical than the overall scores for lenders were the survey's insights.
Some of the insights highlight areas where mortgage brokers already excel, while others could serve as a reminder when working with new or returning customers.
Bruce Gehrke (pictured top), senior director of wealth and lending intelligence at JD Power, said the biggest takeaway for brokers is that leveraging their advantage over retail lenders is critical to continued success.
“From a broker perspective, I think they need to continue to focus on where their competitive advantage has always been,” Gehrke told Mortgage Professional America. “And I think that's more local, that's more personal, face-to-face with the borrower. I think that's still an advantage that they have. And I think that the key part for them is to find lending partners to work with that can give them other advantages.”
The survey identified three findings that brokers can use to drive more business.
Early contact is key
When a lender or broker contacted customers before they began searching for a home, the overall satisfaction was 32 points higher. When that contact didn’t occur until the mortgage application stage, satisfaction dropped 64 points. Early contact is key, which comes down to existing relationships and referral partners.
“Consumers have this perception going in that this wasn't as simple as it was once before, where you just kind of walk in, find the house you want, put down an offer, go back and forth, and you're ready to close,” Gehrke said. “That was the traditional kind of approach and the model, the way it worked. Lenders got referrals from real estate agents who were at that pointy end of the spear.
“Now you have this perception that there are more complications involved. I want to know more about the affordability issues. What can I afford? Not just what will I qualify for, but what fits into my lifestyle?”
Gehrke cited the work that Rocket and UWM are doing with lead generation and passing those on to brokers so they’re getting customers right at the beginning of the process.
“And you see moves that certainly UWM and Rocket are trying to do, so they're trying to extend those types of advantages to that broker community,” he said. “So I think from a wholesale lending perspective, it changes that competitive field a little bit if you're not able to add that into the mix, and you're simply a pricing engine for loans. It’s going to be tougher for those wholesale lenders to get that volume.”
Using AI? Let the customer know
With the rise of AI technology, more customers are accepting its use in the mortgage process. However, they want to know this upfront.
In the survey, 54% of customers say they are “completely comfortable” with the use of AI in the mortgage process, and another 31% are “partially comfortable.” However, 71% said it was “very important” for them to be informed that AI was being used.
“If they think you're using it and you're not telling them about it, that is really a challenge that's going to provide some discomfort, and it's going to hurt trust,” Gehrke said. “So the key message that we're getting early on here is to be open and transparent about what you're doing with artificial intelligence, and focus on the customer benefit.
“What we're saying right now is, yes, if you can tell the borrower or convince them of different benefits that are coming from it, it is highly positive to have artificial intelligence involved. But it's the transparency that really drives it.”
Young borrowers not all-in on AI
With the increased use of AI, there is speculation in the business that the technology will eventually be able to handle most, if not all, of the mortgage process.
The gauge of how well technology in the space is advancing will likely be younger borrowers. Gehrke said one reason those borrowers still prefer face-to-face communication during the mortgage process is that they’re so technologically savvy. They know the tech isn’t good enough yet for an all-AI mortgage loan.
“They actually have a higher preference for a fully digital interaction,” he said. “Like ‘I don't want to talk to anybody if I don’t have to.’ But they feel like they have to because the digital capability isn't quite there yet, so it's not good enough to really do a full-on digital loan. So they want to talk to somebody, and they want to talk personally, and they prefer to do it face-to-face.”
Christian Mourra of Rate Leaf and Leaf360 said Miami’s housing market remains active, with steady buyers and growing refinance demand. He highlighted adaptability, outreach, and tech adoption as keys to success in changing conditions.https://t.co/hExy87OnHu
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) October 31, 2025
In the end, Gehrke believes brokers need strong lender partnerships to solidify the technology side of the process so that they can leverage the relationship aspect of the transaction.
“They can add value on all those different points, but if they don't have that back system advantage, because they don't have the kind of budget to create these technological improvements and benefits, they need a partner to do that,” Gehrke said. “So I think the keys are selecting the right partners and doubling down on their own competitive advantage, because that's going to evolve as they go forward.”
Click to see the full results of this year’s survey.
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