Today, various industries are experiencing an unprecedented shift in the way they operate, and that includes the lending industry. For example, mortgage lenders often no longer need to complete transactions in person, thanks to advances in technology. In addition, maintaining paper documents containing personal finance records is often no longer necessary.
Electronic document management systems and third-party credit reporting and rating systems are also gaining popularity. As a result, mortgage firms can process loan applications faster and respond to client inquiries without as much human interaction.
New technologies are making it easier and faster to analyze data from different sources in order to establish a pattern of consumer behavior. It’s crucially important to be able to easily extract data from documents when clients complete loan applications. That is where artificial intelligence comes in handy to fill the gaps for the mortgage sector.
Here are some of the biggest advantages of AI that loan officers in the mortgage sector can enjoy:
1. Reduces risk.
When you integrate AI into the loan origination process, human error is reduced. AI can help identify critical risk factors when assessing a borrower’s likelihood of default. This is possible because AI enhances the mortgage lender’s ability to determine and identify key behavioral patterns.
Reducing such risks helps to prevent costly losses, which, in turn, preserves credit availability for ideal borrowers. Additionally, AI allows mortgage underwriters to spend more time examining loan applications and applicant creditworthiness. As such, decisions to extend credit will involve fewer risks, and only those who qualify will gain access to available funds.
Note that the creditworthiness of a mortgage applicant is critical when processing the value of a loan. So, the more data you have about each applicant, the easier it is to accurately assess their creditworthiness.
2. Eliminates cases of missed opportunities.
The conventional way of determining a mortgage applicant’s creditworthiness is by checking their credit scores. That means that loan officers may deny applicants’ loans if they do not have a lengthy credit history. This is partly because applicants with an established credit history are less likely to default on their loans.
Unfortunately, focusing too much on credit scores means that mortgage lenders may miss out on new business. It is also worth mentioning that determining an individual’s likelihood of defaulting on a loan can be a challenge even if the necessary information is available. That is mostly the case when applicants provide inaccurate information. AI proves a worthwhile investment in such situations because it steps in to do a more accurate risk assessment.
In that case, over and above considering one’s credit score to determine their creditworthiness, AI allows you to factor in a person’s entire life, including their vast digital footprint, when looking at their likelihood to default on a loan. That is what “alternative data” is all about. This additional data provides more accurate insights and an overall picture of an applicant’s risk level that isn’t solely reliant on their credit score.
3. Provides valuable credit insights.
Most loan officers want to keep in close contact with borrowers and prospects. Many loan officers are in the habit of calling borrowers on the phone. As a result, some mortgage professionals believe that software cannot replace their skills.
While technology can not replace the human relationships between mortgage professionals and borrowers, what it can do is provide valuable credit insights. Note that machine learning algorithms focus on assessing nonnumerical factors during the evaluation of an applicant’s creditworthiness. This includes a client’s social media activity, among other things. AI provides an opportunity to learn critical insights into an applicant’s willingness to pay their debt.
The result is an extension of credit to those who may end up missing the opportunity otherwise.
4. Promotes efficiency.
Mortgage lenders are in the people business. The process of approving a loan can be lengthy when handling borrowers in-person, and it may also entail a lot of paperwork. This can result in delays in loan approvals, missing critical details, and even the possibility of losing essential documents.
So, streamlining processes within mortgage institutions is not an option, and loan officers should make this a priority. A mortgage automation platform is an invaluable resource, in this case, because it helps lenders improve their operations. Indeed, the human element is paramount in most transactions within the mortgage industry, but AI can help mortgage firms achieve more.
Also, widespread and extended use of AI in the mortgage sector means that the technology will learn more about the industry, which will increase the chances of absorbing mundane tasks while eliminating human error. Ultimately, AI will improve service delivery by loan officers as a result of increased efficiency.
5. Frees up money and time.
The time and cost of finalizing a loan can be quite expensive for mortgage companies that rely on traditional operations. When this is the case, employers in the mortgage industry can’t extend their loan officers better perks, let alone offer their borrowers competitive rates. On the contrary, AI allows loan officers to cut the cost of processing loans.
In turn, mortgage companies can offer borrowers low rates in addition to extending attractive compensation packages to their employees.
Conclusion.
Technology is improving operations in various sectors, and loan officers should leverage AI technology in order to stay ahead of the competition. AI promotes automation, which reduces the need to engage in cumbersome and repetitive manual tasks. AI’s daily impact on your operations may go unnoticed, but closing mortgages within a short duration is a benefit that compounds with time. In that case, AI frees up your loan officers’ time to handle more business. When the process of applying for a loan is easy, happy borrowers are likely to refer their friends and return when they’re ready to refinance.