Introduction
Mortgage lending is not for the faint of heart. The industry can be merciless if you don’t have the right people and tools. One tool that is critical to the success of a mortgage company is the CRM system. A mortgage CRM system helps mortgage companies promote their loan products and services, while also helping their sales team prospect and engage with customers.
The choice of mortgage CRM software plays a pivotal role in establishing a strong sales and marketing process. Mortgage companies have many options for implementing CRM software. Do you go with a large, established CRM software provider like Salesforce or Hubspot? Or do you opt for smaller software providers that specialize in CRM software for mortgage companies? This blog will discuss the pros and cons of each CRM software approach and make some recommendations.
Generic CRMs
Salesforce is known as the 800-pound gorilla in the CRM software industry. Salesforce is used by some of the largest companies in the world across thousands of different industries. Hubspot is a CRM and marketing automation system that has emerged as a popular alternative to Salesforce because of its ease of use and powerful marketing tools.
The main challenge with these types of CRM software systems is that they require significant configuration and customization in order to be useful to mortgage companies. The mortgage process is very detailed and requires specialized screens and integrations. Adapting a generic CRM to meet these demands requires time and money, with no guarantee that the effort will be successful.
Mortgage companies also need to consider whether they have the staff and resources to maintain a mortgage CRM software solution. It’s one thing to build a sophisticated CRM using Salesforce and Hubspot, but making enhancements and modifications on top of troubleshooting issues typically requires dedicated staff. Are mortgage companies prepared to make this type of commitment?
The Power of Tailored Mortgage CRM Solutions
There are numerous CRM software companies that, in spite of being much smaller than Salesforce or Hubspot, provide mortgage CRM solutions that are easier to implement, less expensive to maintain and include a range of mortgage specific features that are available out-of-the-box.
Surefire, Total Expert, BNTouch and OptifiNow are just a few mortgage CRM software providers that offer solutions ready-made for the mortgage industry. For example, retail mortgage companies need to provide their loan officers with CRM tools that help them engage with potential home buyers. The best CRM software for loan officers include key marketing automation tools that keep them top of mind with minimal effort.
CRM marketing automation tools like automatic birthday and holiday emails, loan anniversary and refinance reminders help loan officers generate opportunities. Other CRM marketing automation tools include nurture sequences that send a steady stream of emails over time, making sure that loan officers stay visible when a borrower finally makes the decision to seek a mortgage loan.
Mortgage CRM software should also help mortgage loan officers generate more business from referral partners, especially real estate agents. It is important to look for mortgage CRM systems that can send awareness marketing campaigns to real estate agents, but also have tools that generate co-branded media, such as open house flyers and social media marketing messages.
Empowering Wholesale Account Executives
Wholesale mortgage companies are very different from retail mortgage companies and require CRM software that is designed for their business model. Wholesale account executives are responsible for engaging with an entire mortgage broker company and all of the loan officers employed there. Wholesale mortgage lending needs a B2B approach to sales and marketing.
The problem is that many mortgage companies attempt to use the same CRM system for both their retail and wholesale teams. Although it may be more economical to use one CRM for two different origination channels, the lack of B2B CRM features make it so difficult for wholesale account executives to use that they end up abandoning the CRM, wasting time and money for wholesale mortgage companies. Wholesale mortgage companies need to find a CRM system that fits their business model.
Conclusion
The choice of CRM software is a strategic decision that can have a big impact on a mortgage company. It is to consider all options when choosing a mortgage CRM solution. By avoiding generic CRM systems that require large amounts of configuration and customization, embracing highly specialized mortgage CRM solutions reduce the cost and lower the implementation time so that mortgage companies can realize the benefits of CRM software.