Blend Launches Rapid Home Lending Solutions To Transform Refinance And Home Equity Lending

Blend Labs, Inc. (NYSE: BLND), an origination platform for digital banking solutions, launched Rapid Home Lending, a suite of software solutions designed to help lenders respond faster to a dynamic housing market.

Designed for both refinance and home equity lending, Rapid Home Lending from Blend provides lenders with tools to increase retention and deliver significantly faster, more personalized borrower experiences. By eliminating friction through automated, connected workflows, lenders can engage borrowers early, offer tailored solutions upfront, and accelerate loan closings with greater efficiency.

“The lending landscape has fundamentally changed—market cycles move fast, and success depends on agility and digital solutions that adapt in real time,” said Srini Venkatramani, Head of Product, Technology, & Client Operations at Blend. “We’re redefining refinance and home equity by flipping the traditional application process on its head. Instead of making borrowers fill out lengthy forms, we push pre-qualified offers and pre-filled applications to them upfront—eliminating friction and delivering the seamless, personalized experience today’s borrowers expect.”

Unlocking Home Equity and Refinancing Opportunities in a Competitive Market

In today’s fast-moving housing market, millions of homeowners are locked into high-interest mortgages or sitting on substantial untapped home equity. With the average U.S. homeowner holding $315,000 in tappable equity and 24% of mortgage holders paying interest rates of 5% or higher, lenders face both a challenge and a significant opportunity.

Despite advancements in digital lending technology, many financial institutions struggle to retain borrowers when it comes to refinancing or home equity solutions. The traditional mortgage origination process remains slow, manual, and document-heavy, creating friction that impacts conversion rates, slows down closing timelines, and increases operational costs.

Challenges holding lenders back:

  *   Lengthy, complex workflows create friction at every step of the borrower journey.
  *   Failure to personalize interactions using available borrower data treats repeat borrowers like first-time applicants.
  *   Manual document collection and verification slow loan origination and hinder scalability during high-volume periods.

Home Lending, Reimagined for Today’s Market

Blend’s Rapid Home Lending Solutions empower lenders to boost conversions, accelerate closings, and enhance borrower engagement—all while adapting seamlessly to market conditions. By combining automation, data intelligence, and a modern borrower experience, Blend is transforming the way home loans are originated.

Lender benefits include:

  *   Seamless Data Connectivity Eliminates Friction – Deep data connectivity and automation enable lenders to seamlessly verify and pre-fill borrower information in the background, reducing manual input and delays.
  *   Personalized Offers Drive Higher Conversions – Intelligent data-driven approach surfaces tailored, pre-qualified products upfront, so borrowers see exactly what’s available to them––right at the start.
  *   One Platform for Refinance & Home Equity – Blend’s single, integrated platform seamlessly connects refinance and home equity journeys in one dynamic experience, empowering the borrower to choose the best product for their goals.
  *   Faster Closings with Automated Workflows – By automating qualification, disclosure handling, and capturing Intent-To-Proceed, borrowers can move quickly and effortlessly through the entire process, creating a truly rapid experience.

Proven Impact: Faster Closings, Higher Pull-Through, Better Borrower Engagement

Early results from Blend customers show significant pull-through advantages, faster time to close, and enhanced utilization of the home equity lines, including:

  *   Up to 1.5x higher pull through rates – Real-time data validation and instant, personalized offers keep borrowers engaged from start to finish.
  *   Over 50% Faster Time to Close – The traditional 30-45 day home equity process has been cut down to 5-10 days, enhancing operational efficiency and borrower satisfaction.
  *   Better Borrower Engagement – Over 60% of borrowers leveraged in-workflow debt consolidation, maximizing utilization of home equity lines.

For Blend’s Rapid Refi solution, the first refinance types—conventional cash-out and FHA Streamline—are generally available. Additional types, including VA IRRRL and conventional rate/term refinances, are slated for release in the first half of 2025.