Lending Execs Share Top Concerns, Priorities

The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), an independent cooperative network serving the mortgage industry, announced the completion of its “Pulse of the Network” survey for 2024. The full report features lenders’ top five critical issues for the year, top 10 goals and anticipated strategies for success. Select findings from this year’s report are as follows:

Top Concerns

When asked to rank-order the most critically important issues facing mortgage lenders today, respondents identified business development as their top concern. And while 36.7% of respondents have their sights set on expansion, three in five respondents said they were more worried about attaining or retaining profitability than growing market share.

Top Priorities

Unsurprisingly, respondents identified growing volume as their top objective for 2024. To that end, they’re looking at recruiting processes (21% are working with recruiters) and diversifying referral relationships to ensure their companies are set to take advantage of every opportunity. And while implementing new technology ranked relatively low among mortgage business objectives for 2024, respondents flagged customer relationship management (CRM) platforms as the one part of the tech stack they’ll prioritize evaluating this year.

“Based on this year’s survey results, lenders’ priority for 2024 seems to be getting better but not necessarily bigger,” said TMC President and CEO Melissa Langdale. “The compounding effects of rising interest rates, low inventory and affordability challenges have battle-tested lenders over the last year, and with some measure of relief on the horizon in the form of expected lower interest rates, lenders are planning to use this breathing room to improve operations, maximize existing opportunities for new business and shore up reserves that may have been depleted in the pursuit of survival in 2023.”

To inquire about the full findings from this year’s survey, contact [email protected].