Are we there yet? Keeping your clients informed on their loan status

"Did you get my W-2s yet?"

"Has the appraisal been scheduled?"

"What other documents do you need from me?"

Do these questions sound familiar? Without doubt, getting a mortgage can be nerve-wracking, especially if it's your client's first time. Keeping clients informed every step of the way can be the key to quality customer service and getting referrals from existing clients. Fortunately your Mortgage XSite website comes equipped with features that notify clients of every step of the loan process.

The best part? Your XSite does all the work for you by sending your clients daily loan status updates and reminder e-mails to keep the loan on track and on schedule for closing. You (or your loan processor) can also send out a status update ad hoc to any of your clients at any time during the loan process and you can customize the e-mail messages however you like.

To set up your notifications, click on the Configure Borrower Status link found under Configuration in the Loan Apps menu box. We've set up a couple of default trigger points such as loan application and closing to get you started, but you'll likely want to create your own checkpoints to meet your particular workflow (e.g. flood cert, appraisal).

In addition to the status update feature, your XSite's client login feature makes it easy for clients to see the status of their loan any time they want. To activate the client login feature, click on the "Customer login" content page in Step 7 in your XSite's Wizard. When your clients submit their 1003 to you, they'll receive an automatic e-mail with login information that allows them access to your XSite so they can view the status of or add to their application and see any documents sent in via Direct Fax or uploaded manually. You can edit the default e-mail by clicking on Customize Text and E-mail, which is also located under Configuration in the Loan Apps menu box.

Last year we reported on a perplexity poll by brand strategy firm Siegel and Gale that found that 60 percent of participants ranked mortgage applications as one of the most complicated documents to understand. Giving your clients the ability to know what's happening with their loan at any given time will ease their stress and, can likely result in more referral and repeat business for you!

To learn more about client status features, click on your XSite Online Manual located in the upper right-hand side of the My Office area of your XSite.