Premier Member Editorial–Recruiting’s Hidden Advantage: The POS and Mobile App You Already Own
Tim Nguyen is CEO & Co-Founder of BeSmartee
In today’s mortgage market, originations are hard to come by, but great loan officers are even harder.
The industry knows this. Recruiting is no longer a back-office function, it’s a front-line strategy. Every growth-minded mortgage executive I speak with has it near the top of their priority list. And while companies are investing time, money and resources into attracting top talent, the competition has never been more fierce.
Newsflash: You’re not the only one offering aggressive comp plans, flexible models, or marketing support!
So the question is no longer if you’re recruiting. It’s how well you’re executing.
And here’s the part most lenders overlook: you’re probably sitting on a powerful recruiting advantage already, one that, if positioned properly, can help you stand out and close top-producing LOs.
It’s not a new comp plan. It’s not a signing bonus. It’s your point-of-sale platform and your native mobile app. Let me explain.
Why Tech Is the New Comp Plan
When you talk to top producing LOs today, especially those closing four or more loans a month, you’ll hear a common theme: they’re burned out by administrative work. Chasing disclosures. Explaining status updates. Manually generating pre-quals for agents at 9 p.m. on a Sunday night.
They’re not looking for a new job – they’re looking for leverage.
I recently spoke with a regional retail lender who recruited a top broker out of the wholesale channel, not with rate, but with tools. What won the LO over? The POS and mobile app. He was used to manually coordinating every part of the transaction, constantly texting his processor and fielding agent calls just to provide updates.
When he saw that the POS automated disclosures, allowed borrowers to e-sign in minutes and that the mobile app could push instant status updates, let agents generate their own pre-qualification letters and make it easy for real estate referral partners to send referrals, his eyes lit up. His exact words: “This just gave me back my evenings.”
That’s what you’re really selling: time, scale and peace of mind.
A Strategic Edge Over Brokers: Offer What They Don’t Have
Loan officers in the broker channel are some of the most entrepreneurial in the business. They’re sharp, fast-moving and resourceful – often working with limited infrastructure and making it work through hustle alone. But even the best brokers run into growth ceilings when they lack access to the kind of enterprise-grade technology that many IMBs and retail lenders already have.
This is where your referral partner mobile app becomes a powerful differentiator. Most brokers don’t have access to a native mobile app that lets real estate agents:
• Instantly refer buyers from their phone
• Get real-time visibility into loan status
• Generate or update pre-qualification letters without waiting on the LO
When a producing broker sees that you can give them a branded mobile experience for their agents, something they simply can’t get through their current setup as a broker, it changes the conversation. You’re not trying to convince them to leave brokering. You’re offering them a clear way to grow their purchase volume and deepen agent loyalty through tools they don’t currently have.
One top-producing broker I met at a conference had been hesitant to leave the wholesale model, citing rate as his main edge. But when he saw a demo of the partner app, how it could let his agents create their own pre-quals during open houses, track loan status in real time and stop blowing up his phone, he said, “I can’t do this now, but if I ever leave brokering, this is why.”
That’s the power of showing, not telling. When you position your tech as a business growth lever, not just a process tool, you create space in the conversation that’s hard to walk away from.
You’re not pitching a job change. You’re offering scale, leverage and a next-level buyer and agent experience through tools most brokers simply don’t have.
Recruiting Isn’t HR. It’s Sales. And in Sales, Story Matters.
Emotion, not logic, is what drives humans to take action. That’s why the best recruiters don’t just show features, they craft a story that helps loan officers imagine a better way to work.
Yes, most lenders highlight their tech stack. But too often, it’s just a feature list: “We’ve got an intuitive POS, automated updates and a mobile app for agents.” That’s not what seals the deal. Top producers want to feel how your platform will help them scale, save time and build loyalty with borrowers and agents.
Instead of saying, “Our POS automates disclosures,” say, “An LO cuts three days off time-to-close with automated eSign and streamlined conditions.”
Instead of “Our partner app gives status updates,” say, “One LO cut inbound agent calls by 60% and used that time to revive cold leads.”
You’re not selling software. You’re selling outcomes: control, confidence and growth.
Now take it one step further. Help them picture life on your platform:
• “Imagine getting fewer weekend texts from agents because they can self-serve.”
• “Imagine not having to chase down disclosures; it’s just done.”
• “Imagine focusing on your pipeline, not paperwork.”
It’s subtle, but powerful. You’re not just recruiting a producer. You’re inviting them into a better way of doing business, one that makes them more productive, more respected and more in control.
That’s the story that wins.
Ask the Right Questions, Internally First
If you’re an executive focused on growing originations through recruiting, start by looking inward. Ask yourself:
• When was the last time you saw a demo of your own POS?
• Does it make your loan officers look modern, or manual?
• Is your referral partner app something you’re proud to show in a recruiting meeting?
• Could it stand toe-to-toe with the ones offered by the top IMBs or national lenders?
If you’re not confident in your answers, it’s not too late. Technology has evolved and the barrier to adopting or upgrading your POS or partner app is lower than ever. In fact, many vendors offer white-labeled partner apps that can be implemented in weeks, not quarters.
The goal isn’t to have every bell and whistle. It’s to have a simple, elegant experience that helps your LOs win with consumers and agents and then to tell that story during recruiting.
Final Thought: Don’t Let Your Tools Sit Quiet
If you’re serious about recruiting in this market, then make your tech stack speak. Your POS and your partner app are not just operational tools – they’re emotional closers. They tell the story that every LO wants to believe: that there’s a better way to work and it’s already here.
So show it. Demo it. Lead with it.
Because in the war for talent, whoever tells the best story wins.
(Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect policies of the Mortgage Bankers Association, nor do they connote an MBA endorsement of a specific company, product or service. MBA NewsLink welcomes submissions from member firms. Inquiries can be sent to Editor Michael Tucker or Editorial Manager Anneliese Mahoney.)
