Premier Member Editorial: Digital, Not Soulless–Why Great Loan Officers Matter in the Age of AI

Jason Mapes is Head of Sales with Floify

In today’s mortgage market, homebuyers embrace digital convenience—applying for loans from their phones, uploading documents via apps, and often getting real-time prequalification in minutes. Some might say the modern borrower wants a frictionless, entirely online, zero-human mortgage experience. But here’s the catch: Most homebuyers still don’t want to go it alone when it comes to homebuying. They want an experienced human being by their side.

According to ICE Mortgage Technology’s 2023 Borrower Insights Survey, only 9% of borrowers desired a fully digital mortgage experience without human involvement. Similarly, Solidifi’s 2022 Consumer Mortgage Experience Survey found that 81% of borrowers preferred face-to-face closings, with only 19% opting for remote online notarization.

Despite the race toward mortgage hyper-automation, when making the most significant financial decision of their lives, borrowers consistently value one thing above all—guidance from a knowledgeable human being who’s “been there, done that.”

As someone who’s both a mortgage tech executive and a repeat homebuyer, I’ve seen the power of automation firsthand. Yet, even with every digital tool at my disposal, I wouldn’t trust a 100% machine-driven mortgage process. I don’t think I’m alone in this.

Putting my finger on what’s missing

These days, the mortgage industry is caught in a tug-of-war between efficiency and empathy. While lenders build sleek point-of-sale platforms and AI-driven bots to accelerate originations, something essential is getting lost in the shuffle: trust.

We often hear glowingly about the “frictionless” process being faster. For most borrowers, though, faster isn’t their only (or top) priority. They want assurance. They want someone to say, “Here’s what this means. I’ve got you.” In fact, the data show us that many borrowers aren’t asking for no human contact; they’re asking for smarter contact. They’d like clarity over chaos, advice over automation, and empathy over efficiency.

According to a study by the National Association of Realtors, 75% of borrowers favored a hybrid communication approach with their agents—one that blends digital tools with traditional methods like in-person meetings and phone calls. Just 11% preferred a purely digital experience, while 24% leaned toward strictly traditional methods. What this tells us is that borrowers aren’t just looking for efficiency; they’re looking for connection. They want someone who can answer questions without judgment, spot red flags that algorithms might miss, and guide them through uncertain financial territory with empathy and understanding. If this level of trust and human connection is crucial when choosing a real estate agent, it’s arguably even more vital when selecting a loan officer, who plays a central role in helping borrowers navigate the financial side of one of life’s biggest decisions.

What tech gets right and where it will always fall short

There’s no denying the major progress mortgage technology has made during the past few years. Automated document collection, streamlined e-signatures, and backend AI integrations have shaved days from the closing timeline and headaches from the closing table. But no matter how advanced our systems become, they can’t replace human nuance and interaction. A chatbot might quote rates, but it can’t tell when a borrower is panicking beneath a calm demeanor. A machine learning model might suggest a product, but it can’t intuit that a couple’s real anxiety isn’t their credit score, it’s job security. AI is excellent at crunching data, but it’s not great at reading people.

This isn’t a call to resist technology; it’s a plea to use it responsibly. Mortgage professionals shouldn’t fear being replaced by automation. They should fear being irrelevant to a borrower’s experience.

LOs, here’s the good news

Loan officers aren’t going away any time soon, but their role must evolve from paper-pushers to trusted advisors. They need to bring what tech can’t: contextual judgment, emotional intelligence and product expertise that fits the real borrower’s story.

In a world where speed is commoditized, trust is the new premium. And trust can’t be coded. In short, I feel the future of mortgage lending isn’t machine-only or human-only—it needs to be a hybrid approach. A digital-first workflow supported by empathetic, knowledgeable originators is the winning formula. Yes, automate the redundancies. Use AI to surface insights and flag risks. But don’t confuse speed with service. The best borrower experience still comes from people—empowered by tech, not replaced by it.

If we genuinely want to build for the borrower, we must protect the human touch that makes lending personal. Because when it comes to buying a home, no homebuyer wants to feel like just another line of code.

Jason Mapes, head of sales at Floify, believes the future of lending belongs to the professionals who blend high-tech solutions with high-touch service. Mapes has 23 years of experience in the mortgage industry including roles in loan origination, branch management and sales at technology firms, including nCino, Ellie Mae (now ICE Mortgage Technology), Unify and Lenders One. He joined Floify in May 2024 and has been instrumental in expanding Floify’s market presence. 

(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.)