The way consumers interact with financial service providers has been evolving, and today a majority of borrowers indicate they are generally comfortable with a digital-first approach to mortgage lending. However, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the process still gives many borrowers pause.
Cloudvirga CEO Maria Moskver has been studying trends in borrower behavior for years to develop an all-digital platform that not only adapts to lender workflows but also enhances the user experience for borrowers.
“Nobody’s really thought about what would make it easier or more intuitive for the borrower to use a point-of-sale platform,” Moskver told Dodd Frank Update. “Instead of just transposing the questions from the Unified Residential Loan Application (Form 1003), maybe the platform could walk borrowers through the questions and break them down into layman’s terms.”
The company convened a focus group with 20 participants in May 2024 to learn about their views on a fully digital mortgage process and followed that up with a survey of more than 1,000 borrowers in September 2024.
The survey results showed that approximately 71 percent were satisfied with the technology provided by their lender for managing the application process, with some automated functions scoring particularly high in this regard. However, about 60 percent of respondents indicated they would switch lenders if they found out their lender was using AI. This is especially notable given that 74 percent of the survey respondents were age 40 or younger, a demographic that is generally comfortable with digital technology.
Consumers’ hangups regarding AI can be attributed in some ways to a lack of understanding of AI and how it works. The context in which it’s used is also important to consider. In addition to data privacy concerns, Moskver acknowledged that the technology’s use in underwriting decisions also can raise alarm bells.
“Clearly, while AI is an increasingly major component of digital mortgage origination, it’s still not a trusted system for many borrowers,” Moskver said. “Lenders need to be cautious with how they develop their digital, borrower-first experience, taking a measured approach that meets consumers where they are.”
Meanwhile, the efficiency afforded by processes like eSigning and automated document submission has resonated with borrowers, resulting in user satisfaction ratings above 90 percent among applicants who have had access to both these technologies.
But 58 percent of respondents admitted their loan officer filled out their loan application for them, indicating a need for lenders to remain flexible in their service offerings to accommodate technological advancements as well as consumers who still value person-to-person interaction while navigating the process.
“The survey results highlight an important nuance in consumer expectations during the mortgage process,” Moskver noted. “They want the ease and efficiency of automated platforms and a borrower-friendly user interface, but they are still relying on loan officer involvement.”
According to Cloudvirga’s survey, almost half (46 percent) of respondents said their loan officer contacted them directly via phone or email when additional information or supporting documents were required.
“As a technology company laser-focused on the consumer mortgage experience, these findings are directing our ongoing development efforts,” Moskver said.
The company also convenes monthly advisory panel meetings with lenders to get their input on what aspects to focus on in developing a secure, intuitive platform.
“It’s been kind of a consistent group,” Moskver said. “We’re always open to new lenders joining and getting their feedback on what we’re building. We have a lot of people from the industry, and we also have some strong tech people.”
Cloudvirga rolled out its new platform, Tropos, in May. It aims to be adaptable to lenders’ existing processes by offering customizable workflows capable of accounting for a variety of factors, such as vendor pricing models.
“Everybody has a different integration and a different workflow, so we made this platform very configurable and customizable,” Moskver explained.