Mortgage Consumer Communication Study

How borrowers want to hear from their loan officer in 2026 — channel preferences, response-time expectations, trust drivers, and where AI is welcome.

Executive summary

Borrower expectations have shifted decisively toward speed and channel choice. Trust is built by clarity and reachability more than by pricing. AI is welcome when transparent and unwelcome when disguised.

Key findings

• Text is the default expectation for updates; phone remains preferred for consequential conversations.
• Response time is a bigger trust driver than rate for most borrowers.
• Transparency about AI increases trust; disguised AI destroys it.
• Weekend responsiveness is disproportionately valuable — offers get written on weekends.

Methodology

Combines J.D. Power satisfaction data with NAR homebuyer research and an aggregated opt-in borrower survey conducted through LoanOfficer.ai customers.

Channel preferences

Speed expectations

Trust drivers

Where AI is welcome

Recommendations

• Default to text for updates unless the borrower opts out.
• Publish a response-time promise and hold to it.
• Disclose AI use in plain language on your website and in first-touch messages.
• Reserve phone for consequential conversations — do not waste it on status.

FAQ

Do borrowers really prefer text?

For updates, overwhelmingly. For decisions, no.

Is disclosing AI a marketing risk?

The opposite. Disclosed AI raises satisfaction; disguised AI destroys it when discovered.

Conclusion

Winning borrower trust in 2026 is not complicated: be reachable, be transparent, use text for what text is for and voice for what voice is for. AI helps every one of those behaviors happen consistently.