Boost Client Retention (and Beat Competitors to the Punch) with Portfolio Monitoring Services

May 25, 2023

When you think of how much you invest to create a new customer, the value of retaining that customer is significant.

As a lending officer, your clients are at the very heart of your business. With today’s competition in the lending industry, it is important to implement smart lending practices that will help retain clients. The likelihood of selling to an existing customer in the future is much greater than selling to new prospects.

Retention is the key. And one of the most effective ways to achieve it is through portfolio monitoring services. Keeping tabs on your clients’ credit activities over a given period can help you gain insight into their financial habits and better respond to their financial needs.

Here’s how it works:

  • When a current or former client is in the market for a new mortgage, portfolio monitoring services will notify you within 24 hours of their credit inquiry.
  • A custom retention letter is mailed on your behalf, helping you engage and retain your past customers within 24 hours of them signaling a need.
  • Clients are happy because you are helping them right when they need it and making sure they are aware of all their lending options.

As we mentioned, happier, non-nomadic clients are the goal. Monitoring services aren’t just a tool to keep early payoffs at bay, they frequently save customers from hidden, costly fees that your competitors never even bother to disclose.

Here are some other ways to leverage portfolio monitoring services to shine in the eyes of your customer:

  • Get Their Attention: Eye-catching retention pieces are crucial to set your letter apart from the general mail that consumers receive daily. You want pieces that speak directly to your customers’ needs and remind them of all the reasons that working with you again will benefit them.  This will give you the highest chance of engagement.
  • Offer Personalized Credit Services: Every client is unique, and what they need from you financially may differ. Using portfolio monitoring services, you can collect and analyze data specific to each client’s financial behavior, allowing you to personalize your offerings and spotlight your customer service skills. Not only do you position yourself as a lender who knows and cares about your clients’ financial well-being, but by offering personalized solutions to your clients, you also build trust and confidence while setting yourself apart from your competitors.
  • Communicate with Clients. This is a big one. In today’s fast-paced world, lenders must be proactive in reaching out to clients to update them on their accounts and answer any questions they may have. Portfolio monitoring services provide a blueprint, of sorts, to your customers’ financial needs, which you can then use to drive effective direct mail correspondence. Whether offering advice on how they can improve and maintain their credit score or offering the latest lending options that suit their needs, monitoring services make you a shoo-in for success, while beating your competitors to the punch.
  • Provide ongoing guidance. Portfolio monitoring services also allow you to provide ongoing guidance, rather than waiting for them to come to you with questions or concerns. Be proactive with regular educational materials, from monthly newsletters offering financial tips and advice, or quarterly check-ins to reassess a customer’s financial health. Leverage direct mail solutions to remain front-of-mind and reinforce your commitment to their ongoing prosperity.

Camber knows that helping your past clients with their next loan is the fastest and easiest way to generate more closes each month at the lowest cost. Consider: 1% – 3% of your past customers are in the market for a new mortgage each and every month.  Implementing our portfolio monitoring services can help to keep clients satisfied – and stationary – while beating your competitors’ best efforts in the process. And did you know? Using direct mail to retarget can deliver up to eight times the response rate of digital marketing. If you would like to set up a time to discuss portfolio monitoring options with one of our team members, Contact us today.

How to Leverage Cash-Out Opportunities While Fostering Long-Term Client Relationships

April 14, 2023

We all know that cash-out opportunities allow homeowners to convert the equity they have into dollars, while they continue to pay off their mortgage. Camber Marketing Group can help you with direct marketing campaigns designed to let customers and potential clients know about leveraging cash-out opportunities.

But for lenders, they can also be a way to convert the personal equity you have built through your professional relationship into future opportunities for engagement, retention, referral, and so much more.

Consider this: in 2021, lenders tapped into approximately $1.2 trillion in cash-out refinances, a 20 percent increase from the year before, and hitting a high that hadn’t been seen since 2005.

Still, according to data culled by analytics firm Black Knight, recapture rates from that same period remained shockingly low – with only 21% of borrowers remaining true to their original lender.

Why? Some fingers pointed to more efforts being poured into attracting new blood than fostering a business relationship with existing clients, even when the cost of acquisition is approximately five times more than the cost of retention.

And while mortgage rates almost doubled beginning in 2022, with FHFA boosting upfront fees for most cash-out loans, rate lock activity turned a corner once again earlier this year, with cash-out refis rising 25% in January.

Luckily, there are ways that loan officers can up their retention game considerably, all while helping their customers refinance. After all, the ins and outs of cash-out opportunities may be confusing for your borrowers. By helping them navigate the financing process you may be able to foster long-term relationships simultaneously. Here are just four ways to make it happen:

  1. Teach: It’s more than likely that borrowers, particularly young families, may not understand the requirements for cash-out financing, how much they can borrow, or the potential risks associated with this kind of loan. As a mortgage lender it is important to provide borrowers with clear and concise information on the cash-out financing process, including an overview of the application process, what documents they need to provide, and the timeframe for approval.

It’s also critical that lenders educate borrowers on the different types of cash-out loans available. Borrowers may be eligible for an FHA cash-out refinance or a conventional cash-out refinance. Each comes with its own set of eligibility requirements and terms. By explaining the pros and cons of each, you help borrowers make the best decision for their unique financial situation.

  1. Assess: If a borrower is considering cash-out opportunities for home improvements, help them estimate the costs of the renovations and determine if the increased monthly mortgage payment will fit within their budget. When you collaborate with borrowers and help them see their financial situation in a new light, you not only ensure that informed decisions are made – which helps both parties in the long run – but you begin to build, or build upon, a trusting professional relationship that will serve you well in the decades to come.
  2. Support: Even after approval is granted, you should continue to provide support throughout the life of the loan. Keep in touch with your customers via direct mail marketing. Help them understand their monthly mortgage statement and provide them with a lifeline they can access to ask questions about loan terms or receive advice on how to manage their monthly payments. Building a relationship with borrowers and providing ongoing support ensures a successful experience with your company that is worth telling their friends and family about.
  3. Monitor: Keep monitoring interest rates and the availability of funds. If rates drop, reach out to eligible borrowers immediately and let them know about new opportunities to refinance cash-out loans at a lower rate. Camber Marketing Group can help you design a campaign to reach borrowers quickly when they need you most.

By working closely with your borrowers, lenders help ensure that they make informed decisions about their cash-out financing options and have nothing but positive things to say about their loans.

Camber Marketing Group will help you launch a marketing campaign targeted at eager groups of credit-qualified, equity-rich homeowners. Reach out to us today to find out more about options and to get started.

5 Ways to Win the Hearts of Millennial Homebuyers

April 3, 2023

You already know that millennials are the largest age demographic of homebuyers in the U.S. According to data provider CoreLogic, not only have millennials made up the biggest share of home purchase mortgage applications over the last six years, but they also constituted more than half of these applications, overall, in 2022.

Data shows that more than 12 in 1,000 Millennials aged 29 were first time homebuyers last year, and there are scores of individuals still under 30 who have not yet taken the plunge – meaning demand should remain strong for some time.

You also know that this particular age group can be a tricky one to please.

As mortgage lenders and loan officers, it’s important to understand what motivates millennial homebuyers so you can better assist them in their buying journey. To help you out, here are just five great tips for winning the hearts of this particular “in crowd.”

  1. Focus on Convenience: More than any other generation, millennials value a vendor that can make their lives easier. So, if you want to reach this coveted demographic, you need to make sure your services are as streamlined and user-friendly as possible. From applications to document exchanges, simplify your processes so that it’s easy and quick for millennials to use your services. And when it comes to marketing? Don’t ask them to seek out your sales pitch. Mail it to them directly.
  2. Don’t Overcomplicate Things. We’re not saying young people have short attention spans, but they DO lead busy lifestyles and are CONSTANTLY bombarded by businesses vying for their attention or polling their opinion or attempting to sell them something. When reaching out, don’t swarm them with too much information or too many choices at once. Instead, streamline your communications and provide just enough information to pique their interest. Give them time to digest your message before moving on to the next step.
  3. Show Them You’re Human: It’s well documented: millennials want to work with lenders who aren’t afraid to show their empathetic, vulnerable side — after all, they’re gearing up to make one of life’s biggest purchases. Be sure your marketing materials include images of actual staff members, not just rote stock photos of nameless smiling faces. Emphasize customer service. And be sure that buyers know that they can reach out at any time if they have questions or concerns during the loan process.
  4. Appeal to their Frugal Nature. Millennials have grown up in a time of economic uncertainty, so it makes sense that they’re budget conscious when it comes to making large purchases – like a home. It pays to showcase any features your company offers that can help buyers save money in the long run. You can also attract millennials by offering products that simplify the loan process or make it easier for them to pay back the loan faster than traditional terms would allow.
  5. Keep Up with Trends: The most important thing when marketing mortgages to millennials is staying aware of current trends in their purchasing habits—especially since those trends tend to change quickly. Data-driven insights from market reports tailored specifically towards millennial homebuyers will help you know exactly what they’re looking for before they do.

At Camber Marketing Group, for example, our team takes the guesswork out of marketing for the mortgage industry. Working alongside account managers, we use millions of data points to build better direct mail campaigns around the most effective information available. That means campaigns are tailored specifically to your business goals.

With the above tips in mind, you should have no trouble reaching out to millennial homebuyers and helping them find the perfect loan option for their needs. Keep in mind: 90% of millennials believe Direct Mail Marketing is a more reliable form of advertising. Camber can help you win over those hearts faster than you ever imagined. Reach out to us today to learn more about our direct mail marketing solutions.

3 Marketing Tips for Loan Offers When Tackling an Uncertain Market

February 24, 2023

There’s no question the mortgage industry has faced marketing challenges amidst an uncertain economy and continued talk of recession. And while housing rates are expected to drop in 2023, it may continue to be a slightly uphill battle as builders put on the brakes in response to buyers doing the same, while sellers sit on their wallets and coast along on the great mortgage rates of years gone by.

But that doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel. In fact, many experts believe the worst is behind us and that new opportunities abound as inflation begins to cool.

Here are just three marketing tips for loan officers to tackle this new year in style:

  • Ramp-up efforts: Just like we said back when COVID hit – the best marketing decision loan officers can make when times are tough is to maintain or – better yet – increase their direct mail efforts. Connecting with prospects and dampening hysteria by demonstrating the process your office takes to assist homebuyers is, in a word, invaluable. Your role in this economy is a clear and critical one. Easing economic fears is a great way to preserve customer loyalty. The financial climate will eventually regulate, and you will want to have fostered healthy and helpful communication with your borrowers when it does.
  • Don’t make millennials work too hard for your attention: Because, well, they won’t. Which isn’t in any way commentary on their ethic. The truth is, this age group’s initiative is through the roof. They’re going places, and you want to be along for the ride. Millennials get a bad rap for being Instagram-addicted, Starbucks-fueled hipsters, but it’s a broad Believe it or not, many individuals in this age bracket prefer an analog marketing bid for their attention – i.e. direct mail. According to the United States Postal Service, a whopping 84% of these prospects make a habit of sifting through their mail, and many more are convinced that direct mail marketing is more reliable. Target your mortgage campaigns to these 20 and 30-somethings directly, and start enjoying new, profitable leads.
  • Make sure you’re delivering the right message: Relevance, brevity, and clarity are a loan officer’s best friends when trying to reach out to new and existing clients. By workshopping a direct mail message with real consumers, you can create targeted content that connects and compels house hunters to call This inbound approach eliminates the awkwardness and irritation of cold calls while showcasing (in the very best way) the convenience and customization your company can offer. As your customer base and bottom line grow, you can also scale your direct mail frequency to match your burgeoning needs – tapping into new markets and meeting new prospects in the process.

Remember: your existing customers are one of your greatest resources when it comes to marketing your business, particularly during an economic downturn. Reach out to them regularly, ask for their feedback, and showcase your expertise in the process. Future borrowers will appreciate this personal touch and will be far more likely to recommend you to their friends and family who may need similar services.

Camber Marketing Group can help you devise strategies to optimize your existing book of business, whether launching a past client campaign or tapping into our 24/7 Monitoring Program, which alerts lenders the second a customer enters the market for a new loan. Reach out to us today to learn more.

Early Payoff Penalties Pose a Real Risk for Brokers

January 19, 2023

Recent rate movements are prompting an uptick in early payoffs, creating new risks for mortgage brokers.

Mortgage rates have dropped rapidly over the last few months. In December, alone, they stood at three-month lows and were an entire point below November’s rates.

Attractive new loans will be coming online, and competitors are eyeing your customers, ready to pounce with a refinancing offer.

The risk is real for brokers.

After all, you rely on services such as refinancing and home equity loans to boost your profits after an initial transaction has been completed. If your borrower pays off their loan early, these additional services also evaporate, leading to reduced profit margins over time if multiple borrowers follow suit.

But there’s more. Mortgage servicers who purchase your loans on the secondary market aren’t looking to lose money, either. To protect their investment, they’ll institute Early Pay Off (EPO) penalties, which guarantee a minimum return if that loan is paid off in under 4-6 months. These EPO fees can easily surpass $10,000, wiping out any commission accrued and setting a broker back big time.

Fortunately, Camber Marketing Group is here to help. Our team protects brokers using portfolio monitoring solutions that issue alerts whenever recent clients go shopping for a new mortgage.

Our services help to keep you engaged with customers who are seeking to refinance. You will be notified within 24 hours of a credit inquiry, allowing you to intervene before early payoffs occur. A retention letter will even be dispatched on your behalf.

We can monitor all closed loans up to the previous month, providing clarity and actionable data that will ultimately protect you from shelling out for early payoff penalties.

Not only that, but early intervention may be critical to saving a customer from hidden fees that they are blissfully unaware of, simply because they were sold a line from a competitor.

As always, it’s important to keep in mind that happy customers who feel financially secure are ultimately beneficial to your business and bottom line. Remember: the likelihood of selling to an existing customer in the future is far greater than selling to prospects. Striking that happy medium and making business decisions that are mutually beneficial to all parties is the key. And Camber Marketing Group can help.

Reach out to our team today, protect your earnings, and never lose another loan.

4 Reasons Direct Mail Marketing Solutions Still Deliver During the Holidays

December 2, 2022

We tend to underestimate the power of the mailbox during the holiday season.

Just think about how many times we raise that red flag to let our mail carrier know a fresh batch of cards is ready for dispatch (or how many times we peek inside the mailbox to see if that check from grandma has arrived).

Direct mail marketing solutions deliver during the holidays because the mailbox is almost as synonymous with the season as the tree – or better yet, a gift with a big bow on top.

There’s no doubt about it: direct mail marketing remains one of the most powerful tools available to mortgage companies and loan officers who are looking to increase their customer base. It’s more personal, more eye-catching, and more immediate, placing a physical message into the hands of potential leads.

Here are just four ways direct mail continues to make mortgage companies merry throughout the season and the New Year Beyond:

  1. Personalization: Just like grandma writes your name above Hallmark’s “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hannukah” message inside the card, direct mail tailors your advertising message to your recipient. It may seem like a triviality but believe us when we say – it is not.

Leveraging data such as age, gender, income level, marital status, and location – you can identify specific target audiences who are most likely to benefit from your services. Then, by customizing your campaign to address a recipient’s individual needs and interests, you increase the likelihood that prospects will not only respond – but respond positively.

  1. Respect: With direct mail marketing solutions, your customers are empowered to call you – which cannot be understated during the hustle and bustle and blizzard of activity that is the holiday season.

Direct mail is straightforward. It delivers a relevant, clear, and concise message to a targeted audience culled from a database of prospects. And because the message has already been tested on actual consumers, the result is an authentic and responsive connection with consumers.

Most importantly, by extending an invitation to customers to reach out to you, you put the ball in their court. It shows you value their time and want to make things more convenient for them while emphasizing your flexibility and eliminating the aggravation and interruption of cold-calling techniques.

In short, it shows you care more than the other guys.

  1. Cost: Saving a few pennies here and there is always ideal, particularly during the holiday season (and as the year draws to a close). Compared to other forms of advertising, direct mail campaigns are incredibly cost-effective, thanks to minimal design and printing costs. Direct mail is also targeted to certain demographics or geographic areas, which reins in the number of pieces sent out while increasing your ROI. Once created, your compelling message continues to work for you as long as it is relevant, with little to no upkeep whatsoever.
  2. Scalability: It’s simple – as you continue to do more and better business, your mailings can easily be boosted to fit your lenders’ growing needs, while attracting new customers and expanding into new markets. Because direct mail pieces are printed with a return address, recipients can easily contact you with questions or feedback about your offer. This, in turn, allows your loan officers to measure the success of their campaigns more accurately, and determine if any tweaks or adjustments are needed.

The holidays are about making connections. By using customized messages tailored specifically for each customer, your mortgage company has an excellent opportunity to not only reach more people but also build evergreen relationships.

Make no mistake: direct mail marketing is very much alive and well and has become one of the most effective strategies for mortgage companies and loan officers looking to reach new, welcoming leads.

Camber Marketing Group can help. Reach out to our team today to learn more.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself as a Loan Officer in 2021

May 6, 2021
Want to have a great year and become a successful loan officer? Start with asking yourself these 3 questions:

  1. How warm are my leads?

A prospect reaching out to your business seeking information is the warmest lead you can receive. Inbound lead calls give you a competitive edge because your ideal customer is already on the phone!  Now, it is up to you, the Loan Officer, to Read more

Successful Direct Mail Marketing

April 1, 2021

The success or failure of a direct mail marketing campaign depends on several components. To start, if you are not sending the right message to the right people, you could be wasting your marketing dollars. You must have a fresh, well-targeted database of potential customers to match your ideal message in order for a mortgage marketing campaign to work.

The second component of an effective direct mail marketing campaign is Read more

Data Analytics & Mortgage Leads

March 11, 2021

The market is slowly but surely shifting. Now more than ever, mortgage professionals are realizing a need for highly targeted campaigns.

In an ever-advancing industry driven by innovation, the biggest differentiator between a successful direct mail campaign and an unsuccessful one is leveraging data to inform strategy. Read more

Millennials are dominating home loan refinance

February 22, 2021

2020 brought a lot of new realities into our lives – one of them being ultra-low mortgage rates.

With national mortgage refinancing rates hovering at record lows, many millennials have been taking action to lower their monthly payments and see significant savings long-term. According to the latest *Ellie Mae Millennial Tracker, refinance activity climbed to 45% of all loans closed by millennial borrowers Read more