It is no surprise that many successful loan officers today are focused on marketing their businesses and building, cultivating, and maintaining relationships. According to recent mortgage dataⁱ, 87% of borrowers found their mortgage lender from a referral or an existing lending relationship. Which means, that the vast majority of a loan officer’s business may already be in their network.

Relationship building with real estate agents, prior clients, local community organizations, and other trusted service providers, is more than just securing a loan. It’s about establishing trust, which can help lay the foundation for a strong business. 

The Importance of Building Relationships

Many local service providers and business professionals in the local community work closely with potential homebuyers and can be a great source of repeat business for loan officers (LOs). By building a robust community network, LOs can leverage these relationships to help boost business growth.

Here are some of the potential benefits of building community relationships and developing better relationships with existing clients:

• Trust and credibility: Homebuyers want to work with someone they trust. While they are free to choose their own lender, one in four borrowers consider a lender recommended by their real estate agent according to a 2024 study.ⁱⁱ In many cases, buyers have an established relationship with local real estate agents, charitable organizations, or other businesses and the buyer may be more likely to work with an LO that those existing relationships trust.
• Repeat business and referrals: Never underestimate the power of client referrals. About 50% of borrowers chose their mortgage lender based on a referral and 37% chose based on an existing relationship with a lender or originator.ⁱ A strong relationship can lead to repeat business from satisfied clients and business relationships.
• A better customer experience: On average, one happy borrower can turn into 1.4 referrals.ⁱⁱⁱ Focusing on creating a positive experience for existing clients can help LOs better understand the needs and goals of other prospective clients. 

Your Personal Brand

Building a personal brand can give potential clients a better understanding of who you are and what you bring to the table. Your personal brand is how you portray yourself and how you want people to see you. Your reputation is your credibility, but your personal brand is your visibility and the values you represent.

Here are some tips that can help you create a strong personal brand:

• Determine what sets you apart from other loan officers. Are you bilingual? Do you work with first-time homebuyers or serve a particular community? Do you offer loan products such as renovation loans or jumbo mortgages?
• Showcase your skill set, products, and services on a professional website. Consider including a mortgage calculator, educational resources, and clear calls-to-action.
• Build your online presence through social media platforms. Focus on platforms where your target audience is most active.
• Engage with online conversations and communities and provide helpful tips and advice. Answer questions in local Facebook groups or in homebuyer forums.
• Create a newsletter and build your email list. Consider offering a free download (like a homebuying checklist) in exchange for the recipient’s email address.
• Collect testimonials from happy clients and feature them prominently on your website and marketing materials (with proper consent, of course).
• Encourage clients to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, and other websites. Make it easy by sending direct links after closing.
• Stay current with marketing strategies and trends. What worked five years ago may not resonate with today's digital-first consumers.

Download a printable version of these tips below:

The Age of Social Media

Whether you love it or hate it, social media is a uniquely valuable tool for promoting your brand and connecting with clients. It offers the ability to build and engage with your network anytime, anywhere.

Choose Your Platforms

Strategically It may be tempting to be active on every social media platform out there, but you could risk spreading yourself too thin. Consider focusing your efforts and pick two or three social media platforms to master, typically where both consumer and professional audiences are the most active:

• Facebook: Great for local community groups, and sharing educational content
• Instagram: Ideal for visual storytelling, behind-the-scenes content, and reaching younger first-time homebuyers
• LinkedIn: Essential for connecting with other business professionals and expanding your network.
• TikTok: Best to reach younger generations with educational videos and hosting live Q&A sessions

Stay Active and Provide Value

Once you commit to using social media for your business, it is important to stay active. Consider posting at least 3-4 times per week to help maintain visibility without overwhelming your audience.

Content ideas that may help drive engagement:

• Share a "Mortgage Myth Monday" post debunking common misconceptions
• Post about down payment assistance programs available in your area (as long as you have the permissions to do so)
• Create a short video explaining common mortgage concepts
• Celebrate client wins (with permission) with "Congrats to the Smith family on their new home!" posts
• Share local market updates and what they may mean for buyers
• Go behind-the-scenes: "A day in the life of a loan officer"
• Explain rate changes in simple, digestible terms
• Consider commenting on and sharing posts relevant to your industry from respected sources. This can help position you as informed and connected while supporting your broader professional community.

Connect Online and Offline

Social media is also a great place to find events and other opportunities to connect with community members. Explore within your network, including other service providers and prior clients, and see if there are possible opportunities where you can add value, whether that's sponsoring a little league team, participating in a charity run or attending a local business networking event.

Nurturing Your Relationships

Once you have made connections, it can be critical to continue to nurture those relationships with open communication and recurring touchpoints to keep your business top of mind.

When it comes to nurturing your networks, consider what value you can provide to each of your different connections and how you can help establish trust and credibility with them.

For Current Clients

For borrowers currently in your pipeline, it can be helpful to maintain regular communication that can help enhance the customer experience and quality of service:

• Provide timely responses on pre-approvals and pre-qualifications
• Send proactive updates on loan approval status
• Explain what to expect at closing with a "what to bring" checklist and timeline
• Check in regularly to make sure they understand every step of the process
• Be available via their preferred communication method—some clients prefer texts, while others email or phone calls

For Past Clients

Your clients who have closed can be a great source of referrals and it may help if you stay in touch. So, you might consider the following:

• Send a personalized closing gift or thank-you note
• Check in at 6 months to see how they're settling in
• Send annual "mortgage check-ups" to discuss refinancing opportunities or home equity options
• Remember their closing anniversary with a quick message
• Invite them to client appreciation events

For Industry Colleagues

Your industry relationships may also benefit from consistent nurturing:

• Provide market updates and rate sheets
• Communicate proactively
• Meet up for coffee or lunch quarterly
• Congratulate wins on social media

Email Marketing as a Nurture Tool

Email marketing, including newsletters, can be a very useful method to stay in touch with both past clients and your professional network. With email marketing, you can help keep your business top-of-mind by sending:

• Monthly market updates and rate trends
• Local promotions and special programs
• Information about community events you're involved in
• Educational content about homeownership, refinancing, or home equity
• Holiday greetings and seasonal home maintenance tips

Providing Lasting Value

Relationships can be short-lived if you don’t provide lasting value. Think of what you can do to help make your relationships stronger.

Here are other tips that may help loan officers provide value:

• Attend closings and be proactive. LOs aren’t required to attend closings, but it can help make the closing process go more smoothly and make the borrower feel more confident.
• Be available, communicate often, and follow up. Open communication and frequent interaction can help prevent obstacles at every step.
• Meet in person if you can. Everything is online nowadays. If you want to stand out, try having a conversation in person.
• Educate, don't just transact. Take time to explain mortgage concepts, market conditions, and key characteristics of different loan products. Educated clients are more confident, are more informed to help make responsible decisions, and can possibly refer others to you.

The Bottom Line

In today's challenging market, success isn't just about closing loans, it's about creating positive experiences and providing solutions that help turn clients and other professional relationships into lifelong advocates for your business.

The most successful loan officers don't just process loans; they build communities of satisfied clients and trusted professionals. They leverage their personal brand, maintain an active social media presence, and help provide consistent value through education and problem-solving.

Whether it’s to help educate buyers on products like mortgage insurance (an alternative solution that can help with smaller down payments), staying in touch with past clients through regular check-ins or meeting fellow professionals for lunch to discuss market trends, every touchpoint can help strengthen your network and keep your business top-of-mind.

^i"87% of Mortgage Business Comes From Referrals and Past Clients,"Mike DelPrete. https://www.mikedp.com/articles/2025/2/3/87-of-mortgage-business-comes-from-referrals-and-past-clients

ⁱⁱ"Growth strategies for the purchase-mortgage market,"McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/growth-strategies-for-the-purchase-mortgage-market

ⁱⁱⁱ"7 Ways Smart Lenders are Leveraging CX to Grow Mortgage Revenue," STRATMOR Group. https://www.stratmorgroup.com/7-ways-smart-lenders-are-leveraging-cx-to-grow-mortgage-revenue/

© 2026 Radian Group Inc. All Rights Reserved. 550 East Swedesford Road, Suite 350, Wayne, PA 19087. The content presented is intended to convey general information and is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or accounting advice or opinions. An attorney or accountant should be consulted for specific information. This communication is provided for use by real estate professionals only and is not intended for distribution to consumers or other third parties. This does not constitute an advertisement as defined by Section 1026.2(a)(2) of Regulation Z.