Future Proofing CX Before Volume Returns

Years ago, I hosted what was supposed to be a small, casual New Year’s Eve party. Just a handful of friends, some appetizers, and the ball drop. Simple … until the doorbell wouldn’t stop ringing. Friends brought friends, who brought more friends. First, the food ran out, then the drinks. I wouldn’t say it was a complete disaster, but it was a complete surprise. I just wasn’t operationally prepared for the reality that showed up.

I see the same thing playing out in mortgage lending all the time. As we head into 2026, we all know CX will matter, but when volume hits again — and it will — we’re going to find out which lenders are truly operationally prepared to deliver great loan experiences consistently across their organization.

Here’s this month’s question: What will separate CX winners from the pack in 2026, and what should lenders be doing now to stay ahead?

Will You Be Operationally Prepared for the Next Volume Peak?

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that borrower expectations don’t reset downward when markets cool. They only move in one direction.

Across STRATMOR’s MortgageCX data, we continue to see the same pattern: borrowers still rate their loan officers very highly, but their tolerance for process miscues is shrinking. Missed expectations, unclear timelines, repeat document requests, and closing-day surprises carry increasingly severe penalties to advocacy.

In 2026, three forces will shape CX outcomes more than any others:

1. Process reliability will matter more than personality.
   Borrowers still appreciate friendly LOs, but loyalty will be driven by whether the process feels simple, predictable, and controlled.
2. Expectation setting will outweigh speed.
   Borrowers would rather close in 28 days with clarity than in 21 days with surprises. Predictability has become the new premium.
3. Small miscues will carry outsized consequences.
   As CX improves incrementally across the industry, tolerance for mistakes continues to decline. Progress doesn’t buy forgiveness. It only raises the bar for everyone.

This means 2026 won’t reward lenders who are merely “trying harder” at CX. It will reward lenders who design CX into their operating model.

Diagnosis

In working with lenders across the country, I see three recurring blind spots that, if not addressed, will hold many organizations back in 2026.

1. Over-reliance on individuals instead of systems
   Too many lenders still depend on their best LOs or Processors to “save” the experience. When volume rises or staffing changes, CX quality becomes inconsistent overnight. Process reliability can’t live in someone’s head. It has to live in the organization.
2. Measuring sentiment without closing the loop
   Many lenders are collecting more feedback than ever but acting on it too slowly or not at all. A borrower comment viewed 30 days later is worthless and collecting it may have even done more damage than good in the borrower’s eyes if no action is taken.
3. Treating expectation setting as a soft skill
   Expectation management is often discussed but rarely coached. It’s assumed to be intuitive, when in reality, it’s one of the most teachable, repeatable drivers of satisfaction and pull-through. Left unaddressed, these gaps will quietly erode loyalty, especially in a market where every retained borrower matters.

Prescription

Here are three strategic priorities to focus on in 2026 — and the tactical actions that bring them to life:

Operationalize Process Reliability

Strategic move: Shift some of the CX ownership from individuals to the enterprise. Treat consistency as a competitive advantage.

Tactical actions:

1. Identify the most common borrower miscues (communication gaps, documentation issues, closing clarity).
2. Standardize the behaviors that prevent them — scripts, checklists, mandatory touchpoints, etc.
3. Coach and reward adherence to those behaviors, not just outcomes.

STRATMOR data shows that when lenders eliminate even one major miscue from the borrower journey, advocacy rises sharply. Reliability compounds.

Make Expectation Setting a Core Origination Skill

Strategic move: Elevate expectation-setting from “good LO instinct” to “non-negotiable competency.”

Tactical actions:

1. Train LOs on a simple expectation framework: milestones, time ranges, and potential delays.
2. Require proactive updates at predefined points, even when nothing has changed.
3. Track expectation accuracy: what was promised vs. what actually happened.

Borrowers don’t expect perfection. They do, however, expect honesty. Lenders who coach this explicitly see higher pull-through, fewer escalations, and stronger referrals.

Turn Feedback into Immediate Action

Strategic move: Stop treating CX data as a report card. Use it as an early-warning system.

Tactical actions:

1. Monitor feedback daily, not just with monthly summaries.
2. Empower managers to follow up immediately when sentiment dips.
3. Use borrower comments as coaching moments while the experience is still unfolding.

STRATMOR MortgageCX data consistently shows that timely follow-up can convert dissatisfaction into advocacy. Silence, on the other hand, allows frustration to harden.

Final Thought: The lenders who beat the competition will only need to do a few things better — but they’ll do them every time. And in a market where margins are thin and loyalty is scarce, that discipline will be the ultimate differentiator.

To find more Customer Experience Tips, click here.

MortgageCX is now integrated with Encompass^®! Mike Seminari

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