Chris Johnson, an Ohio mortgage professional, just spent the early hours of his Tuesday morning increasing his pipeline closing rate.

The technique was simple, but powerful. He sent a quick and courteous email to all of his applicants in underwriting or processing, letting them know that he was working hard for them, he cared, and letting them know what the heck they are waiting for.

Setting expectations and communicating with your mortgage clients is critical to closing mortgage deal. And, as I have said before, the most dangerous time in your pipeline is “in-processing” this is typically when the borrower experiences a deadly silence. A silence I have cautioned against in the past.

In fact, this is such a dangerous time and such a productive opportunity for mortgage competitors to win back a lost deal we teach how to use our mortgage lead management system to win these deals. It is as simple as automating a loan officer alert to check back with borrowers lost to competition. Timing you contact for about the time the client would be going into underwriting or processing will amaze you. Your calls will reveal just how many mortgage brokers and lenders simply toss clients into the processing black hole and don’t seem to care to take the 10-20 minutes Chris did this morning.