Mortgage Roundup | Using AI for Marketing

👋 Welcome!

Let’s make your job a little easier. The Empire Learning Mortgage Roundup newsletter brings you mortgage industry tips, market know-how, and CE updates—all in one quick email.

🗣️ Quote of the Week

"Marketing is a contest for people's attention.” – Seth Godin (Author & Marketing Expert)

🚀 Featured Article

Are you a mortgage loan officer who excels at closing loans but struggles with crafting catchy social posts or writing lengthy blog articles? Not a marketing whiz? No problem! Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper are here to become your new marketing assistants. These AI platforms can help you create engaging social media updates, informative blog posts, email newsletters, and more – saving you time and helping you shine online. In this friendly article, we’ll explore how all kinds of MLOs can leverage AI for marketing content, with plenty of examples and practical tips along the way.

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🎅 Christmas in July Present For You!

Merry halfway Christmas (there's only ~160 days left)! Take 20% off all continuing education courses at Empire Learning this week. Use code TREE at checkout and soak up the savings while earning those credit hours.

🎁 Browse CE Courses

Offer valid through July 20. Use promo code TREE at checkout.

💸 Venmo for Closing Costs?

Gift funds can help homebuyers, but they must be properly documented. Some buyers get creative – using peer-to-peer apps like Venmo or Zelle to gather last-minute closing funds from family and friends. Is that allowed?

Most of the time, simply having family Venmo you money for a down payment or closing is a no-no.
Lenders require a clear paper trail for all funds – unverified money transfers are not acceptable for down payments or closing costs. If an underwriter sees a large Venmo deposit, they’ll demand proof it’s a legitimate gift and not an undisclosed loan.
As an MLO, this is your chance to educate clients on proper gift fund documentation: have the donor sign a gift letter and verify the source of their funds (bank statements, etc.).

🏘️ The Side-Hustle Homebuyer

That Uber driver or Etsy seller might be your next client. Self-employed and gig workers often assume they won’t qualify for a mortgage, but with the right approach, you can help them buy.

The gig economy is booming – the number of independent contractors in the U.S. jumped from 15.8 million in 2020 to 31.9 million in 2022 (one study even predicts over half of Americans will be self-employed by 2025) – yet this segment remains underserved by traditional lenders.
Why? Irregular income and unconventional paperwork make it trickier to fit the typical underwriting mold.
Educate these “1099 buyers” that they can qualify – they just need extra documentation to prove stable income. Lenders usually want two years of tax returns for self-employed borrowers or other records to establish consistency.
Encourage gig workers to prepare income evidence like 1099 forms, bank statements, invoices, and profit-and-loss statements.
It’s also wise to advise them on strategies like keeping business and personal finances separate and not over-deducting expenses in the year before buying (since lower net income on taxes can hurt their qualifying power).
If their credit score and debt-to-income are solid and they can show a reliable earnings trend, many lenders will work with them – and there are even special programs (e.g. bank-statement loans or non-QM options) designed for gig workers.

🏦 The Credit Score Trap — When “Good” Isn’t Good Enough

As we know, mortgage lenders use specialized FICO credit scores and tiered pricing, which can surprise borrowers. Many clients assume their 700+ credit score guarantees the best rate. Not quite! This is your chance to educate borrowers on credit tiers, pricing adjustments, and the quirks of mortgage credit scoring.

First, explain that the credit score they brag about from Credit Karma or their bank isn’t necessarily the score mortgage lenders use. Mortgage providers pull older FICO models (often FICO 2, 4, 5) unique to each bureau, not the VantageScore seen on consumer apps. A client’s “good” 710 on an app might come back as, say, 690 on your report – or vice versa – due to these model differences.
Next, even if their score is genuinely around 700, they may be surprised that pricing improves at higher thresholds. Conventional loans typically have tiered credit buckets (often in 20-point increments): for example, 700–719 is good, but 720+ can unlock better rates, and 740+ better still. In fact, one expert notes there’s usually a pricing hit if you’re even one point below a cutoff like 720. A few points up or down can swing the interest rate or fees noticeably.
As an MLO, walk your clients through the “credit score trap”: a 700 score is solid, but not top-tier in mortgage terms, and improving it to the next tier could save them money. Show examples of loan-level price adjustments or rate differences at various scores – this visual reality check can be eye-opening.
Most importantly, encourage them to check their credit early (and all three bureaus) and avoid new debts, so there are no last-minute disappointments.

🎯 Quick CE Tip of the Month

🧯 Avoid the “CE Emergency” We’ve all seen it (or lived it): that panicked December dash to finish CE hours before the renewal deadline, frantically clicking through modules with one eye on the clock. Not exactly the ideal way to retain anything—or enjoy the process. Instead, flip the script with the “Early Bird Reward” strategy. Start early, and after each module you knock out ahead of schedule, reward yourself. It doesn’t have to be fancy—a really good coffee, a walk around the block, five guilt-free minutes of TikTok, or even just checking one more thing off your to-do list is reward enough. Micro-rewards turn CE into a game you’re winning, instead of a burden hanging over your head.

→ Start the "Early Bird Reward Strategy" today!

📈 Market Highlight

🔥 Did You Know? In the last two weeks of June 2025 through the first two weeks of July 2025, the U.S. mortgage market has experienced a mix of promising developments and ongoing challenges. Mortgage loan originators (MLOs) have seen interest rates fluctuate slightly, buyer activity showing cautious improvement, and housing inventory finally starting to loosen up in some areas. Meanwhile, refinance applications are ticking higher, and home builders remain wary amid economic cross-currents.

→ View Full Market Highlight

💡 Feedback Welcome!

We'd love your feedback. The lifeblood of any good business is figuring out what their customers truly care about — the best MLOs also learn this about their clients.

If you have any thoughts, ranging from what topic should be discussed in next month's newsletter to more in-depth ideas on how the CE experience can be the best it can be, please reach out via the email link below — we're truly all ears.

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Happy Learning,

— The Empire Learning Team
www.empirelearning.com