From Surviving to Scaling: The Case for Lean, Focused Mortgage Operations in 2025
- Priyanka Mishra
- May 6
- 2 min read
The past two years have tested mortgage lenders like few others — volume declines, margin compression, and relentless market uncertainty. Some lenders responded by pulling back. But the most forward-thinking ones saw this as an opportunity.
As the market begins to show signs of life in 2025, one truth is clear: those who used the downturn to build smarter, leaner operations are now positioned to lead.
What the Market Data Is Telling Us
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), originations are forecasted to rise 15% in dollar volume and 14% in units in 2025. Refinance applications may remain inconsistent, but purchase activity is stabilizing, especially in segments like DSCR and Non-QM, where investor appetite is growing.
Inventory remains tight, but it's gradually improving, and home price appreciation is moderating, making purchase conditions slightly more favorable.
Meanwhile, about three-fourths of IMBs were profitable in recent quarters, a significant shift from prior years.
The takeaway? We’re entering a turning point — that is ripe to reward those who are operationally agile and tech-forward.
What Forward-Thinking Lenders Are Doing Now
Automating repetitive workflows: From rent estimates to bank statement analysis, lenders are reducing manual effort with AI-powered tools.
Digitizing borrower experience: Borrowers expect digital touchpoints — intake forms, e-signatures, real-time status updates. Forward-looking lenders are delivering.
Keeping operations lean: The average production FTE count remains flat even after a 44% drop from peak hiring. The best lenders are doing more with less.
Investing in scalable infrastructure: Even as volumes stayed low in 2024, tech spend as a percentage of total expenses increased, reflecting a focus on long-term efficiency.
Saaf Finance’s Playbook
We’re building for lenders who want to scale — not by hiring more underwriters, but by making each underwriter exponentially more productive.
In 2024, we doubled both our client base and internal team size, even in a tight market.
We launched major platform enhancements:
- Bank statement OCR
- Automated document classification
- Real-time borrower intake tools
- More API connections to obtain digital data even easier
Our leadership team has successfully scaled through downturns before — and we’re doing it again. We’re not just building tools. We’re building infrastructure for the next coming years of mortgage lending.
Why Now Matters
The data is clear: momentum is returning to the mortgage market — but the winners won’t be the biggest. They’ll be the most adaptable. Now is the time to simplify, streamline, and scale.
If you're rethinking how your team handles underwriting, borrower intake, or document processing — let's talk.
