How Often Will Your Loan Officer Update You?
One of the most common complaints buyers have during a mortgage process isn't about rates or fees. It's silence: going days or weeks without knowing where their file actually stands. Regular, milestone-based updates should be the norm, not something buyers have to chase down.
Buying a home is stressful enough without wondering whether your loan is moving forward. Here's what communication should actually look like, and Angela's own commitment on this.
Why silence is the real complaint
Most delays and hiccups in a mortgage process are normal and resolvable. What turns a normal hiccup into real anxiety is not knowing about it, or not hearing anything for so long that a buyer starts assuming the worst. The problem usually isn't the process itself. It's the lack of visibility into it.
What regular communication should look like
At minimum, a buyer should hear from their loan officer at every real milestone: application received, submitted to underwriting, any conditions that come up, clear to close, and closing scheduled. Beyond milestones, a quick check-in during any stretch that's taking longer than expected goes a long way toward keeping a buyer calm instead of anxious.
The promise
Angela's standard is simple: buyers hear from her at every milestone, and if something is taking longer than expected, she's the one reaching out to explain it, not leaving a buyer to wonder or chase down an answer. Questions get answered promptly, not queued behind a stack of other files.
Why this matters more than people realize
A loan officer who communicates well doesn't just make the process feel better. It usually means the file is actually being managed well too, since staying on top of communication and staying on top of a file's actual status tend to go together. Silence is sometimes a sign that neither is happening.
FAQs
How often should my loan officer update me during the mortgage process?
At minimum, at every real milestone: application received, submitted to underwriting, any conditions, clear to close, and closing scheduled. If something is taking longer than expected, you should hear why, without having to ask.
Is it normal not to hear from my loan officer for weeks at a time?
It shouldn't be. While some stretches of the process involve waiting (underwriting review, for example), a good loan officer keeps you informed of what's happening and why, rather than leaving you to wonder.
What should I do if I'm not getting updates on my loan?
Ask directly for a status update, and if that becomes a pattern rather than a one-time gap, it's worth a conversation about what level of communication to expect going forward.
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Angela Smith, Mortgage Loan Officer, NMLS #2666684. Florida Wholesale Mortgage, NMLS #2180491. Equal Housing Opportunity.
