New Insights Report examines how leadership gaps can complicate transitions
September 23, 2026 – DENVER, Colo. – Mortgage company owners who delay succession planning until retirement is near may discover that untested leadership benches, concentrated business value, and limited transition options have left them less prepared than they believed, according to STRATMOR Group, a mortgage industry advisory firm.
In STRATMOR’s latest Insights Report, Principal Advisor Amanda Gibson draws a parallel between building a custom home that cannot move forward without a critical permit and succession plans that stall because of an overlooked dependency or single point of failure. Gibson’s article, “The Permit Problem: What Building a House Is Teaching Me About Succession Planning,” takes a look at the different options for ownership transitions, and what mortgage leaders can do to make the process go more smoothly for both the company and the retiring owner.
“What passes for succession planning is often little more than an org chart with a name penciled into a future box,” Gibson writes. “It looks like a plan. And it behaves like one right up until the day it’s stress-tested.”
Gibson encourages owners to consider how much of their company’s value depends on their personal relationships, knowledge, and daily involvement. She emphasizes the importance of building a management team capable of leading the company once the owner retires.
Developing an internal successor is only one possible transition path, according to Gibson. Other alternatives may include selling the company, bringing in a minority partner, gradually stepping away, or joining a larger platform that can provide access to capital and technology. Evaluating these options early can help owners preserve more control over the outcome, Gibson says.
She urges owners to communicate their plans to the people who are expected to carry them out. “A plan that exists only in one person’s head isn’t a plan,” she says. “It’s a risk. The people who will need to execute it can’t prepare for something they’ve never been told about, and silence during a transition doesn’t protect anyone. It just adds uncertainty on top of everything else that’s already changing.”
Ultimately, Gibson advises owners to view succession as an ongoing process rather than a decision that can be deferred until the end of their careers.
In a second Insights Report article, “Turning Borrower Referral ‘Likelihood’ into Real Referrals,” STRATMOR Director of Customer Experience Mike Seminari examines the gap between borrowers who say they are likely to recommend a lender and those who actually make a referral. Seminari argues that lenders should look beyond customer sentiment and identify the specific behaviors and experiences that turn satisfied borrowers into active advocates.
STRATMOR’s MortgageCX data illustrate the potential impact. “We have lenders whose referral rates are improving dramatically even when their overall customer sentiment isn’t changing much at all,” Seminari says. “So perhaps we’ve been skipping over an important question. Knowing that someone would recommend you to others is useful. But what actually causes them to do it?”
Seminari recommends that lenders work to discover what prompts borrowers to advocate for a lender and then coach loan officers on actions they can control, such as asking for referrals and maintaining contact after closing.
Read the entire September Insights Report here.
About STRATMOR Group
STRATMOR Group is a leading mortgage industry advisory firm that provides a range of programs and services for senior industry executives. STRATMOR serves more than 250 companies annually, recommending strategies that increase growth and improve profitability in sales, marketing, technology, operations and mergers and acquisitions. The company leverages comprehensive, proprietary data and key insights gained through extensive experience in the mortgage industry. STRATMOR is well known for its financial models and its collaboration with the Mortgage Bankers Association in the PGR: MBA and STRATMOR Peer Group Roundtables Program. Learn more at www.stratmorgroup.com.