New Insights Report examines how lenders are prioritizing fulfillment, closing and post-closing technologies as AI adoption accelerates
June 4, 2026 – DENVER, Colo. – The center of gravity for mortgage digital investment has shifted decisively, according to STRATMOR Group, a mortgage industry advisory firm. In “Mortgage Digital Investment Is Moving Below the Waterline,” Senior Partner Nicole Yung draws on the results from the newly released 2025 STRATMOR Technology Insight® Study (TIS) Digital Innovations module to argue that borrower-facing digital basics are now table stakes — and that the real opportunity lies in back-office processing, closing, and post-closing functions that borrowers never see.
“Think of mortgage digital investment as an iceberg,” Yung says. “For the better part of a decade, the tip, the visible, borrower-facing portion above the waterline, was where nearly all the energy went.” Based on findings from nearly 80 lenders in the TIS, she concludes: “The iceberg hasn’t grown or shrunk. It has flipped.”
Key findings from the 2025 TIS Digital Innovations results include:
- Document extraction (65%), income extraction (52%) and document classification (48%) rank among the top planned processing investments.
- 88% of current AI users expect to increase their use in the coming year, with precisely zero reporting interest in decreasing it.
- Document classification and indexing (68%) and document reading (59%) are the leading AI use cases among lenders today — both back-office functions.
- The majority of AI-using lenders (53%) are sourcing purpose-built solutions from third-party vendors, while native LOS AI capabilities account for just 6% of current AI usage.
On the implications for LOS providers, Yung says: “Lenders aren’t waiting for their LOS provider to catch up. They’re sourcing AI capability independently, which means the LOS market will face increasing pressure to accelerate its own AI roadmap.”
The article also examines the evolving role of robotic process automation (RPA), noting that bot usage has plateaued at just over 40% of lenders as LOS platforms absorb functions bots once handled.
“Digital is no longer an innovation initiative,” according to Yung. “It’s foundational to how lenders operate. The question in 2026 isn’t whether to invest in digital, but where those investments will deliver the greatest operational and financial return.”
In a second article, Director of Customer Experience Mike Seminari examines what the AI era means for borrower trust. In “The AI Era of Mortgage Trust Has Already Begun,” he argues that AI is changing how consumers form trust, and that lenders who fail to adapt risk becoming invisible at the moment a borrower is deciding who to call.
“AI may increasingly shape who gets considered,” Seminari says. “But the borrower experience still determines who gets remembered, recommended, and retained.” Drawing on STRATMOR MortgageCX data, Seminari argues that testimonials amplify perception, but process quality is what creates promoters. He urges lenders to focus on consistency across the entire loan journey rather than on isolated moments of excellence.
Read the entire June 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.