Imagine telling a borrower that they can refinance their mortgage and close in just seven days. In 2025 that should not be a broken – it should be the standard. We now live for almost everything in a world of delivery on the same day. But although the technology exists to realize the 7-day referral, the industry remains failing.
With the interest rates that are expected to fall in the coming months, the refinancing activity is ready to rise. This creates an important opportunity for lenders – especially for those lenders who can meet the requirements of borrowers for faster rotation times and a seamless, transparent process.
Improving customer satisfaction is a powerful motivator, but it is only part of a much larger payout. Faster, more streamlined processes also provide considerable operational value: they lower the costs per loan, reduce the risk of fall-out during the loan pipeline and stimulate the total loan volume without increasing the overhead. In a REFI-driven market, this efficiency will go directly to the bottom line-the profitability and improve competitiveness.
The core of this challenge is the need for a new approach of origin. Lenders must re-evaluate the full mortgage ecosystem and invest in smarter, technology-compatible workflows. Here we have to start the process:
Digitized, flexible closures
Real-time digital planning, Esign technology and notary remotely are already in use and get traction. According to the Servicelink State of Homebuying Report 2025, 62% of recent home buyers used during their transaction Esign technology. Offering multiple signing options, including hybrid and fully external closure, saves time and can reduce the costs by a maximum of 40% compared to traditional processes.
Title, again conceived
There is a growing conversation around title equipment as a way to reduce the lender costs, but they could introduce bias with risk – and unequal application in the system. A better alternative is the integration of digital title technologies in credit workflows to offer real -time, accurate title obligations early in the process. These innovations reduce friction and rework, so that borrowers come to the closing table faster while retaining critical fraud protection and market confidence.
Streamlined reviews
Devices remain one of the most common bottlenecks in the refinance process, due to legacy planning and models with multiple suppliers. Credit lenders must give priority to real-time planning solutions that synchronize with the availability of assessors and include them in point-of-Sale systems. The result: a faster, more consistent experience for borrowers and less manual work for origination teams.
We are at the point of a large industrial shift – if we choose to evolve outdated systems. The seven -day refinancing is feasible today, not in years from now on. Lenders who are now moving will lead the next era of mortgage loans. Those who wait are lagging behind.
Kiran Vattem is the Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Servicelink.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial department of Housingwire and its owners.
To contact the editor who is responsible for this piece: [email protected].
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