Conferees: Lenders Need to Rethink Tech Use

A common theme expressed by many at the 11th Annual SourceMedia Mortgage Technology Conference was that lenders in the current down market need to use technology to reinvent the way mortgages are done. "Now is the time to re-examine your business model," said Chris Jabbal, former chief information officer at Washington Mutual. "From there, lenders have to decide how they can support that business model and apply technology to be more efficient. One big focus in the market today is a shift to automating the back end by doing more concrete disclosures on 100% of loans." Joe Dahleen, senior vice president in the strategy recovery group at online lender SRGi, added: "Now is a great time for lenders to look closely at the process and change it, using automation to be ready for the new mortgage market that will emerge after this downturn subsides. We have to think differently about how we lend, to improve the process for everyone involved."