First Community Mortgage is taking somewhat of an unusual approach with its latest branding campaign.
The Murfreesboro, Tenn.-based lender is highlighting the importance of providing human-based customer support throughout the mortgage process, in a contrast with the online products hawked by companies like Quicken Loans and its
First Community's "Human Mortgage" campaign works to display the lender's person-to-person approach when working with prospective borrowers.
The campaign directs borrowers to a phone hotline, 1-800-Go-Human, to connect with an originator. This being the digital age, the campaign does have a website, which seeks to educate first-time homebuyers about the mortgage process and how working with another person can help.
First Community chief executive Keith Canter argues that a person-based approach helps to reduce stress and prevent mistakes for potential borrowers.
"You just can't get that from an online lender," he said in a news release Friday.
First Community isn't alone when it comes to this approach. A recent study shows that millennials appear to prefer in-person help when taking out a loan.
For example, 53% of millennials want live mortgage advice at the start of the loan process, even before going online to research, a survey conducted for SunTrust Banks found. And 57% said they want to receive that advice face-to-face, while 64% responded that they would want in-person interaction for the duration of the process.
