Playing the Long Game to Nurture Leads Into Loyal Borrowers
Overview of Denis Wells’ homebuyer pipeline
- 4 months live on the Manifest With Us platform
- 50 consumers actively engaged in the app
- Leveraging BuyerVision to reduce credit pull costs
- Early engagement positioning with Realtors in the local market
The Challenge: Avoiding the “Credit Pull First” Trap
For most loan officers, the pre-approval process starts with a credit pull. But as Dennis Wells knows, not every conversation should start there, especially with early-journey homebuyers who may be months or years away from purchasing.
“Why spend the money to pull credit before a borrower is ready,” Dennis says, “when I can invite them into my app, see their BuyerVision snapshot, and start a real conversation about readiness?”
The challenge Dennis set out to solve:
- Engage earlier with prospective buyers
- Qualify intent without incurring unnecessary credit costs
- Offer unique value that differentiates him from other lenders in his market
The Solution: Manifest With Us + BuyerVision
Four months ago, Dennis added LeaderOne Financial’s white-labeled FinLocker app, Manifest With Us, to the front end of his process.
Here’s how it works in his workflow:
- Step 1: In the first meeting, Dennis builds a Mortgage Coach scenario based on the borrower’s desired payment, without pulling credit.
- Step 2: He invites the consumer to download Manifest With Us, link their credit and bank accounts, and share their BuyerVision report.
- Step 3: Using the BuyerVision snapshot, Dennis can see the borrower’s credit score range, key liabilities, and potential red flags at no cost and with no credit inquiry.
- Step 4: For ready buyers, his production partner organizes the file and moves it to underwriting. For “not yet ready” buyers, the app becomes a long-term engagement hub.
Why It Works: Education + Engagement = Trust
Dennis believes most buyers simply don’t know what they don’t know about credit, budgeting, or the mortgage process. Manifest With Us gives him a platform to:
- Teach credit and budgeting fundamentals in a visual, interactive way
- Keep borrowers engaged through progress alerts and readiness tracking
- Show Realtors that he has a system to nurture leads far beyond the 15% who are “ready now”
“It’s a pattern interrupt,” Dennis explains. “While other LOs are just asking for a Social Security number, I’m having a conversation about goals and showing them a tool they can actually use.”
Realtor Outreach: Leading with Value
In addition to working directly with consumers, Dennis uses the app in his Realtor presentations. He positions it as a free, co-branded resource that helps agents:
- See which of their leads are active in the app
- Identify when a prospect is getting closer to mortgage readiness
- Reduce the risk of losing buyers to online lead resellers
For agents, it’s a differentiator. For Dennis, it’s a way to own the long game.
Early Results: Too Soon for ROI, But the Value Is Clear
At just four months in, Dennis hasn’t yet closed a loan directly tied to Manifest With Us. But he’s already seeing:
- 50 consumers in his ecosystem
- High-quality conversations with early-journey buyers
- Avoided costs from unnecessary credit pulls
- Positive reception from local Realtors, impressed by his technology
Takeaways for Loan Officers
- Engage early without pressure – Use tools like BuyerVision to start meaningful conversations before application.
- Protect your budget – Reserve credit pulls for high-intent, ready buyers.
- Differentiate with tech – Give Realtors a reason to see you as more than just rate and product.
- Play the long game – Build trust now for closings 6–12 months down the road.
Discover how to nurture long-term, high-intent borrowers like Dennis Wells. Book your FinLocker demo and start building your own pipeline.
About FinLocker & Manifest With Us
Manifest With Us is the LeaderOne Financial white-labeled version of the FinLocker personal finance platform. It helps loan officers engage, nurture, and convert early-stage homebuyers through tools like credit monitoring, budgeting, savings goals, readiness assessments, property search, and secure document storage, branded to the LO and offered free to consumers.
