From “Not Yet Ready” to Closed Deals — How a Digital Mortgage Engagement Tool Turned Future Buyers Into Clients
The Challenge: Too Many “Not Yet” Buyers Slipping Away
The Roller Team at LeaderOne Financial is a $100M+ annual production team built almost entirely on referrals. But like every high-volume referral shop, they faced a familiar challenge:
When a referred client wasn’t ready to buy, often due to credit hurdles or savings needs, traditional follow-up methods weren’t keeping them engaged.
A drip email campaign or a calendar reminder to “check back in six months” wasn’t enough to hold the relationship.
The result? Many of those early-stage buyers drifted away…often into the pipeline of competitors who happened to connect with them at the right moment.
The Solution: “Manifest With Us” – A Branded FinLocker Experience
In early 2023, Division Vice President Alice Lund and The Roller Team implemented their white-labeled FinLocker app, branded Manifest With Us, as a cornerstone of their business development strategy.
Their process is simple, but disciplined:
- Every “not yet ready” prospect is invited to create a free account in the app, no exceptions.
- Loan Officers are trained to present the app’s consumer value proposition (credit monitoring, budgeting tools, savings goals, readiness tracker, property search).
- Buyers are onboarded with a clear plan, keeping the conversation alive without sales pressure.
The messaging shift was intentional:
“It’s not ‘no’—it’s ‘not now.’ Let’s work together to get you mortgage-ready.”
Why It Works: Turning Tech into Trust
Continuous Engagement – Consumers link their credit and financial accounts, receive personalized readiness plans, and get alerts when their progress changes. LOs get those alerts too, creating natural, timely reasons to reach out.
Relationship Stickiness – The app becomes the shared workspace for buyer and Loan Officer, building trust over months (or even years) before application.
Realtor Differentiation – The Roller Team uses the app as a market-differentiating talking point with agents. Realtors see the value in a lender who can prepare buyers well in advance of showings, often sending referrals for that reason alone.
Results: Measurable ROI + Untracked Upside
Since launch, The Roller Team has:
- Closed 20 loans directly attributed to app-nurtured clients
- Generated $60,000+ in revenue, over 10X ROI on their investment
- Maintained 272 active users in their ecosystem
- Achieved a 7.3% annual conversion rate from active app users
And that’s just the measurable impact. Alice notes that the app’s perceived value has directly led to new Realtor relationships and client referrals, even from people who never downloaded the app.
Key Takeaways for Loan Officers
- Systematize the Invite – Make app enrollment a non-negotiable step for every early-stage buyer.
- Lead with Consumer Value – Sell the benefits to them, not the technology itself.
- Leverage Alerts – Use credit improvement or readiness changes as natural, timely touchpoints.
- Show Realtors the Differentiator – Position the app as a competitive advantage for their clients, too.
Turn ‘not yet ready’ leads into closed loans with the right digital engagement tools. Book a FinLocker demo to see how it’s done.