The honest version of "does it integrate with my software." These are the systems this industry actually runs on, and what each one means for a build.
Encompass / ByteLoan origination
The system of record for the loan file, conditions, disclosures and compliance, and the anchor for anything an agent does here.
Arive / LendingPadBroker platforms
Common in independent brokerages, connecting to multiple wholesale lenders from one file.
Wholesale lender portalsInvestors
Each lender with its own submission process, condition list and turn times, which is where most of the manual switching cost lives.
Point of saleBorrower experience
Blend, Floify or similar, where borrowers upload documents and track progress, and where the document chase either works or does not.
Pricing and lock deskRates
Product and pricing engines, rate locks and expiration dates that carry real cost when missed.
Verification servicesUnderwriting
Income, employment and asset verification, plus credit, appraisal and title ordering.
CRMBusiness development
Where borrower and referral partner relationships live, and where the database that produces repeat business is either worked or ignored.