Why Your Mortgage Lending Software Must Deliver Across Generations

The materials available in this article are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your own advisors with questions regarding the mortgage lending software content herein. The opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of the individual authors and may not reflect the opinions of MeridianLink, Inc.

You often hear that capturing younger borrowers is the key to growth. But if you focus only there, you're missing a huge piece of the puzzle. According to NAR's 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, baby boomers now represent 42% of all home buyers, while millennials have dropped to 29%-down from 38% just last year.

And when you look closer at the average age of today's buyers, the long-term trend is unmistakable:

• First-time buyers are now 38 years old
• Repeat buyers average 61
• The overall average age has climbed to 56, steadily rising over the past several decades

Meanwhile, your loan officers are getting younger. The average age today is 44, a decade younger than the average of 54 back in 2014.

Why is this so important?

Your mortgage lending business needs to evolve alongside these market dynamics. Having mortgage lending software that effectively serves diverse borrowers and empowers your loan officers is essential to making that happen. Without it, you risk inefficiency, lost customers, costly compliance risks, loan officer burnout, and lost revenue from missed opportunities. But with the right system and support, you can create a seamless experience that keeps everyone satisfied and growing.

To build a mortgage lending business that succeeds across generations, here are a few key things you should know:

• Earn Gen X and boomers' trust with simplicity and ease
  While baby boomers make up the largest share of homebuyers, Gen X typically brings in the highest household income. Both groups bring unique challenges and high expectations to the mortgage process. Boomers often have layered financial profiles-higher equity, multiple properties, and diverse retirement income streams. Many are buying or selling to downsize, retire, or move closer to family. Meanwhile, Gen X buyers are the "sandwich generation," balancing high incomes with bigger responsibilities like multigenerational living, aging parents, and adult children at home. In both cases, they expect clear, respectful guidance-and won't put up with clunky portals, confusing paperwork, or unclear instructions. That's why your mortgage lending software needs to be easy to use, with a secure borrower portal that lets them upload documents, check their loan status, and stay in touch with their loan officer and real estate agent without any headaches.

• Give millennials and Gen Z the fast, digital-first experience they expect
  While millennials aren't the largest group of buyers overall anymore, they still dominate first-time purchases. Gen Z is slowly starting to enter the market, with lower incomes but big expectations for smooth, tech-driven experiences. Both groups expect to start applications on their phone, sign disclosures electronically, get instant updates, and handle the entire process on their schedule. If your mortgage lending software can't deliver mobile-first experiences, secure e-signatures, automated pre-approvals, and around-the-clock updates, they'll pick a lender who can.

• Empower loan officers with smart tools that boost productivity
  Your loan officers are the vital link connecting multigenerational borrowers to your lending process. With mortgage volume projected to reach a 40% increase per loan officer this year-rising from $8.27M in 2024 to a forecasted $11.77M in 2025-it's critical to keep your pipeline flowing and your team motivated. Modern mortgage lending software can do that by eliminating tedious manual tasks-like credit pulls and verifications-automating underwriting and pricing decisions, streamlining document collection, and providing real-time pipeline visibility. The right technology means less time chasing files and more time closing loans, building relationships, and driving growth for your business.

That's why more lenders trust MeridianLink Mortgage.

MeridianLink^® Mortgage gives you modern tools that cater to borrowers and loan officers of every generation, so you never have to choose who you serve best.

Think about how today's consumers manage their finances. Many want the freedom to start a mortgage application on their phone any time of day. They want to save their progress and continue the application when it's convenient for them. And they want the option to sign disclosures on their tablet while in the school pickup line. MeridianLink Mortgage makes that possible. With a 100% cloud-based, omnichannel interface, customizable workflows, secure e-signatures, and around-the-clock access to files and forms, your institution and your borrowers can experience unmatched convenience and control.

Buying a home is one of the most significant investments a person will make, so borrowers appreciate a lending experience that's clear and reassuring. With MeridianLink Mortgage, they can easily upload documents, check their loan status whenever they want, and stay connected with their loan officer and real estate agent through a secure borrower portal. Automated updates and simple dashboards give them peace of mind, so there's no extra phone calls or confusion in the process.

Behind the scenes, your loan officers also benefit. Instead of drowning in repetitive tasks like credit pulls or endless verifications, automation handles the busywork. Plus, with automated underwriting and a built-in product and pricing engine, your team gets faster, smarter decisions-meaning they can spend more time guiding borrowers, answering questions, and closing loans, not chasing paperwork.

Being agile is key to staying competitive. So, our robust APIs and an extensive network of integration partners make it easy for you to connect the tools you already trust, and adapt as your borrowers' needs change.

Of course, none of this works without data. MeridianLink Mortgage puts powerful reporting at your fingertips, so you can spot trends, catch bottlenecks early, and keep your pipeline moving smoothly. And as your business grows, you're not stuck with rigid systems.

Best of all, you don't have to navigate this alone. MeridianLink backs you with a dedicated team of mortgage technology experts who help you get the most from your system, keep your processes sharp, and make sure you're always ready for what's next in the market.

The right mortgage lending software should help you close more loans, serve every borrower better, empower your loan officers to do their best work, and keep you ahead no matter how the market shifts next.