TROY, Mich. — Mortgage lenders are making it easier for borrowers to navigate the loan process online, but fewer customers are getting prompt answers or consistent personal guidance, according to a new J.D. Power study.
The 2026 U.S. Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study, released Tuesday, found overall satisfaction unchanged from a year earlier at 760 on a 1,000-point scale. Improvements in digital services and ratings for lender employees offset declines in trust and communication, the research firm said.
“Borrowers appreciate being able to handle more of the mortgage process online, but they still want someone they can turn to when they have questions,” said Bruce Gehrke, senior director of wealth and lending intelligence at J.D. Power.
Gehrke said lenders have an opportunity to combine digital convenience with more dependable guidance, particularly as borrowers approach closing.
Among the findings, 58% of borrowers said lenders responded to their questions the same day, down from 62% in 2025. The share reporting a primary point of contact fell to 88% from 91%. Among borrowers who encountered problems, a larger proportion said those difficulties arose after loan approval or on closing day.
Bolstering Trust
Existing customer relationships appeared to bolster trust. Borrowers who held other financial products with their mortgage lender were more likely to trust the institution and regard its representative as an adviser. Overall, 67% of respondents considered their lender representative a trusted adviser, roughly twice the proportion who said the same of a financial adviser, real estate agent or family member, J.D. Power reported.
Younger borrowers expressed competing preferences. Among Generation Y and Generation Z respondents, 66% preferred self-service when adequate digital tools were available, but 49% said their lender representative should have been more involved. The study also found younger borrowers were more likely to compare lenders and use artificial intelligence when researching mortgage providers.
Chase ranked first in mortgage origination satisfaction with a score of 789, followed by Bank of America at 788 and PNC at 785.
What Study Measured
The study measured six factors: communication, digital channels, trust, whether the loan offering met borrowers’ needs, ease of doing business and staff. It was based on responses from 5,394 customers who originated or refinanced a mortgage within the previous 12 months. The research was conducted from September 2025 through September 2026.
