We've launched MLO Studio Research, a new series using proprietary MLO Studio and Morty data to better understand how mortgage professionals market, brand, and grow their businesses. The first three reports look at three different parts of the loan officer growth stack: what mortgage professionals invest in, how they build their brands, and how they find clients.
2026 Loan Officer Marketing Trends Report: What 350+ mortgage professionals actually selected across networking, social media, sales, leads, and other marketing resources.
2026 Loan Officer Brand Report: What aggregate Brand Studio choices reveal about color palettes, imagery, personalization, and how mortgage professionals build their digital brands.
2026 Loan Officer Growth Report: How mortgage professionals say they currently—or intend to—find clients, from referrals and Realtor relationships to digital marketing, networking, and partnerships.
Introducing MLO Studio: Websites and Marketing Built for Loan Officers
Morty has launched MLO Studio, a new marketing platform built specifically for mortgage professionals. MLO Studio gives loan officers the tools to build a professional online presence, create their brand, market their business, and engage borrowers—all in one place.
Professional Loan Officer Websites: Choose from 20+ website designs built specifically for mortgage professionals and customize them around your business and brand.
Built-In Branding: Create a consistent visual identity with customizable colors, typography, imagery, and brand assets.
Marketing Content: Create and manage mortgage marketing content with AI-assisted tools designed to make staying active easier.
Interactive Mortgage Tools: Add mortgage calculators and borrower resources directly to your website to give prospective clients a reason to engage.
Lead Capture: Turn website visitors into prospective clients with integrated lead capture and borrower conversion tools.
Hemlock now fully supports clients with multiple transactions, allowing loan officers to manage concurrent and historical loans without losing access to prior applications, pricing, documents, or closing workflows.
Manage Multiple Transactions: Select and work within any transaction associated with a client.
Concurrent Applications: Multiple draft, received, or in-progress applications can be edited at the same time.
Preserved History: Terminal applications remain frozen so closed, withdrawn, denied, and lost files keep their original data.
Transaction-Specific Pricing: Pricing scenarios are tied to the selected transaction for cleaner loan management.
Flexible Fannie File Generation: Generate Fannie files from the appropriate application and loan combination across transactions.
Access to Prior Workflows: Loan officers can return to previous transactions without being locked out of applications or operational tools.
Platform Updates
Client Activity Log in Hemlock
Hemlock now includes a native Activity Log that gives loan officers and Morty teams a searchable, real-time history of the actions and events on every client file.
Real-Time Client History: See product events and actions across the life of a client file in one place.
Searchable Events: Search activity by event name to quickly locate important actions.
Flexible Filters: Filter the log by role, date range, or transaction.
Full File Timeline: Scroll back through the complete history of a client’s activity.
Clearer Event Types: Color-coded activity makes it easier to scan who did what and when.
Product & Tech
Separate & Joint Credit Pulls
Morty now supports both joint and separate credit pulls for applications with a co-borrower, improving support for borrowers who are not married to one another.
Marital Status in Preapproval and Application: Borrowers are now asked whether they are married to each other.
Smarter Defaults: Credit pulls default to joint or separate based on the borrowers’ relationship.
LO Override: Loan officers can choose a joint or separate pull when running credit if the default is not appropriate.
Better Co-Borrower Support: Non-married co-borrowers can be processed without forcing a joint credit pull.
Product & Tech
Improved Cash-Out Refinance Scenarios
Cash-out refinance workflows now better account for debt being paid from closing proceeds, making pricing scenarios more accurate for borrowers using cash out for debt consolidation.
Cash to Borrower: The borrower-facing cash-out amount reflects the amount the borrower expects to receive at closing.
Debt Payoff Support: Liabilities marked “Paying off with cash from closing” are added to the total cash needed for the refinance.
More Accurate Pricing Inputs: Hemlock pricing uses the full cash-out requirement, including both borrower proceeds and debts being paid off.
Built-In Validation: Pricing inputs ensure the cash-out amount is sufficient to cover liabilities designated for payoff.
Product & Tech
VA & USDA Pricing and Preapproval in Elroy
Borrowers can now see VA and USDA eligibility, pricing, and preapproval results directly in Elroy, expanding the self-service experience beyond Conventional and FHA programs.
Program-Specific Eligibility: Preapproval results are now broken out by loan program with program-specific messaging.
VA & USDA Preapproval Letters: Eligible borrowers can generate VA and USDA preapproval letters directly in Elroy.
Borrower-Visible Pricing: VA and USDA loan options can now appear in the Interactive Quote and application experience.
More Complete Self-Service: Borrowers can review and select these programs without relying on a loan officer to surface them manually.
Product & Tech
Preapproval Without a Property Address
Borrowers who have not selected a property yet can now move through preapproval, application, and interactive quote experiences without manually entering a placeholder address.
No Property Yet Option: Borrowers can select “I don’t have a property in mind yet” when an address is not available.
Automatic Placeholder Address: Morty fills the required transaction address using the borrower’s current location.
Smoother Preapproval Flow: Borrowers can continue through preapproval without inventing or manually entering a temporary property address.
Less Friction at the Start: The experience removes a confusing workaround from early-stage home shopping.
Platform Updates
Closing Tracker Now Available in Hemlock
The full Closing Tracker is now available in Hemlock, giving loan officers more visibility and control over closing milestones, documents, conditions, and change management requests.
Full Closing Tracker Access: Loan officers can now use the same closing workflow previously available only to Morty operations teams.
Document Review: Approve or reject closing documents directly from Hemlock.
Closing Milestones: Review and update milestones as a file progresses toward closing.
CMR Management: Create and manage change management requests without leaving Hemlock.
More LO Visibility: Keep the closing process and client file activity in one workspace.
Platform Updates
MISMO 3.4 Import in Hemlock
Loan officers can now import MISMO 3.4 files into Hemlock to create or update client records, making it easier to bring an existing book of business onto Morty without re-entering application data.
Create Clients from 3.4 Files: Upload a MISMO 3.4 XML file to create a new client with borrower, financial, transaction, and application data prefilled.
Update Existing Clients: Import a 3.4 file into an existing client record to refresh opportunity and borrower data.
Faster Onboarding: Move active client files from another platform into Morty with significantly less manual data entry.
LO-Led Transactions: Imported clients can be created and worked in Hemlock without requiring the borrower to log into Elroy first.
Platform Updates
Loan Management in Hemlock
Hemlock now includes a dedicated Loans workspace where loan officers and Morty teams can create, review, edit, and manage the loans associated with each client throughout the transaction.
New Loans Tab: View and manage a client’s loans from a dedicated workspace in Hemlock.
Create and Duplicate Loans: Build a loan from scratch, copy a pricing scenario, or duplicate an existing loan.
Editable Loan Details: Keep loan information, fees, lock and registration details, and other operational data up to date.
Pipeline Visibility: Loan status is surfaced on the client pipeline for easier sorting and filtering.
Shared Loan Options: Loans created in Hemlock can also be displayed in Elroy for borrower conversations.
Platform Updates
Soft Pull Applications Across More Loan Types
Loan officers can now allow an application to be submitted with only a soft credit pull when a lender or program will complete its own hard pull later in the process.
Per-Application Control: Loan officers can enable Soft Credit Pull Submission Allowed for eligible applications.
Broader Soft Pull Support: Soft pulls can now be used beyond HELOC and HELoan workflows when the loan officer enables the setting.
Automatic Home Equity Support: HELOC and HELoan applications remain soft-pull eligible by default.
Flexible Submission Requirements: Applications can avoid an unnecessary duplicate hard pull when the lender will run one separately.
Platform Updates
Start New Transactions & Edit Addresses in Hemlock
Loan officers can now start a new transaction and correct property addresses directly from Hemlock, reducing the need to switch between tools when a client’s transaction changes.
Side and Top Navigation: Primary sections like Pricing, Clients, and Settings now live in a left side navigation.
Updated Client Views: Client pages are left aligned, creating more space for future tabs and features.
Refined Dashboard and Application Views: Layouts have been adjusted to highlight the most important information.
Transaction Selector: A new selector at the top of the client page supports viewing and managing transactions.
Platform Updates
Introducing Brand Studio
Brand Studio is a new workspace designed to streamline the marketing workflow. It gives loan officers the tools to update their page, manage brand assets, create social content, and track analytics all from one central location.
Self Serve Landing Pages: Update your landing page, branding, and content anytime.
Centralized Brand Management: Store and manage your logo, headshot, colors, and brand assets in one place.
Instant Social Ads: Generate ready to run social ads that automatically use your branding, logo, and headshot.
Built In Posting: Publish directly to your linked social accounts with post copy and visuals that you can edit before sharing.
Social Analytics: Track engagement and performance across your posts in one dashboard.
Platform Updates
Soft Credit Pulls for Refinance
Soft credit pulls are now supported within the application experience for certain refinance types.
This update allows HELOC, HELoan, and Other refinance applications to be submitted using only a soft pull, supporting lender programs that perform their own hard pull later in the process.
Soft and Hard Pull Options: Clients can now run either a soft or hard credit pull within the application.
Soft Pull Eligible Refinance Goals: HELOC, HELoan, and Other refinance applications can be completed and submitted with a soft pull.
Hard Pull Required for Purchases and Standard Refis: Purchase, cash out refinance, and rate and term refinance applications still require a hard pull to submit.
Updated Credit Completion Logic: The credit tab is considered complete with a soft pull for eligible refinance types, and requires a hard pull for all others.
Platform Updates
REO & Lease Editing in Hemlock
Loan officers can now edit REOs and leases directly in Hemlock, eliminating the need to switch tools or request support to resolve application issues.
This update adds flexibility to both the application and financial profile, allowing property-related data to be managed entirely within Hemlock.
Editable Homes Section: REOs and leases are now editable within both the application view and the financial profile.
Residential History Control: Primary residency dates can be added or removed for each borrower within a home’s edit modal.
Consolidated Editing: Home-related details can be reviewed and updated within a single edit flow.
Faster Issue Resolution: Loan officers can independently fix REO- and lease-related application issues.
Mortgage Infrastructure
OakTree Funding Corp added to our lender network
We've expanded access to specialized Non-QM solutions with new lender partner OakTree Funding Corp. OakTree is one of our most requested lenders and brings unique offerings, like cross-collateralized loans, that unlock new financing strategies for investors and multi-property borrowers.
Specialty products include Cross-Collateralized (Blanket) Loans and Bank Statement HELOCs.
Full suite of specialty loan programs now available to partners.
Offering DSCR loans secured by multiple properties, a new option we are able to support.
Product & Tech
VA Fannie Findings now supported in Hemlock
We’ve expanded Fannie Findings in Hemlock to now support VA loans, unlocking a major workflow upgrade for partners focused on veteran borrowers. With growing VA volume across the platform, we’ve extended this capability to include VA, along with a few additional enhancements to streamline file review and scenario testing.
Fannie Files can now be generated for Conventional, FHA, and VA loan types.
Findings can be run as long as a complete application data set is available. Loan eligibility or final loan selection is not required.
Findings can now be run post-application submission for any Conv, FHA, or VA loan, regardless of what the borrower originally applied with.
Since Hemlock does not currently collect a small set of VA-specific fields, certain inputs are auto-defaulted to allow findings to run smoothly (assumptions outlined on page 2 of the memo).
Loan officers can manually adjust VA inputs directly in DU if needed.
Mortgage Infrastructure
Normandy added to our lender network
We’ve added Normandy to our lender network, expanding Morty’s access to specialty construction and land loan products. Normandy is a long-standing lender known for financing lot/land purchases and residential or commercial construction projects, a highly requested addition from our partners.
Specialty products include Lot/Land Loans and Residential & Commercial Construction Loans.
Normandy provides a full suite of resources for scenario review and borrower support.
Product & Tech
Loan Selection Controls for the Application
Whether loan officers want clients to choose their own loan or prefer to guide the selection themselves, they can now configure the loan tab experience to match their workflow.
Broker-level toggling: Admins can now set “Allow LO’s clients to select pricing” to Yes or No for each broker.
Simplified Loan Tab: When set to No, clients no longer see pricing or self-service loan options, they only indicate the loan types they’re interested in.
Works Across All Clients: The setting applies instantly to all current and future clients tied to that broker.
Consistent Experience: Any loan selected on the client’s behalf (in Hemlock or Elroy) still appears on the loan tab.
Product & Tech
Support for Income Gaps in Applications
Borrowers can now accurately report income gaps, including past breaks, full two-year gaps, or currently having no income, for a smoother and more realistic application experience.
"No Income During This Period" Option: Borrowers can add income gaps in pre-approval, the full application, or the Hemlock financial profile.
Covers All Scenarios: Supports zero current income, multi-year gaps, or short-term breaks.
Automatic Follow-Up: Any gap triggers a CMR task for a Letter of Explanation.
Updated DTI Logic: When current income is $0, DTI calculates to 100%; asset-based qualification can still be handled via manual income entry in Hemlock Pricing.
Product & Tech
More Editing Control in Hemlock
Application process is now simpler and faster for loan officers! Brokers can now edit the "About You" section of their client application directly from the Hemlock Application View instead of through the client portal.
This is part of our ongoing effort to make all application details editable in Hemlock, putting more control at your fingertips.
Whether clients and leads are looking to purchase a new home or refinance an existing one, they can now use the interactive quote tool to easily view, refine, and select the best loan option for their needs
View Rates Outside the Application: Provides a clear view of current refinance rates before they even start their application.
Download Fee Sheets: Option to quickly access and download detailed fee sheets.
Easily Refine Options: The "Adjust your rate" section lets them filter results based on rate, payment, LTV ranges.
Optimized for Leads: Even if they don't have an account yet, they can access refinance rates via the Public Interactive Quote (PIQ) to start their journey.
Product & Tech
See Morty’s Pricing Engine in Action
Morty’s Pricing Engine brings speed, transparency, and confidence to every loan scenario.
In this quick demo, we walk through how brokers and loan officers can compare programs, run pricing in seconds across 25+ wholesale lenders, and generate interactive quotes their clients can explore in real time — all within Hemlock.
Instant pricing across 25+ lenders: Run Conventional, FHA, Jumbo, and niche programs in seconds.
Smart comparison tools: Quickly identify the best-priced lender with comp and credits automatically calculated.
Custom borrower scenarios: Lock, float, or adjust points and lender credits with a click.
Interactive borrower quotes: Clients can explore rate options, cash-to-close impacts, and program details — all from their dashboard.
Product & Tech
Application Statusing — More Visibility, Better Pipeline Tracking
We’ve introduced a major enhancement to how applications are tracked in Hemlock. The new Application Statusing system gives loan officers and admins more visibility into where each loan stands, all within Hemlock.
Centralized Status Tracking: View the current state of any loan application directly in Hemlock — no more switching between tools.
Terminal Status Safeguards: Once an application is marked as Denied or Withdrawn, its status can no longer be changed, ensuring data accuracy.
Pipeline Insights: Status data now feeds into reporting and pipeline metrics, helping you manage your business more effectively from one dashboard.
Mortgage Infrastructure
NFTYDoor added to our lender network
We’ve added NFTYDoor to our lender network, expanding Morty’s product access to mortgage capabilities to specialty products like HELOCs. NFTYDoor is a fully digital application powered by AI and automation, and funding can happen in as little as 5 days.
Eligibility Messaging Now Live for Alt Doc Options
We’ve added eligibility messaging to Alt Doc loan options in Hemlock, giving loan officers greater clarity when reviewing and structuring non-traditional borrower scenarios. This update helps brokers work more efficiently with self-employed and alternative-income clients, ensuring every borrower gets matched with the right solution, faster.
Greater transparency: Instantly see why a client’s scenario may not align with a specific program.
Faster troubleshooting: Identify and correct issues upfront, before submitting to lenders.
Streamlined workflows: Generate fee sheets and manual PA letters directly.
Smarter client communication: Explain complex program criteria with confidence and guide borrowers through eligibility issues in real time.
Product & Tech
New in Hemlock: Pull credit for any borrower, at any stage and manage co-borrower
Simplify credit pulls and co-borrower management directly in Hemlock. We’ve expanded how credit works in Hemlock, giving you more flexibility to qualify early-stage borrowers and keep your pipeline moving.
Pull credit for any client, even before a property or transaction is created.
Add and manage co-borrowers directly from the financial profile or credit pull modal.
Run credit for different co-borrower combinations to see how profiles compare.
Clients can manage co-borrowers details within the pre-approval and application at any time.
Mortgage Infrastructure
Kind Lending added to our lender network
We’ve added Kind Lending to our lender network, expanding Morty’s product access to mortgage capabilities. Kind is one of the fastest-growing, tech-forward wholesale lenders, recommended to Morty by a Brokerage Tier customer. They offer a full suite of conventional, government, and Non-QM products.
With the launch of Alt-Doc pricing, Hemlock now includes full Non-QM coverage across the programs our lender partners offer.
Whether your borrower is an investor or self-employed, you can now generate accurate quotes, compare programs side-by-side, and create client-ready outputs, all without leaving Morty.
It’s everything you need to quote Non-QM with confidence, no spreadsheets, screenshots, or back-and-forths required.
With this release, you can now quote Alt-Doc loans across multiple loan programs directly in Hemlock. Just enter your borrower’s scenario, and get live, accurate pricing, including LLPAs, right at your fingertips:
We’ve added LendSure Mortgage Corp to our lender network, expanding Morty’s access to specialty mortgage programs. LendSure offers a full suite of Non-QM products along with hard money solutions.
Now Live: DSCR Pricing, Programs & Branded Fee Sheets
Non-QM just got easier. You can now price DSCR loans directly in Hemlock — no screenshots, PDFs, or lender portals required. This update gives you more control, more clarity, and a faster way to quote investor loans.
We’ve added Change Wholesale to our lender network, expanding Morty’s access to Non-QM and specialty products. Change is one of the largest Non-QM lenders in the country and also offers a closed-end second mortgage option.
View interest rates in pipeline: Prioritize refi-ready borrowers with a new rate column
Delete multiple pricing scenarios: Clean up pricing with bulk delete functionality
Remove clients manually: Easily delete clients without needing support
Product & Tech
Expanded Support for Borrower-Paid Compensation (BPC) in Hemlock
Hemlock now offers expanded support for borrower-paid compensation (BPC), allowing for more flexible loan structuring and compliance-ready disclosures.