Webinar Recap:
Five takeaways from AI Voice Agents and use cases for Mortgage Lending
April 14, 2025
Chris Barnett — Head of Product Solutions
chris at marrlabs.com
Last week, Marr Labs CEO Dave Grannan joined Josh Reicher, Chief Digital Officer at Cenlar FSB , and moderator Ruth Lee for a deep dive into how AI voice technology is used today across the mortgage industry.
This wasn’t another high-level discussion about chatbots or IVR. It was a practical look at how human-like voice agents solve real problems—from lead conversion to borrower support.
Here are some takeaways from the conversation: use cases, lessons learned, and where AI voice is headed.
AI Voice helps lenders win the speed-to-lead game
Dave Grannan opened with a stat that caught everyone’s attention: over half of borrowers go with the first lender who contacts them. That means speed is everything if you're buying leads from sources like LendingTree or NerdWallet.
AI voice agents can engage a lead within one second of submission, qualifying them, gathering details, and transferring to a licensed loan officer. The big unlock? You don’t need more staff to do it.
“You can turn on 1,000 AI agents right now and turn them off in an hour. That kind of flexibility is impossible with human teams.”
AI Voice Agents dont just answer calls—they have conversations
The webinar featured a demo of a Marr Labs AI Voice Agent qualifying a borrower for a home equity loan and then making small talk to keep the caller engaged until a live loan officer joined the call. Grannan noted that this warm handoff significantly reduces call abandonment.
AI Voice can fully handle routine inquiries
Josh Reicher shared how Cenlar is using AI to improve operational service efficiency.
One use case: answering common borrower questions (like requests for a 1098 form) without human involvement. The key is matching the right level of complexity to the right tool. “Most digitally savvy homeowners prefer to self-serve,” Reicher noted. “If they can get an answer in one call, 24/7, they’re happy.”
“Most digitally savvy homeowners prefer to self-serve. If they can get an answer in one call, 24/7, they’re happy.”
AI voice agents are designed to sound natural, respond intelligently, and never get tired or frustrated, giving borrowers a more consistent experience than traditional call centers.
It knows when to escalate to a human
Both Dave Grannan and Josh Reicher emphasized that AI voice should empower, not replace, human agents—especially in emotionally charged or complex situations. Today’s AI voice agents can recognize the right moment to get out of the way.
Here’s how that works:
Real-time sentiment analysis
AI monitors tone, pacing, and language patterns that indicate frustration, confusion, or anxiety. If it detects any of these, the system can proactively route the call to a human—without the borrower needing to ask.Caller Intent or Preference If a borrower explicitly states, “I want to speak to someone” or employs common escalation triggers (e.g., repeating "agent"), the AI promptly honors the request. There is no struggle for control—only a seamless handoff.
Policy or Compliance Triggers
In the mortgage industry, specific topics (e.g., rates, credit decisions) necessitate human intervention. Marr’s AI agents are equipped with built-in guardrails that prompt escalation when these thresholds are reached.Multimodal design philosophy
Grannan noted that some borrowers prefer chat, others want voice, and some want a person. The goal isn’t to push them down a path, but to match them with the right channel at the right time.
“If someone gets annoyed or asks to speak to a human, we don’t fight it—we route the call. It’s about getting the task done, not pretending the AI can do everything.”
This hybrid approach ensures borrowers feel supported, while human reps focus where they’re most needed.
There’s real ROI on the table
Grannan shared results from a recent case study across 300,000 calls:
81% cost reduction per outbound call compared to humans
$39K saved in one month for a single lender
20% higher lead prequalification rate vs. human callers
Reicher echoed the value of starting small and measuring impact. “If the tool helps your team spend more time with borrowers and less time on busywork, it pays off fast,” he said.
Where things are headed: Agentic AI and Task Completion
Looking ahead, both speakers pointed to agentic AI as the next evolution—tools that can handle entire workflows with minimal supervision.
“Voice AI is no longer about routing or menus. It’s about completing real tasks—accurately, efficiently, and with empathy. ”
🎥 Want to see it for yourself?
Watch the full webinar recording for live demos, practical advice, and an inside look at what leading mortgage teams are doing with AI voice.
Why Mortgage Lenders Love the Marr Labs AI Call Center
February 14, 2025
Chris Barnett — Head of Product Solutions
chris at marrlabs.com
Over the past year, the team at Marr Labs has had conversations with dozens of mortgage lenders. We’ve heard a remarkably consistent message: lenders need a faster, more effective, and compliant way to engage with borrowers and prospects. Speed matters. So does persistence. And staying on message—every time—can make the difference between a closed loan and a missed opportunity. But let’s be honest: even the best human teams have limits.
That’s where the Marr Labs AI Call Center steps in. Our virtual voice agents specialize in bridging the gap, ensuring that borrowers are connected with the right human loan officers— faster and more effectively than ever before.
Think of it as a perfect partnership: the efficiency and consistency of AI, paired with the expertise and personal touch of human loan officers. When lenders experience the “better than human” precision and performance of our AI voice agents—and see how it drives faster borrower engagement and more closed loans—they get it. It’s not just a solid business case. It’s a game-changer.
That’s why we’re proud to have Better Mortgage as our launch partner and flagship customer. We’re grateful for their partnership and their spirit of innovation. Curious to see what’s possible? Try the Marr Labs AI Call Center for yourself at marrlabs.com/mortgage-loa or book an intro call with me anytime here.
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