Winning someone’s attention is only the beginning. Keeping their trust depends on what happens next: the first response, the document request, the handoff and the update that arrives before they have to ask. In this Settling Scores conversation, cohosts Abdel Khawatmi of PRMG Got Mortgages and Eric Levin, cofounder of Model Match, examine why operations remain central to mortgage service, even as technology handles more tasks.
Episode originally published May 7, 2026. Archive recap added October 24, 2026.
Watch Settling Scores, Episode 5: “Does Operations still move the needle?” on YouTube.
Key takeaways: service makes the system visible
- Operations affect whether clients and referral partners want to work with a team again.
- A clear handoff gives each person responsibility without removing collaboration.
- Regular updates matter even when a file’s status has not changed.
- Automation does not remove the need to explain, notice problems and take ownership.
- Specific service examples communicate more than broad claims about great support.
Start with what your team actually delivers
Eric frames business identity through six competencies: business, leadership, operations, technology, geography and culture. He asks how that identity translates into value for three audiences: a customer, a referral partner and a recruit. Operations belong in that conversation because they determine whether the experience matches the promise.
A team may describe itself as responsive, but that description needs observable behavior. Does someone acknowledge a new inquiry? Does the next person know a file is ready? Can a buyer understand what remains outstanding? These questions connect an internal process with the experience someone receives.
Abdel’s answer centers on retention. Marketing and sales can bring people in, he argues, but operational execution helps keep clients and partners engaged. He describes his appreciation of PRMG’s operational support and connects it with his ability to serve people. The broader lesson is to evaluate service after the initial introduction.
Make the first response part of operations
Abdel describes operations beginning before processing: an administrator connects a consumer with an originator, helps gather information and keeps the next step moving. He asks teams to examine how quickly someone responds and whether that response comes from an originator, administrator or automated channel.
He also emphasizes tracking that activity. The useful question is not simply whether a message was sent. It is whether the consumer reached someone who could help and understood what to do next. Speed can support service, but a fast acknowledgment without a clear next action leaves work unfinished.
As a suggested application, map the path from inquiry to first substantive conversation. Identify the primary responder, the backup and the information needed to continue. Review unanswered inquiries separately from completed conversations. This helps a team understand the experience without confusing automated activity with a personal response.
Define the handoff without creating a wall
Abdel describes an originator completing qualification milestones in Encompass before transferring the file to operations. In his preferred arrangement, operations takes responsibility for moving the file forward rather than requiring the originator to repeatedly step back into administrative work.
That does not mean the originator disappears. Abdel also describes staying available to help resolve questions and remove obstacles. Eric identifies trust as an important part of this arrangement: someone who tries to control every task can prevent the people responsible for those tasks from doing their work.
A suggested handoff checklist can make that trust practical. Record what has been completed, what remains open, who owns the next action and which issues require escalation. Agree on where updates belong so people are not reconciling several competing versions of the file’s status.
Leadership has a role here, too. A branch or operations manager can clarify boundaries when responsibilities overlap. The objective is neither total separation nor constant intervention. It is coordinated ownership, with a clear path for getting help when something needs attention.
Communicate on a schedule—and when something changes
One of Abdel’s most concrete examples is his Monday, Wednesday and Friday update rhythm. He describes sending those updates consistently, even when a recent message already covered the situation. He also describes communicating meaningful developments between scheduled updates.
The point is not that every team must copy those exact days. It is that buyers and referral partners should not need to guess whether anyone is watching the file. An update can confirm that a requested item remains outstanding and explain the next action without suggesting that more progress has occurred than actually has.
For a suggested message structure, answer four questions: What is complete? What is outstanding? Who is handling it? When should the recipient expect another update? Keep the language understandable and verify the status before sending. A short, accurate explanation is more useful than a long list of unexplained internal milestones.
For buyers and partners in Ocean County and Monmouth County, including Toms River and Eatontown, that approach can make a mortgage conversation easier to follow. Confirm which participants should receive which information, and use approved communication channels rather than sharing every detail with everyone.
Technology can complete work without completing communication
Eric asks what might be missing if technology performs more of the operational work. Abdel’s immediate answer is communication. A result inside a system does not automatically mean that the consumer, agent or other appropriate participant understands what happened.
The episode mentions Friday Harbor while discussing technology-assisted answers. Encompass appears in Abdel’s description of his file workflow. The useful service question is what happens after an answer appears: who reviews it, explains it and turns it into a clear next action?
Abdel later says technology has given him more time for phone conversations. That is a useful way to evaluate automation: does it create room for attentive service, or simply increase the number of messages? Suggested safeguards include reviewing generated updates, confirming names and commitments, and using only approved systems for confidential information.
Take responsibility without blaming another department
Abdel pushes back on language that distances the originator from the rest of the company. Presenting a request as something another department is imposing can make the team sound divided. His preference is shared ownership: explain what the team needs and help the client understand the next step.
He also describes apologizing when an experience falls short, rather than making the conversation about whose fault it was. This does not require inventing an explanation. It means acknowledging the inconvenience and communicating what happens next.
Eric adds another service principle: notice a problem before the customer has to complain. Applied to a mortgage workflow, a suggested practice is to review stalled tasks and unanswered questions regularly. Ask whether someone needs assistance, assign an owner and follow through. A dashboard identifies an exception; a person still needs to address it.
Turn operational strengths into credible conversations
Eric connects retention with future business. When a team handles a difficult issue well, the experience can give an existing partner a reason to return. It can also help explain the team’s value to someone new.
His illustrative example contrasts a specific account of an underwriter’s contribution with a generic statement about great underwriting. He mentions Model Match as a way to research agent relationships and identify a relevant prospective partner. The information supplies context for a conversation; the service example gives that conversation substance.
A suggested approach is to describe a service challenge, the team’s response and the lesson learned, without exposing confidential borrower information. Avoid implying that a prior result establishes another applicant’s eligibility. The story should illustrate how people work together, not promise that every difficult transaction can be completed.
For loan officers assessing a new team, the same principle applies. Ask to see how responsibilities, updates and escalations work. The Got Mortgages careers page offers a starting point for that conversation; evaluating operational fit requires more than accepting a broad promise of support.
A suggested one-week service review
The following suggested steps translate the discussion into a manageable review of one part of the client experience:
- Choose one transition. Start with inquiry-to-conversation or originator-to-operations rather than redesigning everything.
- Name the owner and backup. Make responsibility visible, including what happens when someone is unavailable.
- Review a small sample. Look for unclear requests, repeated work, missing updates and unresolved questions.
- Change one behavior. Test a clearer handoff note, a status-message format or a consistent review time.
- Check the experience. Ask whether people understood the next step and received the promised follow-through.
A useful review distinguishes activity from service. More emails do not necessarily mean better communication, and fewer tasks do not necessarily mean a smoother experience. Look for clarity, ownership and completed commitments.
For example, if the same question repeatedly arrives after an update, revisit the explanation before adding more messages. A phrase that makes sense to an operations team may not answer the homeowner’s concern. The improvement might be a clearer sentence, an identified contact or an agreed callback—not another platform.
Frequently asked questions
Who hosts this Settling Scores episode?
Cohosts Abdel Khawatmi of PRMG Got Mortgages and Eric Levin, cofounder of Model Match, discuss mortgage operations, communication, technology and the connection between service and retention.
Why do mortgage operations still matter?
Operations shape what happens after an inquiry or introduction. Clear responsibilities, document coordination and dependable updates help clients and referral partners understand the process and the next step.
What update schedule does Abdel describe?
Abdel describes Monday, Wednesday and Friday updates, supplemented by meaningful developments between those messages. His example emphasizes consistency and clear next steps.
Should an originator stop helping after the handoff?
No. Abdel describes operations owning file progression while the originator remains available to help resolve issues. Clear responsibilities should reduce duplicate work without preventing collaboration.
Can automation replace client communication?
Automation can support tasks and messages, but someone still needs to verify information, explain the next step and address concerns. The cohosts emphasize balancing technology with accountable human service.
Which technology products appear in this episode?
The conversation mentions Encompass, Friday Harbor and Model Match. Encompass appears in the file workflow, Friday Harbor in a technology discussion and Model Match in an agent-research example.
What should a borrower ask about service?
Ask who your main contact is, how updates will arrive, what information is needed next and whom to contact if a question remains unresolved. Clear answers help establish expectations before the process becomes busy.
How can I contact PRMG Got Mortgages?
Call 973-536-0276 or visit GotMortgages.com. You can also use the Contact page or Build My Mortgage Plan page to begin a conversation about your situation.
Keep the promise after the introduction
The episode’s central lesson is straightforward: operations become valuable to clients when service makes them visible. Respond clearly, transfer responsibility deliberately and explain what happens next. Technology can support that work, but trust still depends on people following through.
Call 973-536-0276, visit GotMortgages.com, contact the team or build your mortgage plan.
Explore more Mortgage Intel and Abdel Khawatmi’s profile. Explore more conversations at the Got Mortgages Podcast website.
Author: Abdel Khawatmi with PRMG Got Mortgages | 973-536-0276
This article is general mortgage information only. It is not a commitment to lend, a rate quote, or legal or tax advice. Loan approval, terms and pricing depend on a full application, credit review and property details, and market conditions change. Talk with a licensed loan officer and your own legal or tax professional about your situation. NMLS #1712023 | PRMG NMLS #75243.