New research: Homebuyers value digital mortgage solutions

High rates and low inventories have beleaguered homebuyers for far too long. At a time when they should be exhilarated at the prospect of making their homeownership dreams come true, many instead feel stressed out, frustrated and uncertain as they face sticker shock, rate volatility, bidding wars, negotiations and, of course, the mortgage process itself.

Fortunately, lenders have the opportunity to create an exceptional borrower experience that transforms anxiety into confidence and empowerment. Step one of creating that experience is understanding what buyers want and need from their lenders. Step two is taking action to exceed their expectations and outperform peer lending institutions focused solely on rate competition.

The 2026 ServiceLink State of Homebuying Report provides a roadmap, offering information and insights that clarify the priorities of today’s homebuyers. This sixth annual report captures the perspectives of more than 1,500 U.S. residents (18+) who bought a home in 2024 or 2025. New this year, the report also shares the perspectives of over 500 loan officers, who provided valuable context around the challenges borrowers encounter during the homebuying and lending processes, and highlighted areas where knowledge gaps persist.

Step 1: Understanding the need for speed and demand in digital mortgage solutions

Urgency continues to define the housing market, with fast-shifting mortgage rates and intense competition pressuring homebuyers to make quick decisions.

Once in that accelerated mindset, they look to keep the momentum going through a streamlined mortgage process that gets them to the closing table fast, and with as little complexity as possible. Overall, 35% of the homebuyers surveyed for the State of Homebuying Report said they would expect to close in two weeks or less on a future home purchase, 36% in three to four weeks and 19% in one to two months. And the desire for speed isn’t exclusive to the home purchase process.

Respondents expect speed during home equity and refinance closings, too. Another 50% to 48% of respondents said they expected to close in two weeks or less on a home equity and refinance closing, respectively. Gen Z and millennials are particularly focused on speed during the home purchase process, with many anticipating one- to two-week closings. Older generations lean toward slightly longer timelines, three to four weeks, but still place a high value on efficiency.

In fact, baby boomers — more than any other generation — reported they had used eSigning technology for some or all of their closing documents. This generation’s 62% compares with 52% across all respondents (Gen X was the second-largest user, at 56%) and reflects a trend of rising digital expectations across all homebuying demographics.

These digitally fluent homebuyers, who are accustomed to managing life supported by apps, automation and instant access to information, expect a level of digital ease when buying a home — in some cases expecting a fully end-to-end digital mortgage experience.

Step 2: Taking action to meet and exceed homebuyer expectations

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. ServiceLink asked homebuyers which technologies would influence them to work with a specific lender. Adopting these digital mortgage solutions (eSigning, self-scheduling, eClosing, AI technologies, etc.) can help lenders not only attract borrowers but also deliver the kind of extraordinary experience that builds borrower satisfaction, loyalty and referrals.

→ eSigning. As mentioned above, 52% of respondents said they have used eSigning technology for some or all of their closing documents, yet a whopping 88% — including 92% of millennials and 91% of GenXers — would like to. This gap reflects an opportunity for lenders to work with a partner that can help them adopt plug-and-play technologies to enable convenient eSign and remote online notarization (RON) options.

→ Self-scheduling. Consumers prefer to control their own schedules and know what’s happening when. That’s why 87% of respondents (91% of millennials and Gen Xers) said they’d lean toward a lender that enables them to self-schedule their appraisal or closing appointment on their phone or tablet for the exact date and time they desire. This technology is readily available to lenders: ServiceLink’s EXOS provides borrowers with real-time scheduling capabilities and greater transparency into origination timelines.

→ Virtual closing. The opportunity to hold the closing virtually would influence the decision of 82% of respondents to work with a specific lender. Again, the right technology partner can help integrate these technologies into existing lender workflows to ensure seamless internal and external processes.

→ AI tools. Nearly four out of five homebuyers (78%) said they look for a range of AI tools and technologies to move the mortgage process forward, reduce steps and accelerate the timeline to close.

→ End-to-end process. Another 78% said they would embrace a fully digitized mortgage process where they don’t need to participate in any in-person appointments.

Delivering the exceptional borrower experience

The overarching takeaway of the 2026 State of Homebuying Report for lenders is that today’s homebuyer values speed and clarity as much as price and rate. Buyers don’t just want competitive financing — they want faster approvals, shorter timelines, fewer unknowns and clear, consistent communication.

Lenders should focus on eliminating friction and waiting wherever possible by integrating technology-enabled services to streamline approvals and processing, improve response times across all touchpoints and keep deals moving at speed, from appraisal management to digital mortgage closings.

However, it’s not all about the digital experience; buyers continue to crave educational support and direct, one-on-one human guidance from their lenders. Take the time to explain the paperwork, legal jargon and fees. Provide educational resources and answer questions that arise. It’s all part of developing trust and helping borrowers enjoy making the purchase of their lifetime.