ICE
is
rewriting
the
playbook
on
how

lenders
engage
with
customers
across
the
homeownership
journey.
Matt
Dowd,
VP
of
Product
Management
at
ICE,
shares
the
company’s
strategy
to
unify
its
origination
and

servicing
solutions,
allowing
lenders
to
more
easily
identify,
engage
and
convert
opportunities
within
their
existing
portfolios
to
drive
business
growth.
This
integrated
approach
creates
a
consistent
borrower
experience
and
allows
lenders
to
maximize
every
interaction,
from
initial
acquisition
to
long-term
retention.

HousingWire:
Matt,
we’ve
spoken
a
few
times
recently
about
the
work
you’re
doing
in
the
customer
acquisition
space,
and
how

ICE
is
helping
lenders
uncover
new
loan
opportunities
in
today’s
competitive
market.
Now
that
you’re
leading
servicing
product
management,
can
you
share
more
about
your
new
role
and
your
initial
focus
—
particularly
how
you’re
helping
lenders
identify,
engage
and
convert
opportunities
within
their
servicing
portfolios?

Matt
Dowd:
It’s
a
privilege
to
be
working
with
such
an
experienced
team
on
the
servicing
side
of
ICE’s
business.
Over
the
years,
the
team
has
built
a
best-in-class
platform
for

mortgage
servicers.
I
feel
fortunate
to
be
surrounded
by
so
many
talented
professionals
–
all
of
whom
are
committed
to
maintaining
and
continuing
to
innovate
the
technology
that’s
been
foundational
to
mortgage
servicing
for
decades. 

In
this
role,
I
am
focused
on
not
only
expanding
the
capabilities
of
our
current
servicing
platform,
but
also
tightly
unifying
our
servicing
solutions
with
our
origination
and
loan
acquisition
capabilities
so
our
clients
—
regardless
of
the
channel
—
can
maximize
every
opportunity
across
the
customer
life
cycle. 

When
we
last
connected,
I
talked
about
our
approach
to
retention
and
acquisition.
We
have
expanded
our
capabilities
to
provide
a
multi-channel
toolset
that
loan
officers
can
use
to
help
identify,
attract
and
convert
new
loan
opportunities
into
closed
loans.
We’ve
been
laser-focused
in
this
area
for
quite
some
time
now
—
helping
clients
leverage
both
property
and
market
data
with
technology
to
acquire
NEW
customers.
Now
we’re
expanding
our
efforts
to
help
lenders
RETAIN
customers
and
nurture
those
relationships
using
their
servicing
portfolio
data. 

When
considering
the
approach
we
took
for
origination,
the
same
tenets
hold
for
servicing.
Lenders
often
view
borrowers
differently
depending
on
where
they
are
in
the
loan
journey.
At
the
end
of
the
day,
a
borrower
is
still
a
person
—
and
we
shouldn’t
lose
sight
of
that. The
goal
is
to
create
a
meaningful
experience
that
not
only
supports
them
but
also
builds
lasting
trust
and
encourages
referrals.
That
starts
with
delivering
relevant,
timely
and
engaging
information
—
demonstrating
that
you’re
on
their
side,
you
understand
their
needs
and
you’re
committed
to
acting
in
their
best
interest.

HW:
I
saw
ICE’s
press
release
about
the
integration
of
Servicing
Digital
with
your

Encompass
point-of-sale
platform,
allowing
borrowers
to
apply
for
a
home
equity
loan
directly
from
their
mobile
device
using
pre-populated
loan
data.
That
seems
like
an
example
of
how
you’re
supporting
lenders
with
their
recapture
efforts.
Can
you
tell
us
more
about
that?

MD:
That’s
a
great
example
of
the
integration
that
we’re
talking
about.
As
I
mentioned
earlier,
it’s
well
known
that
home
equity
lending
continues
to
be
a
growth
opportunity
for
lenders,
specifically
for
those
who
retain
servicing.    

Homeowners
today
are
sitting
on
record
levels
of
equity,
presenting
a
significant
opportunity
for
lenders
to
expand
their
home
equity
portfolios. According
to
ICE’s
borrower
insight
survey
conducted
earlier
this
year,
nearly
25%
of
respondents
are
considering
a
home
equity
loan
or
HELOC
within
the
next
12
months.
Capitalizing
on
this
trend
requires
strong
borrower
engagement
—
driven
by
timely,
relevant
and
personalized
communication
that
builds
trust
and
drives
action.

ICE’s
research
also
shows
that
borrowers
are
significantly
more
likely
to
work
with
lenders
who
proactively
engage
and
maintain
ongoing
communication.
In
fact,
two-thirds
of
borrowers
say
they’re
highly
likely
to
return
to
their
most
recent
lender
for
their
next
mortgage.
If
you’re
not
staying
connected,
you
risk
losing
those
opportunities
to
competitors
who
are
actively
targeting
your
customers.
To
retain
and
grow
these
relationships,
lenders
must
leverage
servicing
portfolio
data
to
build
targeted
campaigns
that
feel
authentic,
thoughtful,
personalized
and
aligned
with
their
current
needs. 

Here’s
why
the
integration
between
our
point
of
sale
and
our
servicing
digital
capabilities
is
so
important.
We
want
to
meet
the
borrower
where
they
are.
Over
18
million
borrowers
today
use
the
ICE
Servicing
Digital
app
to
manage
their
loan
payments.
So,
it’s
logical
that
when
they
are
looking
to
conduct
another
transaction,
they
do
so
from
the
place
they
already
are
today.
Why
send
them
to
another
site
or
have
them
download
another
mobile
app
to
apply?  

Not
only
do
we
provide
the
ability
for
the
borrower
to
complete
the
application
within
Servicing
Digital,
but
many
of
the
fields
within
the
form
will
be
pre-populated
with
the
borrower’s
data,
reducing
the
effort
required
by
the
borrower.
Furthermore,
once
the
application
is
submitted,
the
borrower
can
upload
and
review
the
necessary
documents
into
the
Servicing
Digital
portal.
Automated
email,
push
notifications
and
alerts
are
all
part
of
the
offering,
so
the
homeowner
is
aware
of
when
they
need
to
act.  

While
this
is
delivering
significant
value
to
lenders
who
retain
servicing,
we
are
also
actively
helping
our
origination
clients
who
sell
their
MSRs.
As
an
example,
our
marketing
automation
capabilities,
available
through
our
customer
acquisition
and
retention
platforms,
help
lenders
create
“borrowers
for
life.”
We
do
so
by
helping
lenders
automate
outreach
or
stay
in
touch
with
those
borrowers
even
after
post-close
through
a
variety
of
communication
channels.
This
multi-channel
approach
might
include
email,
phone,
text
or
direct
mail
or
ideally,
a
combination
of
all
of
them
—
all
designed
to
deepen
customer
connection,
even
when
the
lender
doesn’t
manage
the
monthly
servicing
payments. 

As
consumers,
we
all
recognize
what
makes
a
customer
experience
truly
valuable
—
regardless
of
the
industry. At
ICE,
we’re
committed
to
providing
tools
that
lenders
can
use
to
deliver
a
consistent,
thoughtful
and
seamless
engagement
with
any
borrower
at
any
time.

HW:
There
are
many
technology
providers
in
the
market
today
claiming
to
help
lenders
with
borrower
recapture.
How
does
ICE
differentiate
itself
in
such
a
competitive
landscape?

MD:
I
empathize
with
the
challenge
lenders
face.
They
receive
messages
from
a
lot
of
different
tech
providers
all
claiming
that
they
can
help
with
recapture.
I’m
sure
in
most
cases,
they
can.
But
let
me
talk
about
a
few
key
ways 
in
which
ICE
stands
out. 

First,
we’re
an
independent
technology
provider.
That
means
our
solutions
are
designed
to
support
lenders
of
all
sizes,
regardless
of
their
existing
tech
stack
or
their
portfolio
size. 

Second,
we
position
ourselves
as
a
true
partner
across
multiple
aspects
of
their
business.
Our
goal
is
to
help
lenders
holistically
operate
more
efficiently
without
requiring
a
large
internal
technology
team
or
an
army
of
developers.
We
provide
both
technical
infrastructure
and
operational
support
to
help
keep
their
technology
costs
down. 

Third,
we
emphasize
data
consistency. When
a
lender
enters
loan
data
into
one
system,
it
should
flow
effortlessly
across
the
entire
loan
lifecycle,
triggering
the
right
actions
at
the
right
time.
In
environments
with
multiple
technology
vendors,
maintaining
data
integrity
requires
significant
investment
in
syncing
disparate
systems.
Our
clients
don’t
need
to
worry
about
data
accuracy,
API
integrations,
or
software
release
compatibility.
We
make
sure
data
moves
reliably
and
consistently
from
one
system
to
another
—
eliminating
any
friction
from
the
process.

Fourth,
we
prioritize
configuration
and
scalability
to
help
our
clients
deliver
a
personalized
borrower
experience. With
flexible
configuration
options,
lenders
can
tailor
borrower-facing
solutions
to
meet
evolving
customer
expectations.
Our
platform
allows
customization
of
the
experience
—
from
flow
and
design
to
look
and
feel
—
ensuring
that
every
interaction
aligns
with
the
lender’s
brand
and
the
borrower’s
needs.

HW:
So
would
you
say
this
integration
of
origination
and
servicing
technologies
represents
the
broader
vision
behind
ICE’s
technology
strategy
—
creating
a
truly
seamless
experience
for
lenders
and
borrowers
alike?

MD:
It’s
more
than
just
connecting
borrowers
and
lenders
—
we’re
building
a
fully
integrated
network
that
brings
together
all
entities
involved
in
the
loan
process. While
the
borrower
and
lender
remain
central,
our
strategy
extends
to
agencies,
investors,
notaries,
service
providers,
and
beyond.

Recently,
we’ve
focused
heavily
on
foundational
work
to
support
the
deep
connectivity
between
our
origination
and
servicing
platforms.
One
key
use
case
is
allowing
loans
to
seamlessly
transition
from
the
Encompass
origination
system
to
the
MSP
servicing
system.
This
integration
is
critical
to
our
product
strategy,
which
aims
to
create
the
most
efficient
network
—
giving
lenders
the
ability
to
better
manage
volumes
at
scale
and
cost-effectively.

In
addition,
we’ve
streamlined
several
back-office
processes,
like
loan
boarding
and
lien
release,
and
of
course
the
work
we
talked
about
earlier
to
help
retain
customers
and
capture
new
ones.
Our
ongoing
focus
is
to
bridge
the
gap
between
origination
and
servicing
and
unifying
these
two
industry-leading
platforms
to
deliver
a
more
cohesive
and
efficient
experience.

HW:
You
mentioned
ICE
is
focused
on
building
“the
most
efficient
platform”
for
lenders
and
servicers.
How
does
ICE’s
investment
capacity
translate
into
real
benefits
for
your
clients?

MD:
That’s
a
big
question
—
and
there
are
many
ways
our
clients
benefit
from
the
scale
and
depth
of
our
investment.
One
example
is
how
we’re
transforming
borrower
recapture
and
acquisition.

Traditionally,
lenders
have
relied
on
multiple
point
solutions,
legacy
systems
and
disconnected
tools
to
re-engage
past
customers.
These
fragmented
approaches
often
make
it
difficult
to
execute
even
basic
outreach
campaigns
effectively.

We’ve
seen
major
industry
players
pursue
large-scale
mergers
to
create
seamless,
end-to-end
borrower
experiences
—
from
home
search
through
origination
and
into
servicing.
Our
investment
strategy
is
designed
to
help
all
our
clients
achieve
that
same
level
of
integration
and
scale,
without
the
complexity
of
stitching
together
multiple
vendors.

Let’s
take
recapture
as
a
use
case:

• 
  Mobile-enabled
  sales
  toolkit:
  Our
  sales
  toolkit
  allows
  loan
  officers
  to
  manage
  leads
  and
  pipelines
  efficiently.
  It’s
  integrated
  with
  the
  Encompass
  platform
  and
  the
  borrower
  point
  of
  sale
  and
  includes
  a
  native
  CRM
  to
  drive
  connectivity
  and
  boost
  conversion.

• 
  Data
  and
  intelligence:
  We
  offer
  the
  industry’s
  broadest
  set
  of
  property
  and
  market
  data,
  valuation
  models,
  indices
  and
  business
  intelligence
  —
  helping
  lenders
  identify
  trends
  and
  act
  on
  market
  opportunities
  faster.

• 
  Consumer-facing
  tools:
  Our
  servicing
  digital
  portal
  supports
  over
  18
  million
  consumers,
  giving
  borrowers
  direct
  access
  to
  their
  loan
  information
  and
  self-service
  capabilities.

• 
  Machine
  learning
  at
  point
  of
  sale:
  We’re
  exploring
  ways
  to
  embed
  our
  current
  ML
  capabilities
  into
  our
  point
  of
  sale
  to
  streamline
  processes
  and
  improve
  the
  borrower
  experience.
  This
  includes
  immediately
  recognizing
  and
  validating
  any
  uploaded
  documents
  from
  the
  borrower
  and
  extracting
  relevant
  data
  from
  Encompass
  to
  pre-populate
  forms
  for
  review
  and
  correction.  

We
anticipate
that
borrowers
will
continue
to
demand
more
transparency,
control
and
self-service
options.
The
more
information
you
can
provide
up
front
—
not
just
regarding
their
loan,
but
regarding
the
steps
they
can
take
to
accelerate
the
process
—
the
better
their
experience.

At
ICE,
we’re
committed
to
helping
all
of
our
clients
build
and
maintain
strong
customer
pipelines.
Our
unified
ecosystem
eliminates
the
need
for
three,
four,
or
five
different
vendors
to
deliver
a
seamless
experience.
By
consolidating
capabilities
into
a
single
platform,
we
help
provide
greater
efficiency,
faster
execution
and
long-term
scalability.