Sean Durocher's pipeline is powered by automation and held together by handwritten thank-you cards
Automation exposes the mortgage industry’s fundamental flaw: miscommunication. Sean Durocher (pictured) shows that even the best tech can’t keep deals moving without team alignment.
Durocher, a loan originator at Motto Mortgage, found a workflow that works for him but inadvertently revealed an industry gap. While automated systems streamline document collection and borrower outreach, they can’t replace proactive, human-led communication. Even as lenders cut labor costs by 30% and process loans 50% faster, deals still stall without a shared playbook.
Durocher didn’t start in finance. His early career in campus security and crisis planning was built on structure, clarity, and operational readiness. When the pandemic forced him to pivot, he entered the mortgage space with the same systems-driven mindset – and discovered that structure alone isn’t enough.
“Systems are a big part of a smooth process,” Durocher said.
Technology may tighten operations, but Durocher quickly realized that without coordinated communication, automation only papers over deeper cracks. Processors, underwriters, borrowers, and agents play a role, but transactions stall without alignment.
“If your process isn’t built out yet, that’s where things can fall through,” he said.
He relies on a hybrid model to close those gaps: automation for speed and human oversight for consistency. His LOS and POS platforms automatically request documents based on borrower inputs. “Our system automatically lets the borrower know what documents we’re going to need,” he said.
But automation isn’t running the show. Durocher manually audits uploads and follows up with clients when needed.
Communication is still the bottleneck
The most significant risk Durocher sees in the mortgage pipeline isn't tech failure – it's silence. Clients want to know what's happening, even if nothing has changed.
"[Clients] want to be informed. They want to know what's going on," he said. "Sometimes we get caught up [thinking] we don't want to bother anybody, [but] we're not bothering anybody during the process."
Many mortgage workflows still rely on manual updates, moving files from lead status to approved with conditions, which delays borrower notifications and adds unnecessary friction. Even with partial automation, backend processes lack the consistency to scale efficiently.
Where automation works – and where it doesn’t
Durocher has leaned fully into automation, which brings measurable returns. His lead-gen strategy includes automated social media updates, webinar follow-ups, and replay distribution.
“All I have to do is put in the client’s information, they get a text message and an email that requests a review,” he said. “That whole system is automated.”
But every system has its limits. After the automation kicks in, Durocher still does the follow-up work himself. “The manual piece behind that process is me contacting those leads and making sure they schedule with me,” he said.
He’s wary of any platform that promises to solve everything. Most “all-in-one” systems don’t reflect how brokers work. “I’ve yet to come across an all-in-one system that makes sense,” he said. “You still have to go into each one of those programs to complete tasks.”
According to Durocher, that lack of integration isn’t just inefficient – it’s a liability. Brokers must adapt platforms to their workflows, which takes time that many independent professionals don’t have. “If you’re doing everything – processing, the origination, the marketing, the HR – you can’t always follow through with over-communicating with your clients,” he said.
AI can save time, but it can’t shake hands
For Durocher, AI isn’t just a writing assistant – it’s a thinking partner. “I use AI as my sounding board,” he said. “I’ll throw my estimate in there, say, ‘Can you create an email for my client?’ In 20 seconds, that email is now built out.”
AI helps him write drip campaigns, webinar reminders, Google review requests, and social media calendars – freeing up time for client conversations. “I’m not spending 30 minutes putting together an email every single [time], which we were doing before,” he said.
Still, he’s cautious about AI’s role in compliance-heavy tasks. “I don’t use ChatGPT to submit bank statements or give me bank statement calculations,” he said. “In our industry, we have a lot of rules and regulations that we have to follow and comply with.”
The human touch still wins
What sets Durocher apart is his commitment to the personal aspects of lending. No algorithm can replace what he brings to client relationships. “I still write handwritten thank you cards to my clients,” he said. “I don’t think AI or technology, or anything, can replace the personal impact that we have with our clients.”
Even as younger generations embrace digital tools, Durocher sees a hunger for connection. “Even the younger generation is probably a little burnt out from tech,” he said. “They’re looking for that connection.”
He doesn’t see himself as a salesman, but as a guide. “I’m more of a mentor – like a mortgage mentor,” he said. “Being that emotional support for my clients throughout the process, that’s what I strive to do.”
And it’s the one part of his workflow that won’t ever be automated.
