How fixing the foundation rather than chasing leads proved a winning strategy
Mortgage inefficiencies aren’t just frustrating—they erode trust, slow down deals, and hurt reputations. For Vipul Hapani, watching borrowers flounder in broken systems wasn’t just disheartening—it was a call to action.
In a market where speed and precision define customer satisfaction, many mortgage brokerages struggle to scale without sacrificing quality. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the average cost to originate a mortgage hit a record high in 2023, mainly driven by bloated operations and inefficiencies.
That pressure is even greater for brokerages serving complex loan types like non-qualified mortgages (non-QM), which have grown from less than 3% to 5% of market share in four years.
Hapani, now an equity partner at VEMA Mortgage Group, didn’t start in the business—he entered it to fix what he saw was broken. From getting licensed in 2019 to leading a 60-person team across 24 states, his journey has been one of systems over hustle.
As VEMA expanded rapidly, cracks started to show. “We were clueless about what to do and how to maintain the quality of clients,” he admits.
The solution? A heavy investment in tech, standard operating procedures, and a clear divide between sales and fulfillment. By leveraging tools like LendingPad and Arrive, integrating CRMs, and prioritizing team education over paid leads, VEMA regained control over its operations and customer experience.
“Without technology, there is no way we can survive in today’s market,” Hapani says. But behind the systems is a core belief in empowering the workforce—from weekly knowledge-sharing calls to standardized onboarding, the focus is clear: build trust, not just transactions.
How VEMA scaled with systems
But growth came with growing pains. As the company scaled rapidly, quality suffered.
"With the exponential growth in the past two years that we had, we did struggle a lot initially," he says. "We were clueless [about] what to do and how to maintain the quality of clients."
That friction forced a rethink. VEMA leaned into systems, streamlining processes and standardizing touchpoints.
"We rely on standardizing the onboarding process for all the clients and using a robust CRM platform," he explains. "Without technology, there is no way we can survive in today's market or grow with the increasing demands of the client's needs."
As demand continued to rise, Hapani and his team doubled down on systems integration. Platforms like LendingPad and Arrive became key tools, linked with internal SOPs to enhance communication and loan tracking.
"It helps us to streamline the process and track the progress of each and every loan," he says.
Tech, team structure, and the power of integration
To further increase efficiency, VEMA deliberately separated sales and fulfillment. Sales focused on client acquisition while a dedicated processing branch handled back-end work.
“Our back-end team is being trained to work on processing these loans in a timely manner with [the] utilization of SOPs, integrating those with our CRM platform,” he explains.
As the company matured, it expanded its offerings. Focused initially on conventional loans, VEMA pivoted into non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) products—including DSCR, bank statement loans, and mortgages for foreign nationals or borrowers with no FICO score.
“Initially, we were only focusing on conventional loans, but then there was a huge untapped market of non-QM mortgages,” Hapani says.
Tech upgrades didn’t stop at origination. Paper closings were phased out in favor of digital convenience.
“If we are closing 50 loans a week, there are 5,000 pages that need to be printed,” Hapani says. “One thing we did is we started partnering with the lenders who were able to provide us virtual closing [and] hybrid closing.”
Clients could now close from home, even while on vacation. It was another way to make the process more seamless and less stressful.
Why knowledge sharing drives growth
Beneath the tech and process improvements, the true differentiator was education. Weekly calls became central to knowledge sharing, especially for newcomers.
"There are so many newbies who are just trying to put the mark there, and without proper guidance, they cannot be successful," Hapani says.
Mistakes became teaching tools. "What we have learned from our mistakes, we don't want them to carry on those mistakes," he says. "So, having a standardized onboarding process to scale your business, even for new employees, is very important."
That focus on team development ultimately pays off more than purchased leads ever could.
"Having that organic growth, rather than buying leads, if you train your workforce to know what they are doing, the business will flow automatically," he says. "The success lies in how much information you provide them and how well they understand the community they serve."
