Recognizing a vital deficiency in the mortgage industry’s approach to customer engagement, Joe Welu developed a vision of developing purpose-built technology for mortgage lenders and loan officers. In 2012, he assembled a team of programmers and developed the Total Expert platform from the basement of his realty business to help banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders and other financial services organizations make lasting customer connections. Groundbreaking at its inception, that platform now fuels the customer engagement journeys of 15 of the top 25 lenders, accounting for nearly 30% of all U.S. home loan transactions in 2023, representing over $350 billion in funded loans.
What Welu then saw as a gap became a prophecy of things to come, as the mortgage industry changed from a transaction-focused model to one centered on the borrower experience. Welu’s human-first approach places borrowers’ needs at the heart of every solution. Now, Welu is bringing about the next wave of innovation, led by Total Expert’s Customer Intelligence technology, a tool built on the idea that many of the most important financial decisions in a consumer’s life are tied to critical life events — like a marriage or new child. This tool transforms lenders’ databases into powerful deal-flow engines by identifying these pivotal moments. Lenders can build stronger loyalty and drive long-term success by proactively addressing customer needs before they start seeking better rates or turning to competitors.
The addition of Life Event insights in 2024 allows Total Expert customers to enrich contact profiles with the latest data tied to significant life milestones, enabling loan officers to humanize and personalize their interactions.
Name:
Joe Welu
Title:
CEO and Founder
Company Name:
Total Expert
