As someone with over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Kimberly Hartsough, Senior Vice President of National Production Operations at PrimeLending, has been actively contributing to the mortgage niche through her expertise and innovative approach. Being aware of the ever-evolving mortgage industry, Kimberly has learned to adapt and pivot to stay ahead of the curve. She believes in incorporating technology to create a more cost-effective lending process and has been actively embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve this goal.
As a millennial, Kimberly brings a unique perspective to the mortgage experience by incorporating her day-to-day life experiences as a heavy user of technology. Rather than simply coming up with new ideas, she focuses on the implementation of technology to streamline various processes.
During her 11 years with PrimeLending, Kimberly has played an active role in advancing the use of technology to simplify sales, operations, and other key processes. Her passion lies in finding creative and systematic ways to simplify the mortgage origination process and deliver an exceptional user experience for customers, business partners, and employees alike.
By embracing digital transformation and implementing innovative technology, Kimberly has helped PrimeLending deliver a more efficient and user-friendly mortgage origination process. By making the process more accessible, reliable, and transparent, PrimeLending is able to offer a superior customer experience that aligns with modern consumer’s expectations. The integration of industry-leading technologies, such as Blue Sage for the loan origination system (LOS), PointServ for digital documentation, and D1CEdge for data verification, shows that PrimeLending is dedicated to staying ahead of the curve in the mortgage industry.
Journey to Success
Kimberly has experienced both highs and lows in her 23-year career in the industry. However, it was not until she joined PrimeLending 11 years ago that she found her true calling as a leader. Prior to that, she was a dedicated individual contributor, always striving to excel in her job. Nonetheless, she felt like something was missing, and it took getting fired for her to realize that she needed to reassess her career and life goals.
Being let go from her job forced her to examine herself and acknowledge her strengths and weaknesses. Though it was a difficult experience, it helped her understand that being good at her job was not enough. She wanted to be a person of integrity, compassion, and excellence. She discovered that she could achieve more as part of a team than by trying to work independently.
Upon joining PrimeLending, Kimberly realized that it was not just about doing a good job, but about genuinely caring for the people she worked with and the customers they served. She learned that to be truly successful, she needed to understand the “why” behind her job, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
To achieve this, Kimberly made it her top priority to get to know her colleagues, understand the company culture, and learn from others. By caring for the people around her, she became part of a team that was aligned and working towards the same goals. It was no longer just about completing big projects; it was about working together as a cohesive unit.
PrimeLending provided Kimberly with the environment and support she needed to thrive as a leader. She found joy in her work and saw the impact they were making in the lives of their customers, which fueled her drive to do more and be better.
Through her experience, Kimberly learned that success was not just about achieving individual goals, but about building meaningful relationships, understanding the “why” behind what they do, and genuinely caring for the people they work with and serve. She is grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a supportive and compassionate organization and is excited to continue making a positive impact in the mortgage industry with PrimeLending by her side.
Transforming the Home Buying Experience
PrimeLending places a strong emphasis on prioritizing people and creating a stress-free mortgage process, which has been honed over its 35 years of experience in the industry. The company views mortgages not only as transactions but also as essential components of people’s lives and financial well-being.
The team is dedicated to surpassing customer expectations and supporting their dreams of homeownership. This commitment to customer service is a hallmark of the organization, and it stems from the team’s shared values and beliefs. PrimeLending’s people are one of its most significant strengths, and the company operates like a family, with a strong sense of community and care that permeates the organization. The team recognizes that their success is dependent on each other’s strengths, and they invest in their growth and development to ensure they provide the best possible experience to customers.
PrimeLending is poised to remain a leading mortgage lender in the future by embracing technology, staying ahead of industry changes, and maintaining its people-centric approach. The company is driven by its passion for excellence and commitment to customers, business partners, and each other.
Driving Innovation
Kimberly’s role in driving innovation and championing new technologies and processes among employees is pivotal at PrimeLending. She leads by example and is the first to embrace and implement changes, driving adoption through training, sharing success stories, and explaining the “why” behind our innovations. Witnessing the excitement and realization in employees’ eyes when they buy into the company’s vision for the future is what makes her job truly rewarding. Her expertise in the mortgage industry has been instrumental in driving innovation and positively impacting the mortgage niche.
By leveraging AI, embracing technology, and fostering a culture of innovation, PrimeLending has streamlined processes, created a superior user experience, and moved towards a more efficient and customer-centric future.
Creating a Supportive and Inclusive Environment
As a leader, Kimberly believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to embody the company’s values of integrity, respect, compassion, service, and excellence in everything they do. A positive culture has a ripple effect, creating a supportive and inclusive environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, growth, and better outcomes for clients and the team. Conversely, a negative culture can erode morale, hinder productivity, and impact overall performance.
Kimberly strives to lead by example, advocate for the company’s culture, and encourage others to do the same. Together, they can create a culture that inspires, motivates, and brings out the best in each team member, making PrimeLending a place where they thrive and make a meaningful impact. To learn more about the company’s core convictions, one can explore its commitment to honesty and integrity, a people-centric culture, agility, service beyond expectations, and one team, one purpose.
Customizing Tech to Enhance Customer Experience
PrimeLending’s focus on leveraging technology and AI to enhance the customer experience in the mortgage process has been successful, particularly with the integration of third-party vendors and the automation of the collection of consumer assets. This approach has reduced manual-entry processes, streamlining the consumer experience, and resulting in a significant reduction of loans with cure tolerances.
However, PrimeLending understands that a human touch is still essential in the mortgage industry, and its LOS system combines technology with personalized service to provide a holistic borrower experience. PrimeLending’s retail loan officers are empowered through the use of technology and AI, increasing purchase volume and improving the overall customer journey.
Moving forward, PrimeLending remains committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in the mortgage industry to better serve its customers and provide them with an exceptional experience. The company’s use of technology and AI will continue to focus on improving processes, reducing friction, and delivering superior customer service while maintaining its commitment to the human touch in every step of the mortgage journey.
Extracting the Potential of Modern Technologies
Kimberly envisions AI playing a larger role both internally and externally at PrimeLending as it continues to advance. She sees AI as a tool to optimize the way data is received and perhaps even replacing manual entries altogether. To stay ahead of the curve, PrimeLending is automating and integrating more third-party data collection into the customer experience to gather and verify consumer assets.
However, Kimberly emphasizes that embracing AI does not mean sacrificing the personal experience of getting a mortgage. PrimeLending firmly believes that an experienced and knowledgeable mortgage professional will continue to be critical in guiding consumers through the process. Technology will only enhance the relationship between the professional and the consumer, allowing more time to be spent educating customers on their options and what to expect while minimizing time spent chasing down paperwork or on data entry.
More Customer Centric Approaches in Future
In the long run, Kimberly has a grand vision for PrimeLending, aiming to position it as a pioneer in the mortgage industry by continuously innovating and developing tools that anticipate the needs of consumers and partners. Her future goals include transforming PrimeLending into a comprehensive hub for all aspects related to homebuying, ranging from insurance, title, and closing, notary, warranties, and more. PrimeLending intends to leverage cutting-edge technology to provide a seamless, intuitive, and convenient homebuying experience for its customers.
Moreover, Kimberly and her team are actively exploring the potential of blockchain technology and its evolving applications. They are open to incorporating it into PrimeLending’s operations to enhance their processes and provide added value to their customers. As a company, PrimeLending is committed to staying ahead of the curve, embracing emerging technologies, and continually striving for excellence in serving the ever-evolving needs of its customers and partners in the dynamic mortgage industry.
Message for Aspiring Leaders
Kimberly advises aspiring entrepreneurs venturing into the mortgage sector to prioritize continuous learning. She believes that embracing various roles within the industry will help them gain a comprehensive understanding of the business, which is necessary for navigating its ever-evolving landscape.
In the mortgage industry, paying attention to details is crucial. Thus, as entrepreneurs progress on their journey, they should aim to become leaders who truly understand the nuances of their team’s and customers’ needs. This will help them stay in touch with the pulse of their business and make informed decisions. Kimberly asserts, “Remember, perseverance and adaptability are crucial in the mortgage sector. Embrace opportunities to learn, grow, and expand your knowledge. Surround yourself with mentors and industry experts who can provide guidance on your entrepreneurial path. With determination and a commitment to excellence, you can make a meaningful impact in the mortgage industry and achieve your entrepreneurial aspirations.”
Kimberly also states that entrepreneurs should be prepared for change and navigate the ups and downs that come with the industry. They should define the impact they want to make, understand their “why,” and genuinely care about their customers. As mortgage professionals, they are involved in one of the most significant aspects of people’s lives, and bringing passion to their work is crucial to making a meaningful impact.