MLO Studio Research

    A closer look at how mortgage professionals market.

    Research on how mortgage professionals build their brands, market their businesses, and engage prospective borrowers.

    Published research
    Marketing resourcesSEPTEMBER 2026

    2026 Loan Officer Marketing Trends Report

    What Loan Officers Actually Invest In

    MOST USED KITSResource selections
    Networking Kit41%
    Social Media Launch Kit40%
    First Call Training33%
    Open House Flyers21%

    Share of 353 mortgage professionals selecting each resource. Buyers could select multiple resources; percentages overlap and do not sum to 100%.

    Source: MLO Studio Research analysis of historical marketing-resource selections from 353 mortgage professionals.

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    MLO Studio Research / Brand reportSEPTEMBER 2026

    2026 Loan Officer Brand Report

    How Mortgage Professionals Build Their Brands

    COLOR FAMILIESPrimary selections
    Blue43.3%
    Black14.1%
    Green11.1%
    Purple10.5%
    Orange8.5%

    Share of 305 brands with a saved palette. Brands without a saved palette are excluded; additional families are shown in the full report.

    Source: MLO Studio Research analysis of aggregate current saved Brand Studio selections through September 23, 2026.

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    MLO Studio Research / Growth reportSEPTEMBER 2026

    2026 Loan Officer Growth Report

    How Mortgage Professionals Find Clients and Position Their Businesses

    GROWTH MIXSelected approaches
    Personal network & referrals95.7%
    Realtor relationships88.2%
    Online leads / digital marketing74.5%
    Community events / networking62.1%

    Share of respondents to the applicable acquisition question. Selections overlap because respondents could select multiple approaches.

    Source: MLO Studio Research analysis of aggregate Brand Studio onboarding responses, September 2026.

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