Multiple lenders are teaming up with fintechs this summer to improve operations and the borrower experience.
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New American taps Kastle AI agents for originations and servicing
National lender and servicer New American Funding is partnering with AI fintech Kastle in a deal to employ the latter's customer service AI agents.
The agents will be responsible for customer correspondence over the phone, taking both originations- and servicing-related calls in an effort to reduce hold times and provide 24-hour service compliantly. New American employees will remain available to handle complex client needs, the company said.
"We chose Kastle for its ability to tailor AI agents to our needs, with the flexibility to test and refine each solution before it goes live. This approach helps us deliver a high level of customer service and ensures that our team is available for the conversations that require a human touch," said New American President Christy Bunce in a press release.
New American currently services a portfolio of 281,000 customers representing $73 billion.
The partnership is the latest example of New American's initiative to home in on artificial intelligence technology and take advantage of the latest advancements. The news comes just weeks after the Irvine, California-based company announced it reached a deal to adopt the Vesta platform as its new loan-origination system. New American expects to begin a phased rollout of the AI-backed LOS beginning in 2027. The transition aims to reduce operational costs and processing time by consolidating underwriting, processing and funding workflows onto a single platform.
"New American Funding understands that the winners in this next chapter will be the lenders who deeply embrace AI without compromising on compliance or control to better support their customers," said Kastle CEO Rishi Choudhary.
Onity implements Blend Labs' AI tool to speed mortgage processing
Blend Labs launched its autopilot commercially after a four-month preview period in which lenders used the artificial intelligence system on more than 25,500 loans. Five lenders, including Onity Mortgage, have adopted the technology.
The system addresses timing gaps in mortgage origination by reviewing documents as borrowers upload them outside business hours, comparing submissions against lending guidelines, identifying missing information, calculating qualifying income and generating follow-up requests in real time. During the preview, loans using Autopilot in preunderwriting moved faster and converted at higher rates than comparable loans in standard workflows.
Onity Mortgage is expanding its use of Blend's technology beyond preunderwriting to include customer service applications through Blend's MCP Server, which allows lenders to build agents that access Blend capabilities and loan data.
"Onity Mortgage plans to use the MCP Server to power voice agents that can answer routine application-related questions with immediate, accurate information, 24/7," said Colin Friday, senior vice president of consumer lending at Onity Mortgage.
Cornerstone First Mortgage selects nCino point of sale
Cornerstone First Mortgage implemented nCino's Mortgage Point of Sale platform to support its branch-based expansion model and standardize the borrower experience across its 130-branch network operating in 49 states.
The San Diego-based lender, which has doubled in size twice over the past three years, selected the platform for its flexibility and mobile capabilities. The system allows Cornerstone to maintain its local brand identities while providing consistent digital experiences across its distributed operations.
The lender has integrated nCino-connected verification tools to enable digital income, employment and asset verification. Cornerstone is also implementing eNotes and remote online notarization through the platform.
The move aims to help Cornerstone's loan officers process applications with reduced friction for borrowers.
SWBC partners with Covered to automate insurance tracking
SWBC, a San Antonio-based diversified financial services company, partnered with Covered Insurance Solutions to integrate digital insurance technology into its mortgage servicing operations.
The collaboration adds Covered's platform to SWBC's insurance tracking and escrow services. The technology automates insurance monitoring, borrower outreach and compliance documentation within servicing workflows. The integration aims to reduce impairments, streamline audit processes and lower operational costs for servicers.
Servicers gain faster access to insurance declaration pages, while borrowers receive simplified tools to compare coverage options. The platform addresses regulatory compliance requirements and documentation management challenges facing servicers.\
NewFed boosts loan capacity 36% with AI underwriting tool
NewFed Mortgage Corp., a residential lender operating in more than 20 states, deployed Friday Harbor's AI preunderwriting platform companywide after a pilot program showed processors handling 36% more files monthly and underwriters reviewing 35% more loans. The productivity gains enabled NewFed to fund nearly $170 million more in loan volume in 2025 compared with 2024 without expanding its fulfillment team.
Friday Harbor reviews loan files during assembly, identifying missing documentation and income discrepancies before they reach underwriting. The platform applies investor requirements and lender overlays during file preparation rather than at the underwriting desk.
NewFed reduced application-to-funded cycle times from 32 days to 26 days. Funded-to-purchase timelines dropped from 23 days to 18 days, accelerating capital movement off the balance sheet. The platform also supports training by helping new processors learn from actual loan files.
Evergreen Home Loans adopts fee collection automation tool
Evergreen Home Loans has selected LenderLogix's Fee Chaser to automate upfront borrower fee collection. The technology allows loan teams to send secure payment links via text or email directly from their workflow, automatically delivering receipts and updating documentation once payment is completed.
The lender will deploy Fee Chaser through LenderLogix's Encompass Partner Connect integration, a cloud-native platform from ICE Mortgage Technology that enables third-party services to integrate with its digital lending platform.
The tool aims to reduce manual payment collection processes that typically require multiple communications between borrowers and lender staff.
Buffalo, New York-based LenderLogix provides mortgage point-of-sale and workflow automation software. Evergreen Home Loans is a direct lender licensed in 29 states with more than 56 branch locations.
