For many, a new year brings a fresh start, a chance to reflect and plan. We, the MGIC Connects editorial team, are no different! As part of our annual editorial planning, we used data from 2017 to help guide 2018 content. As a result, we made some adjustments and tested to see their impact. Our data shows us, for example, infographics about the mortgage industry are popular with our readers. This past year, we published 2 fewer blogs and 3 more infographics than in 2017.
We also know that recaps and expert insights are popular, so in 2018, we dedicated one-third of our blog topics to this type of content. Did our 2017 learnings translate to success in 2018, and did the trends continue? Yes and yes!
Most Popular Mortgage Article
Coaching legend Vince Lombardi was known for focusing on the fundamentals and using that for the basis of success. How does that relate to the most popular mortgage article this past year? Credit scores are a fundamental building block of the mortgage process. This past year, the most popular blog (most read, most clicked on, most pageviews) was 4 Facts About Credit Scores Loan Officers Need to Know. It wasn’t published until late September, yet the data trend shows how powerful and popular the topic was with readers.
Why might this be? If only about 20% of Americans know a low credit score can subject them to paying higher interest rates and only about 50% know the 3 best ways to increase their scores, then educating homebuyers on their credit scores and how credit affects a mortgage is a differentiator for loan officers.
Most Shared Mortgage Article
Flipping the basics on their ear can also prove to be a successful strategy. The most shared mortgage article of 2018 was 15 is Greater Than 20 – A New Angle Dispelling an Old Mortgage Myth. Given that low affordable housing inventory is a national crisis, delaying the homebuying process because of the misperception that a 20% down payment is a requirement can keep buyers on the sidelines longer, while home prices and interest rates continue to rise.
This is where savvy loan officers can step in to coach on the benefits of alternatives like putting 15% down versus 20% to get homebuyers waiting to accumulate 20% off the sidelines and get those with 20% to rethink their strategy. Setting yourself apart in that way could lead to repeat business and referrals.
Most Viewed Infographic
Our 8 Things Learned from the 2017 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report Mortgage Infographic proved to be the most popular infographic in 2018, with almost double the audience of our others. Why?
According to the report, Hispanics are projected to add 6 million households by 2024 and are responsible for 46.5% of net US homeownership gains since 2000. That’s opportunity. The more loan officers can learn about this prospective audience, the more they can grow their business by helping their Hispanic customers achieve their dream of homeownership.
Most Discussed Article
Once again, 4 Facts About Credit Scores Loan Officers Need to Know leads the pack with the most discussion. Debate on how credit scores are calculated, what sources data are pulled from and changes in the required reporting practices that specifically impact collections accounts surfaced in the Comments section, showing how much conversation this topic can create.
Top 5 Articles
Last, I’d like to share the remaining most popular mortgage articles of the year based on readership, which correlate to our data showing readers like recap and industry expert insights:
- Education: The Path to Homeownership
- 10 Takeaways from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) National Secondary Market Conference
- Affordable Housing Tools to Increase Referral Business in a Purchase Market
- Most Popular Mortgage Articles of 2017
- Adding Credit, but Too Little Housing Supply, Doesn’t Help in Boom-Time
Looking Ahead at 2019
With 2018 in the books and 2019 looking to be a year for more change in the mortgage industry, we plan to adjust our content and topics accordingly. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube to join in the mortgage conversation with us or to share your ideas for blog and infographic topics.
As Vince Lombardi once said, “They call it coaching, but it is teaching. You do not just tell them…you show them the reasons.”
Thanks for helping to make 2018 a success for MGIC Connects. We look forward to publishing more high-quality content throughout the coming year.
