customer stories
Neighborhood Loans reaches record loan volume while maintaining turn times using Ocrolus Inspect
Mortgage | Inspect
Founded in 2009 by Reno Manuele and Tony Ameti, Neighborhood Loans is a rapidly growing mortgage lender dedicated to transparency, integrity and exceptional customer service throughout the home purchase and refinance journey. The company turned to Ocrolus, an AI-powered data and analytics platform, to automate document processing and streamline income calculation, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and client satisfaction.
Challenge
Manual checklists let mismatches like incorrect Social Security numbers and missing bank statements reach underwriting, leading to borrower back-and-forth and slower closings.
Solution
Neighborhood Loans uses Ocrolus Inspect to automatically flag discrepancies between borrower documents and Encompass® 1003 application data, enabling teams to catch and resolve issues early.
Results
Neighborhood Loans increased monthly loan volume to record levels while maintaining turn times and avoiding additional hiring.
Challenge
Reviewing mortgage documents for inconsistencies is time-consuming and prone to human error. Small discrepancies, such as mismatched Social Security numbers or missing bank statements, often slipped through despite manual checklists and multiple review steps. These issues triggered additional verification requests and slowed down underwriting.
"We’re human, and even the best processors are going to miss something here and there," said Paola Patino, regional processing manager at Neighborhood Loans. "We would see files go into underwriting with mismatched information, and that meant going back to the borrower or pausing the file, which slowed us down."
Solution
Neighborhood Loans implemented Ocrolus Inspect to automate document data review and catch discrepancies early in the process. Inspect automatically flags mismatches between borrower-provided documents and Encompass® 1003 application data, uncovering missing or unsupported information and allowing teams to manage conditions directly within their workflow.
"It’s now part of the checklist for everybody," Patino said. "Our setup team runs Inspect before the file moves forward so we can catch those little things that are so easily missed."
By identifying discrepancies and managing conditions early, Neighborhood Loans eliminated redundant document requests and reduced risk in underwriting. Inspect’s seamless integration with Encompass enabled teams to visualize and address flagged inconsistencies without switching systems, making it easier to keep files clean.
Result
With Ocrolus Inspect, Neighborhood Loans increased monthly loan volume while maintaining turn times and avoiding the need for additional staff.
- Achieved record loan units and volume, reaching 1,000 loans in a single month
- Maintained fast cycle times while handling higher volume
- Reduced underwriting conditions with cleaner files
- Reduced unnecessary borrower requests, improving borrower experience
- Avoided additional hiring while scaling operations
"We’re closing more loans each month without adding more people," Patino said. "Inspect has saved us a lot of time and helped us keep files moving with fewer issues."
Why Neighborhood Loans recommends Ocrolus Inspect
"It will save you a lot of time. It will save you pain while the file is moving along," Patino said. "Just improvement in quality of the file going into underwriting. We can have team members who are the best at what they do, and they've been doing it for years. You're still gonna miss something. It's gonna save you time, for sure."
Patino emphasized that using Inspect has helped Neighborhood Loans maintain high service levels while handling more volume. "It helps us keep files cleaner, it reduces back-and-forth with underwriting, and it helps us keep our borrowers happy while we close loans," she said.
Inspect will save you a lot of time. It will save you pain while the file is moving along. We can have team members who are the best at what they do, and they've been doing it for years. You're still gonna miss something. It's gonna save you time, for sure.”