🎙️ MISMO Mic’d Up — Episode Description

Guest: Chris Hazen, Chief Revenue Officer, FinLocker

Most lenders don’t meet a first-time homebuyer until they’re already stressed, confused, or half-disqualified.

That’s not a marketing problem.

It’s not a technology problem.

It’s a mindset problem.

In this episode of MISMO Mic’d Up, Brian Vieaux sits down with Chris Hazen, Chief Revenue Officer at FinLocker, to unpack why early-journey engagement—despite being talked about for more than a decade—remains largely unsolved at an enterprise level across the mortgage industry.

The conversation starts where it matters most: mindset. Chris explains why the industry’s historical focus on the transaction in front of us makes it hard to invest time, energy, and leadership attention into borrowers who may be 6, 12, or even 24 months away from applying. Yet those very borrowers represent one of the largest untapped growth opportunities for lenders—especially first-time homebuyers who need education, guidance, and confidence long before they need a rate quote.

From there, Brian and Chris explore what actually breaks when lenders try to solve early engagement at scale. Spoiler: it starts with people, quickly runs into process challenges, and only then becomes a technology conversation. Without clear objectives, defined outcomes, and leadership buy-in, even the best tools struggle to gain adoption.

A central theme of the episode is the shift from a “point of sale” mindset to a “point of thought” mindset—engaging consumers when they’re thinking about buying a home, not just when they’re ready to apply. Chris shares why “educate first” can feel uncomfortable for loan officers who are conditioned to convert leads quickly, and what changes when they instead focus on guiding, coaching, and providing value without pressure.

The result?

Stronger trust.

Longer-term relationships.

More repeat business and referrals.

And a healthier, more predictable pipeline over time.

The conversation then turns practical, with Chris walking through how FinLocker is designed specifically for the up-funnel moment—helping lenders and loan officers engage early without adding manual work, noise, or compliance risk. Through consumer-permissioned data, milestone-based alerts, and a native mobile experience, loan officers can stay present in a borrower’s journey while letting the technology handle the heavy lifting.

Brian and Chris also discuss what success looks like when lenders get this right at an enterprise level: improved borrower experience, more efficient loan officer workflows, and better economics driven by higher pull-through, stronger borrower quality, and long-term engagement that doesn’t end at closing.

Looking ahead, the episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on what will separate lenders who invest in early-journey engagement from those who don’t—and how industry standards, data portability, and collaboration through organizations like MISMO can help unlock a future where consumers are empowered, verified, and far less anxious as they move toward homeownership.

If you care about first-time homebuyers, sustainable growth, and building an ecosystem that works better for consumers and lenders alike, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.