Borrower satisfaction with the mortgage origination process remained unchanged in 2026, despite slower lender response times and declining levels of trust, according to a new study from J.D. Power released Tuesday.

The study found that customer satisfaction with mortgage lenders averaged 760 on a 1,000-point scale, unchanged from 2025’s survey. Improved digital experiences helped offset weaker communication scores, however.

Fifty-eight percent of borrowers said they receive same-day answers from lenders, down from 62% in 2025. The share of borrowers who know their primary point of contact also declined, falling to 88% from 91%.

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Bruce Gehrke, senior director of wealth and lending intelligence at J.D. Power, said in a press release that borrowers appreciate being able to complete more of the process online — but they still want access to someone who can answer their questions.

J.D. Power is seeing less recognition of updates and guidance that are important to keep borrowers informed, Gehrke said. He added that lenders need to make the origination process more convenient while ensuring borrowers feel supported, especially as they approach closing.

Borrowers who encounter problems are increasingly likely to report them after loan approval or on closing day, the study found. It emphasized that “a problem-free closing is critical” to borrowers’ overall impression of the mortgage experience.

The study also noted that customers who have an existing financial relationship with a lender are more likely to trust the company and view their representative as a trusted adviser. It reported that 67% of borrowers consider their lender representative a trusted adviser, which is approximately twice the proportion citing a financial adviser, Realtor or family member.

Two-thirds of younger borrowers — defined in the study as Gen Y and Gen Z consumers under age 49 — said they prefer self-service and digital tools. However, 49% also said their lender representative should have been more involved.

Younger borrowers are also significantly more likely to shop around and use artificial intelligence when researching mortgage providers, raising the stakes for lenders to meet both their digital and personal-service expectations, the study found.

Among individual lenders, Chase ranked highest with a score of 789 out of 1,000, just one point ahead of Bank of America. PNC followed in third place at 785.

Pennymac received the lowest score at 696, followed by Freedom Mortgage at 706 and loanDepot at 710.