SMS Marketing for Loan Officers Using HighLevel

Email open rates in mortgage hover around 20-25%. Text message open rates? 98%. And most are read within three minutes.

SMS is the single most effective communication channel for loan officers, and it's not close. The problem is that most LOs either don't text at all, text manually (which doesn't scale), or blast generic messages that get them flagged as spam. HighLevel gives you the infrastructure to do SMS right: personalized, automated, compliant, and at scale.

Why SMS Works So Well in Mortgage

Mortgage is a high-touch, high-trust sale. And texting feels personal. When you send someone a text, it lands in the same place as messages from their family and friends. That's powerful, but it also means you need to respect the channel.

Here's why SMS is particularly effective for loan officers:

• Speed to lead. A text arrives instantly. No inbox sorting, no spam filters, no "I'll check that later." Your first touch happens within seconds.
• Conversation starter. Texts invite replies in a way emails don't. A borrower is far more likely to text back "yes, I'm free at 3" than to reply to an email.
• Status updates. "Your loan just moved to underwriting" via text feels immediate and reassuring. The same message via email might not get read for hours.
• Re-engagement. Old leads who stopped responding to emails will often reply to a well-crafted text months later.

Setting Up SMS in HighLevel

Phone Number Setup

You'll need a dedicated phone number for texting. HighLevel supports LC Phone (built-in) or Twilio integration. For most loan officers, LC Phone is the simplest path. Get a local number with your area code.

A2P 10DLC Registration (Non-Negotiable)

This is the part everyone skips and then wonders why their texts don't deliver. A2P (Application-to-Person) 10DLC registration is required by mobile carriers for any business sending automated text messages.

Go to Settings > Phone Numbers > Trust Center and complete:

1. Brand Registration: Your business name, EIN, address, website
2. Campaign Registration: Describe your use case ("mortgage lending communication, appointment reminders, and marketing with consumer consent")
3. Wait for approval: Takes 1-7 business days

Without this registration, your messages will be filtered or blocked by carriers. Your deliverability will be terrible, and you'll think HighLevel's SMS doesn't work. It works fine. You just need to register.

SMS Templates That Work for Mortgage

The best mortgage texts are short, personal, and have a clear purpose. Here are templates for the most common scenarios.

Speed-to-Lead (New Inquiry)

Hi {{contact.first_name}}, this is [Name] with [Company]. I just received your mortgage inquiry. Do you have a few minutes today for a quick call? I'd love to help.

Follow-Up (No Response, Day 2)

Hey {{contact.first_name}}, just following up on your mortgage inquiry. I know things get busy. If you have any questions, even quick ones, just text me back. Happy to help whenever you're ready.

Pre-Approval Congrats

Great news, {{contact.first_name}}! You're pre-approved. I'm sending the details to your email now. Let me know if you have any questions as you start shopping!

Rate Drop Alert

Hey {{contact.first_name}}, rates dropped this week. Based on your situation, a refinance could save you around $250-350/month. Want me to run updated numbers for you?

Database Reactivation

Hi {{contact.first_name}}, this is [Name] with [Company]. We connected a while back about your mortgage plans. Are you still exploring your options? Happy to help if so.

Review Request (Post-Close)

Hey {{contact.first_name}}, congrats again on closing! If you had a good experience, would you mind leaving a quick Google review? It means a lot. Here's the link: [review URL]

SMS Compliance for Mortgage

This section isn't exciting, but ignoring it can cost you thousands in fines and get your number blacklisted. Take it seriously.

Opt-In Language for Your Forms

Every form that collects a phone number needs consent language. Something like:

"By providing your phone number, you consent to receive text messages from [Company Name] regarding your mortgage inquiry. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out at any time."

In HighLevel, add this as text below your phone number field on every funnel form and survey.

SMS Automation Strategies

The Conversational Approach

The most effective SMS strategy doesn't feel like marketing. It feels like a conversation. Instead of blasting "CHECK OUT OUR LOW RATES!" to your database, send messages that invite a reply:

• "Are you still looking into buying this year?"
• "Quick question: have you been pre-approved yet?"
• "Rates moved this week. Does it make sense to revisit your numbers?"

When they reply, HighLevel logs the conversation on their contact record. You can pick up the thread personally and move them forward.

Smart Timing

Don't send texts at random times. Test what works for your audience, but general guidelines:

• Best times: Tuesday through Thursday, 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm
• Decent times: Monday afternoon, Friday morning
• Avoid: Weekends for marketing messages, early morning, late evening

Use HighLevel's workflow time window feature to restrict when messages send. Set it to your state's time zone and respect business hours.

Mixing SMS with Other Channels

SMS shouldn't operate in isolation. The most effective sequences alternate between channels:

1. Minute 1: SMS (immediate, personal)
2. Minute 5: Email (detailed, with your photo and credentials)
3. Hour 2: SMS follow-up if no reply
4. Day 2: Voicemail drop
5. Day 3: SMS with a different angle

Each channel reinforces the others. The borrower sees your name in their texts, their email, and their voicemail. That's how you build familiarity fast.

Measuring SMS Performance

Track these metrics monthly:

• Delivery rate: Should be 95%+. If it's below 90%, check your A2P registration and number health.
• Response rate: Conversational texts should get 15-30% response rates. If you're below 10%, your messages sound too robotic.
• Opt-out rate: Should be under 3% per campaign. Higher means your content or frequency needs adjustment.
• Conversion to call: How many text conversations turn into phone calls? This is your money metric.

Pre-Built SMS Workflows

Every SMS template and workflow mentioned in this article is available pre-built in the HL4 Pro Snapshot Library. Import the mortgage SMS snapshot and you'll have compliant, tested text sequences ready to activate. No copywriting required.