CrossCountry Mortgage has overhauled its closing operations using Blend Close, Blend’s digital closing software, allowing the company to cut average closing times to 45 minutes and eliminate post-closing signature errors across its 1,000-plus-branch network.
The independent retail lender integrated Blend Close directly with its loan origination system, replacing multiple point solutions with a single closing platform that supports traditional, hybrid, hybrid with eNote and full remote online notarization (RON) transactions.
Before the rollout, CrossCountry borrowers typically spent 1.5 to 2 hours signing more than 100 pages in front of a notary. Manual data entry, signature mistakes and incorrect dates led to frequent investor suspensions and rework after closing.
With Blend Close, borrowers access a single portal with one set of credentials from initial application through closing. They can review closing packages in advance and return to the portal to view signed documents after settlement.
“I truly love the one-stop shop for borrowers,” said Simone LaBorde, executive vice president of closing and strategic initiatives at CrossCountry Mortgage. “Borrowers have one login and can review closing packages ahead of time and still log back in to view signed documents after closing, which helps with security and scams.”
CrossCountry’s closing staff previously moved between multiple systems: one to prepare files, another for hybrid eClosings and a third for RON. That fragmentation created workflow breaks, more training time and higher risk of data and document errors.
Now, closers manage all transaction types from a single interface. Real-time status updates and completed documents are automatically pushed back into the LOS, reducing manual re-entry and reconciliation work.
The RON capability has also expanded access to closing for borrowers who cannot attend in person, including military personnel and customers dealing with emergencies. Some transactions now close in as little as 25 to 30 minutes, compared with the prior two-hour standard.
“The platform is easy to navigate,” said Alex Sanchez, senior vice president and closing manager at CrossCountry Mortgage. “It’s self-explanatory, user-friendly, doesn’t take a long time to train.”
The company said its adoption of Blend Close has improved several operational metrics, including reducing average closing times to 45 minutes from 1.5 to 2 hours and cutting some transactions to as little as 25 to 30 minutes.
CrossCountry said closers now handle between 85 and 120 loans per month, while post-closing signature errors have been eliminated and settlement agent time per closing has been reduced to 45 minutes from 90 minutes.
The company also reported fewer investor suspensions, shorter training times and higher employee satisfaction among closing staff after consolidating processes into a single system.
“CrossCountry Mortgage operates at a scale that demands every step of the process work flawlessly,” said Nima Ghamsari, co-founder and head of Blend. “Partnering with a lender of their caliber to eliminate friction at the closing table, and make that final moment a great one for borrowers, is exactly what we built Blend Close to do.”
CrossCountry is now moving from hybrid eClosings to hybrid with eNote, a step that can accelerate delivery to investors and reduce collateral risk as more warehouse lenders and agencies accept electronic promissory notes.
The lender expects full RON to become the default for a growing share of loans over time, using Blend Close as the underlying platform.
This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication. The system helps convert company announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.
