Setting up a mortgage during a pandemic

To be honest, I wasn't sure how the spring/summer would look when it came to my business. The spring started with a high volume of clients switching lenders to take advantage of low interest rates, and then the purchases started to pile up in June once some of the restrictions were changed in Manitoba. The summer and fall were both quite stressful due to the insane volume, but also due to several factors that made mortgage lending more difficult. 
 
Challenges in the industry:
1. Branches closed, or open with limited hours and limited staffing levels
2. Lawyers, appraisers, underwriters working remotely
3. Everything is slower with all of the above working remotely (lenders, lawyers, appraisers, insurers)
4. Limited listings has resulted in bidding wars and short financing deadlines, which increased the stress  levels based on points #2 and #3 

Positive changes in the industry:
1. virtual meetings that save clients drive time and often creates a more comfortable experience from the clients home
2. virtual signings for mortgage documents which has made it easier for clients with busy schedules and children
3. I am now using a secure portal for document collection where clients can drag and drop their documents which makes the experience more streamlined

With all that being said, things are different, but I am still able to provide the same tier of client support, just virtually.