Smart phones are another aspect of today’s rapid-fire customer communications.

The survey found that smart phones are used almost universally by top producers (94 percent) — which is not a surprise in a business in which responsiveness is critical.

Almost all smart phone users utilize the devices to check e-mails. In addition, large proportions (86 percent) use them to text customers.

Loan originators who use smart phones to monitor financial news and markets represent 79 percent of the elite group, and 61 percent use smart phones to obtain rate quotes.

iPads and Competing Tablets
Just over a third of the loan originators in the survey said they use an iPad or tablet device.

The most popular activity on tablet devices is browsing the Internet, which 96 percent of tablet users said they do.

The share who use tablets to check e-mails is 89 percent.

Presentations to client and referral partners using iPads and competing devices were made by 18 percent of the originator-users.

Just 4 percent use tablets for video chats with clients and referral sources.

The share of producers who would like to be able to access mortgage-related content on their iPads was 85 percent.