Pricing Inquiry Response Scripts for Mortgage Brokers
Pricing calls for mortgage brokers are tricky because the client isn’t really buying “your fee”—they’re buying a loan structure, a rate, speed to close, and clean execution with the lender and title. The right phone script helps you give a clear answer without quoting the wrong thing (rate/APR/points), and it keeps the call moving toward a pre-approval or a loan consult before they shop you to three other lenders.
Standard “How much do you charge?” (Broker comp + typical closing costs)
Use when a new lead asks your fee before you’ve taken an application.
“Good question—mortgage pricing has a few moving parts. My compensation is usually built into the loan pricing and typically lands around 0.50% to 2.75% of the loan amount, depending on the program and lender. On a $400,000 loan, that can look like roughly $2,000 to $11,000, but it’s not always paid out-of-pocket. Separate from that, most buyers also have third‑party closing costs like appraisal, title, escrow, and lender fees—often $6,000 to $15,000 depending on state and loan type. If you tell me purchase price, down payment, credit range, and ZIP code, I can give you a tight estimate in 5 minutes.”
Tips for this scenario
- -Say “third‑party costs” out loud so they understand you don’t control title/escrow/appraisal pricing.
- -Anchor with an example loan size ($350k–$500k) because clients think in monthly payment, not basis points.
- -Ask for ZIP code early—title/escrow and transfer taxes can swing costs a lot by county.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Pro Tips
- 1.Keep a one-minute intake checklist by your phone: purchase price, down payment, credit range, ZIP code, occupancy, property type (condo/SFR), timeline/closing date.
- 2.Always quote two scenarios: (1) zero points and (2) points to buy down the rate—then tell them which one matches their timeline.
- 3.Use “cash-to-close” and “APR” in your pricing talk—those two terms reduce confusion and make you sound like the adult in the room.
- 4.When you’re slammed with underwriter calls, text a secure link for details and set a 10-minute “rate & cost review” slot—speed matters most in spring and month-end.
- 5.If you use SkipCalls, set it to capture credit range, purchase price, down payment, and closing date in the first 60 seconds so you can call back with a real quote instead of ‘what’s your info?’
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you quote your broker fee on the first call?
You can give a range, but tie it to loan size and explain it’s usually built into pricing. A safe line is: “My comp is typically embedded in the loan pricing and varies by program and lender—once I have loan amount, credit range, and occupancy, I’ll show it clearly on a written worksheet.”
What’s the safest way to answer “What rate can you do?” without sounding evasive?
Ask for the four pricing drivers (credit range, down payment/LTV, occupancy, loan type) and then quote two options (zero points and points) plus APR. That sounds confident and prevents apples-to-oranges shopping.
When can you give exact pricing instead of estimates?
Exact pricing is reasonable when you have confirmed inputs and you’re looking at live lender pricing—especially when the client is ready to lock a rate. Before lock, label everything as an estimate and list the assumptions (credit bucket, LTV, lock period, occupancy, property type).
How do you respond to “Another lender said no closing costs”?
“No closing costs” usually means the costs are covered by a lender credit in exchange for a higher rate, or they’re rolled into the loan amount on certain refis. Ask for their Loan Estimate and point out where the credit appears and what rate/APR they’re paying for it.
What numbers do clients actually care about on pricing calls?
For purchases: cash-to-close and monthly payment (including taxes/insurance/PMI/HOA). For refis: monthly savings, total costs, and break-even months. If you lead with those, price shoppers calm down and qualified buyers move faster.
Stop losing mortgage leads to faster brokers
Mortgage shoppers call in bursts—during rate drops, after a showing, and at night when they finally sit down. SkipCalls answers 24/7, filters spam, captures the key pricing inputs (purchase price, down payment, credit range, timeline), and books a consult so you call back with a real quote instead of playing phone tag.
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