Every loan officer knows the drill: a borrower closes, you mean to post about it on social media, ask for a review, and follow up with the realtor. But by the time you get back to your desk, three new files are waiting and that marketing task falls off your list.
That is exactly the gap that tools like Zapier and Make (formerly Integromat) are built to fill. They connect the apps you already use -- your CRM, Google Sheets, social schedulers, email -- and move data between them automatically when specific events happen.
Below we break down six real-world automations a mortgage loan officer can set up today, what each workflow looks like step by step, and how to get started even if you have never built an automation before.
What Are Zapier and Make?
Both are no-code automation platforms. You create a workflow (Zapier calls them "Zaps," Make calls them "Scenarios") that follows a simple pattern:
Trigger
Something happens
Action
Do something else
Result
Marketing runs itself
Zapier
- 7,000+ app integrations
- Simplest setup for beginners
- Free tier: 100 tasks / month
Make
- Visual drag-and-drop builder
- Better for complex, branching logic
- Free tier: 1,000 operations / month
6 Real-World Automations for Loan Officers
Closed Loan to Social Post
Trigger
Loan status changes to 'Closed' in your CRM (Encompass, BNTouch, Velocify, or a Google Sheet tracker)
Action
Zapier/Make sends the borrower name, loan type, and city to ChatGPT via API, generating a congratulatory social post draft
Result
The finished post is pushed to Buffer, Hootsuite, or directly scheduled on Facebook/Instagram -- ready for your review or auto-published
Post-Closing Review Request
Trigger
3 days after a loan marks as funded in your pipeline
Action
An email or SMS is automatically sent to the borrower with a personalized message and direct link to leave a Google or Zillow review
Result
Your review count grows on autopilot without you ever copying a link or composing a message
New Lead to Nurture Sequence
Trigger
A new lead enters your CRM from LendingTree, Zillow, or a website form
Action
Make routes the lead info into a personalized 5-email drip sequence in Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or even plain Gmail with scheduled sends
Result
Every lead gets a consistent first touch within minutes, not hours -- drastically improving contact rates
Milestone Updates to Realtor Partners
Trigger
Loan status changes to 'Appraisal Ordered,' 'Clear to Close,' or 'Docs Out' in your LOS
Action
A formatted email or Slack message is sent to the listing agent and buying agent with a status update and expected next steps
Result
Realtors feel informed and valued, which drives repeat referrals -- and you never had to type a single update
Rate Drop Alert to Past Clients
Trigger
You update a 'Current Rates' cell in a Google Sheet (or rates hit a threshold via an API)
Action
A batch email goes to your past-client list with a personalized 'rates just dropped' message and a link to your calendar
Result
Refi opportunities surface automatically, and past clients think of you first because you stayed in touch
Weekly Content Calendar on Autopilot
Trigger
Every Monday at 8 AM (scheduled trigger)
Action
Make pulls your 3 most recent closings from your sheet, sends them to ChatGPT to generate a week's worth of social post drafts, and drops them into a Google Doc or Notion board
Result
You start every week with a content plan already written -- just review, tweak, and post
How to Get Started (Even If You Are Not Technical)
Pick one workflow to start with
Do not try to automate everything at once. Start with the scenario that solves your biggest pain point. For most loan officers, that is either Scenario 1 (social posts) or Scenario 2 (review requests) because the ROI is immediately visible.
Create a free account on Zapier or Make
Both platforms have generous free tiers. Zapier is easier for absolute beginners. Make is better if you want more control and your workflow has any branching logic (e.g., "if refinance, send this message; if purchase, send that one").
Connect your apps
You will authorize your CRM, email provider, and social scheduler. Both platforms walk you through this with guided setup wizards. If your CRM does not have a native integration, a Google Sheet as an intermediary works perfectly.
Use AI for the content step
This is where it gets powerful. Both Zapier and Make have built-in ChatGPT / OpenAI modules. You feed it context (borrower name, loan type, city) and a prompt template -- like the ones on our prompts page -- and it generates polished copy every time.
Test, review, and go live
Run the workflow manually a few times to verify the output. Adjust your prompt or template until the tone matches your brand. Once you are happy, flip it to automatic and let it run.
Pro Tips From Top-Producing LOs
Always add a human review step at first.
Set automations to 'draft' mode so posts and emails land in a queue for your quick approval before going live. Once you trust the output, switch to fully automatic.
Personalize with merge fields.
Include the borrower's first name, property city, and loan type in your templates. Generic content gets ignored; specific content gets engagement.
Track everything in a spreadsheet.
Add a logging step to your automation that records every action taken (date, borrower, content sent). This becomes your marketing audit trail and helps you see what is working.
Combine automations with MLO Assistant prompts.
Use our prompt templates as the instructions inside your Zapier/Make ChatGPT step. They are already optimized for mortgage-specific output.
Respect compliance.
Make sure any automated client-facing content complies with RESPA, TILA, and your company's marketing guidelines. When in doubt, run it by your compliance department first.
The Bottom Line
The loan officers who consistently win are not necessarily the ones working the most hours -- they are the ones whose systems work while they are on the phone, at closings, or spending time with their families. Zapier and Make give you that leverage. Pair them with AI-powered content generation and you have a marketing engine that runs 24/7.
Start with one automation this week. Once you see the first review request go out on its own or the first social post draft appear in your queue, you will never go back to doing it all manually.