Should Mortgage Brokers Hire an Admin — Or Fix Their Systems First?
Hiring an admin won’t save your mortgage business.
In fact, if you do it too early, it might make things worse.
If you’re a mortgage broker who’s drowning in admin, it’s easy to think the answer is more help. But here’s the truth:
Most mortgage advisers don’t need admin support—they need operational clarity and better systems.
Why Do Mortgage Brokers Feel Like They Need an Admin?
The day-to-day grind of running a mortgage business is intense:
Endless follow-up emails
Chasing lenders and solicitors
Updating case notes
Scheduling calls
Managing client expectations
It feels like there’s never enough time. So the logical step is: “I’ll just hire someone to help.”
But unless your operations are systemised, adding someone else into the mix will likely slow you down further. You don’t need more hands—you need a better workflow.
What Happens If You Add a Person to a Broken Mortgage Process?
You don’t get efficiency—you get multiplied chaos.
Without a system, your admin support becomes another task—not a solution.
Here’s what happens when mortgage brokers hire too soon:
You waste time explaining things that should be templated.
Errors and miscommunication create more stress.
You spend more time managing, not advising.
You waste money fixing problems that systems could prevent.
It’s a short-term fix that creates long-term drag.
When Is the Right Time for Mortgage Brokers to Hire an Admin?
Hiring should support a proven system—not compensate for a lack of one.
Here’s how to know you’re ready:
You’ve mapped your client journey from lead to completion.
You’ve identified where bottlenecks occur.
You’ve automated as many touchpoints as possible.
You have templates, workflows, and onboarding already documented.
If you’re missing those? You’re not ready.
📌 Want to build this foundational structure fast? Start with The 30-Day Mortgage Broker Boost—a free email series packed with quick wins to streamline your business.
What Should You Do Before Hiring Support?
Here’s a four-step plan to get your mortgage business system-ready:
1. Map Out Your End-to-End Process
Start from lead generation and finish at post-completion:
Where do leads come from?
How do you book calls?
What happens after the DIP is submitted?
How do you hand off to solicitors or chase documents?
Write it all down. You can’t scale what you can’t see.
2. Spot the Bottlenecks in Your Business
Ask yourself:
What tasks am I repeating unnecessarily?
Where do I lose momentum?
What drains my energy that could be simplified?
Every small friction point adds up over time.
3. Use Automation Tools Before People
Hiring an admin to send reminder emails is unnecessary when tools like:
Calendly can automate bookings
Go High Level can automate nurturing
Zapier can connect your software stack
Pre-call forms can reduce back-and-forth
Your goal is to automate before you delegate.
💡 In Mortgage Business Mastery, I coach brokers to implement these tools and build out systems before scaling their team—so they save time and money from day one.
4. Create Repeatable Templates and SOPs
If you do decide to hire down the line, create:
Templated emails
Call structures
Submission workflows
Checklists for post-completion
The best hires plug into a machine. They shouldn’t be the machine.
Can You Really Write 10+ Mortgage Cases a Month Without Admin Support?
Yes—if your systems are dialled in.
I’ve seen solo mortgage brokers write 10–15 cases monthly without burnout. The key isn’t more team—it’s tighter operations.
They don’t waste time chasing leads or reinventing their process for every client. Everything runs on rails. The admin only arrives after the business demands it—and is ready for it.
What Are the Risks of Hiring Admin Too Early?
Hiring without structure brings serious downsides:
You onboard inefficiently
You lose clarity on who does what
You get stuck micromanaging
You start “managing people” instead of growing the business
Worse still? You may have to fire someone who could have been great—if only the systems had been there.
How Can Mortgage Brokers Grow Without a Team?
If you want to grow your mortgage business and boost revenue without adding headcount, here’s the blueprint:
Set up a consistent lead generation system
Qualify clients before you speak to them
Use a structured discovery & submission call format
Implement email and content automation
Create evergreen follow-up systems for post-completion
Need a proven plan to follow? Mortgage Business Mastery gives you the roadmap, tools, and personal support to scale with confidence.
What’s the Key Takeaway for Mortgage Brokers?
Structure beats staff. Every single time.
Hiring someone doesn’t solve overwhelm. A solid system does.
Only bring on help after your operations are tight, your messaging is clear, and your process runs without constant hand-holding.
Final Thought: Should You Hire an Admin or Systemise First?
“Chaos gets louder when you add people without systems.”
Don’t throw bodies at broken processes.
Fix your foundations first.
Then—and only then—hire with confidence and clarity.
🚀 Ready to Get Started?
👉 Start with The 30-Day Mortgage Broker Boost — 30 emails with tactical wins to simplify your mortgage business.
👉 Or level up with 1:1 coaching inside Mortgage Business Mastery — the structured framework for brokers who want to scale with systems.
💬 Got a question? Drop me a message on Instagram or LinkedIn — I’m always happy to help.
