Mortgage Lenders Are Checking Your LinkedIn to 'Get a Clearer Picture' of Potential Borrowers Some lenders are turning to social media sites to better understand (and fact-check) their applicants.
By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- Some mortgage lenders are checking LinkedIn profiles for a full picture of a borrower’s work history.
- LinkedIn could influence how lenders perceive a borrower’s stability and suitability for a loan.
Are mortgage lenders looking at your LinkedIn profile?
Faced with high mortgage rates, 6.62% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at the time of writing, and soaring home prices, lenders are turning to social media sites like LinkedIn to better understand borrowers.
Kevin Leibowitz, president and CEO of Grayton Mortgage, told Realtor earlier this month that while the lender does not have "an official process" for looking through a borrower's social media accounts, they may still check unofficially.
"It is helpful to look at LinkedIn profiles during the application process," Leibowitz told the outlet. "It can give a clearer picture as to the job history, description, length of employment, locale, etc."
The information might be necessary because "sometimes, a borrower doesn't provide a full picture of what they've done for the last few years," Leibowitz explained.
He stated that lenders could use LinkedIn to fill in gaps in employment and create a complete profile of the borrower.
So, while lenders primarily examine bank statements, credit reports, and tax returns when assessing a borrower's history, their perception of a borrower could also be influenced by social media platforms like LinkedIn.
What should borrowers do to maximize their chances of getting a loan? Mike Olson, a senior underwriter at the lender Second Street, told Realtor.com that every detail on LinkedIn should align with what is written on a loan application. This means the same job titles, locations, and dates.
He also recommended refraining from writing posts "that could raise red flags," like posts about financial stress or job loss.
The median price of a home sold in the U.S. in the final quarter of 2024 was $419,200, up from $338,600 in the last quarter of 2020.
