Optimal Blue expands into borrower engagement with Usherpa acquisition

Optimal Blue has acquired customer relationship management platform Usherpa to expand into borrower engagement and lead conversion, the secondary marketing and pricing technology provider announced Monday. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Usherpa will be natively integrated into Optimal Blue while continuing to serve loan officers, real estate professionals and mortgage companies nationwide. Lenders typically run product and pricing engines (PPE) and CRM systems separately, which limits personalization, adds manual work and slows response times. “By bringing together pricing intelligence and borrower engagement capabilities, we can ensure originators have the tools to strengthen relationships, uncover more opportunities and compete more effectively in any market environment,” Joe Tyrrell, CEO of Optimal Blue, said in a statement. “This acquisition is an important step towards creating a single originator command center that assists originators to move from lead to loan more efficiently.” Usherpa enables users to stay connected with past customers, prospects, referral sources and business partners through personalized, automated outreach across the homeownership lifecycl...