Interest rates matter most to Americans choosing a mortgage lender

Aug 20–25, 2025 · n = 1,000 · MoE ±3.1%Source report ↗

Core finding

No factor outranks interest rates when Americans choose a mortgage lender, named by 70% in a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 20-25, 2025. Financial incentives or discounts follow (57%), then the speed of approval (42%).

About a third value a lender's reputation for fairness across racial and ethnic lines (35%), a quarter its online or mobile options (24%), and one-in-five its support for sustainable housing (20%); 6% name none of these.

Selected responses

Interest rates matter most to Americans choosing a mortgage lender.

Which of the following factors would you consider most important when choosing a mortgage lender during the home buying process?

Interest rates
70.1%
Financial incentives or discounts (e.g. lower fees, down payment assistance)
56.8%
Approval process speed
42.4%
Lender's reputation for fairness in dealing with applicants of different races or ethnicities
34.9%
Availability of online or mobile application options
24.4%
Lender's reputation for supporting sustainable or climate-conscious housing practices
19.6%
None of the above
5.9%

n = 1,000 · Aug 20–25, 2025 · MoE ±3.1%

Respondents could select more than one option, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
ModeVerasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
PopulationUnited States adults
Field datesAug 20–25, 2025
Base (unweighted)1,000
Margin of error±3.1%
ModuleASA Omnibus Survey
SponsorVerasight
Weight variableweight
Weighting targetsage, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

Sources

  1. 01

    Which of the following factors would you consider most important when choosing a mortgage lender during the home buying process?

    reports.verasight.io/r/asa-2025

Cite this question

ASA Omnibus Survey, fielded August 20-25, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.