After reviewing hundreds of mortgage broker websites, I kept noticing the same thing.

I've spent the last couple of years building software for independent mortgage brokers. Along the way, I've reviewed hundreds of their websites.

One thing stood out.

Almost every website has a mortgage payment calculator.

But I don't think that's the first question most borrowers want answered.

When someone is considering buying a home, they're usually wondering:

Can I realistically qualify?

Is my debt too high?

Is my credit holding me back?

Should I apply now or improve my finances first?

A payment estimate doesn't answer any of those questions.

I think borrowers want confidence before they want calculations.

That's why I built MDE Pro, an embeddable assessment that brokers add to their websites. It walks the borrower through a short assessment and shows them, on screen, before they ever fill out an application:

Mortgage Readiness Score

Approval Likelihood

DTI analysis

Personalized explanations

Actionable steps that could improve their readiness

The goal isn't to replace loan officers or LOS platforms. It's to help borrowers understand where they stand before starting the application, and help brokers start conversations with more informed prospects.

Founder here, wanted to share this since it's shaped a lot of what I've built.

One thing I still haven't fully figured out: when there's nothing quite like your product to point to, how do you explain what it actually does without it sounding like every other pitch?