Mortgage broker screen shares loan comparisons and amortization schedules

TL;DR

Why mortgage brokers use CrankWheel: Clients can’t visualize loan differences over the phone. With CrankWheel, brokers share their screen in 5 seconds—no client download required—and walk buyers through amortization schedules, rate comparisons, and payment breakdowns in real time. Brokers report close rates jumping by 15-20 percentage points because clients make faster decisions when they see the math instead of just hearing it. The recording feature lets spouses review presentations later, eliminating the “I need to talk to my partner” delay.

8:15 AM - The Morning Rush

Thomas checks his calendar while finishing his coffee. Nine client calls scheduled today. Three are first-time buyers who need hand-holding. Two are refinancing. Four are follow-ups from last week.

His phone rings. The Martinez family is calling early.

“We got your email with the loan options,” says Daniel Martinez. “But we’re confused. What’s the difference between these three loans? They all look the same to us.”

Thomas has heard this before. Every mortgage looks identical on paper: loan amount, interest rate, monthly payment. The differences only make sense when you can see them side by side.

“Give me ten seconds,” Thomas says. “I’m going to text you a link. Just tap it.”

8:18 AM - The Visual Difference

Daniel’s phone buzzes. He taps the link. No app download. No password. Just Thomas’s screen appearing on his phone.

“Now look at these three columns,” Thomas says. He pulls up a spreadsheet with the Martinez family’s actual numbers.

30-Year Fixed at 6.5%:

• Monthly payment: $1,896
• Total paid over 30 years: $682,560
• Interest paid: $382,560

15-Year Fixed at 6.0%:

• Monthly payment: $2,532
• Total paid over 15 years: $455,760
• Interest paid: $155,760

5/1 ARM at 5.5%:

• Monthly payment year 1-5: $1,703
• Payment could jump to $2,200+ after year 5
• Total paid: Unpredictable

“See that middle column?” Thomas highlights it. “You’d pay $636 more per month. But you’d save $226,800 in interest and own your home free and clear in 15 years instead of 30.”

Daniel’s wife Maria leans in to look at the screen. “I didn’t realize the savings were that big.”

“Most people don’t,” Thomas says. “Because nobody shows them. Let me show you something else.”

The Amortization Trick

Thomas opens an amortization chart. Two colored bars show how each payment splits between principal and interest.

“Your first payment on the 30-year loan? $271 goes to your house. $1,625 goes to the bank as interest. Look at year 10.” He scrolls down. “Now it’s $398 to your house, $1,498 to the bank. You’re still paying mostly interest for the first decade.”

He switches to the 15-year chart. “Same first payment, but $1,019 goes to your house. By year 10, you’re paying $1,478 to principal. That’s why the total interest is so different.”

Maria speaks up. “What if we can’t afford the 15-year payment right now but we want to pay it off faster?”

Thomas smiles. He was hoping they’d ask.

“Look at this.” He opens a new calculator. “Let’s say you take the 30-year loan at $1,896, but you pay an extra $200 per month toward principal.”

The chart updates in real time:

• Standard 30-year: Paid off in 30 years, $382,560 interest
• With $200 extra monthly: Paid off in 24.3 years, $314,240 interest

“You save $68,320 and finish 5.7 years early. And here’s the key: you’re not locked into that $200. If money gets tight, you just pay the minimum that month.”

Daniel looks at Maria. “That’s the one.”

Why Screen Sharing Beats Phone Calls

Thomas used to spend 45 minutes explaining these concepts over the phone. Clients would say “uh huh” while checking email. Then they’d call back three days later asking the same questions.

Now his conversations run 25 minutes. Clients see the numbers. They ask specific questions. They make decisions on the call.

The difference isn’t just time. It’s confidence. When clients see their numbers on screen, they trust those numbers.

10:30 AM - The Refinance Question

Thomas’s next call is Robert Chen, who bought his house three years ago at 7.25%. Rates have dropped, and Robert wants to know if refinancing makes sense.

“The math is tricky,” Thomas says, sharing his screen. “Let me show you.”

He displays Robert’s current loan next to a new loan scenario:

Current Loan:

• Balance: $342,000
• Rate: 7.25%
• Payment: $2,334
• Years remaining: 27

Refinance to 6.5%:

• New balance: $347,500 (includes closing costs)
• Rate: 6.5%
• Payment: $2,197
• New term: 30 years

“You save $137 per month,” Thomas explains. “But look at this.” He highlights the closing costs line. “$5,500 in closing costs means you break even in 40 months. If you move before then, you lose money.”

Robert didn’t know that. No one had shown him the break-even calculation before.

“There’s another option.” Thomas adjusts the spreadsheet. “We can do a no-closing-cost refinance at 6.75%. Your payment drops to $2,221—only $113 savings—but you break even immediately.”

1:15 PM - The Complex Case

After lunch, Thomas calls the Patel family. They want to buy a $450,000 house, but their situation has complications:

• Dr. Patel is paid as a 1099 contractor
• Mrs. Patel just started a new job 3 months ago
• They have excellent credit but thin savings

“Most lenders would decline this,” Thomas says, sharing his screen to show the underwriting criteria. “But watch this.”

He shows a comparison of three lender programs:

1. Traditional conventional: Requires 2 years W-2 history - Doesn’t work
2. Bank statement loan: Uses 12 months deposits - Possible but higher rate
3. Asset depletion loan: Counts retirement accounts - Best option

“Your 401k has $280,000. This lender counts that as ‘income’ by dividing it over 360 months. That’s $778 per month added to your qualifying income.”

The Patels had no idea this program existed. Neither did the three other mortgage brokers they’d talked to.

3:45 PM - Recording for the Spouse

Jennifer Walsh called yesterday excited about pre-approval. Today she sounds hesitant.

“My husband has questions,” she says. “He couldn’t be on the call yesterday. Can you explain everything again?”

Thomas has a better idea. “Let me record our session so he can watch it tonight.”

He hits record in CrankWheel and walks through Jennifer’s pre-approval letter, the loan scenarios, and the timeline to closing. The recording captures his screen and voice.

“I’ll send you a link when we’re done. He can watch at 10 PM after the kids are in bed. If he has questions, we can all do a video conference tomorrow.”

Jennifer’s husband watches the 18-minute recording. He texts Thomas at 10:47 PM: “Good presentation. Let’s move forward.”

Thomas also uses CrankWheel’s sales video platform features to send prospecting videos to leads who requested quotes online. A two-minute personalized video showing their specific loan options gets 3x the response rate of a cold call.

5:30 PM - The Numbers

Thomas reviews his day:

• 9 calls scheduled, 9 completed
• 4 applications submitted
• 2 pre-approvals issued
• 3 follow-ups scheduled with clear next steps

Before screen sharing, his daily average was 6 calls and 1.5 applications. The technology didn’t make him smarter. It made his expertise visible.

His clients close faster because they understand their mortgages. They refer friends because they can actually explain what they bought. “My mortgage guy showed me exactly how it works” is a powerful endorsement.

The Tools Behind the Scenes

Thomas doesn’t use fancy software. His screen sharing setup is simple:

• CrankWheel Chrome extension for instant screen sharing
• Excel for loan comparisons and amortization schedules
• Standard rate sheets from his lender partners
• A second monitor so he can reference client files while presenting

The screen sharing just works. No client has ever failed to connect. No IT department has blocked it. No call has been lost to technical problems.

That reliability is the foundation of everything else.

What Screen Sharing Changes

The mortgage industry has a trust problem. Buyers feel like they’re signing documents they don’t understand to get money they can’t visualize for terms they haven’t compared.

Visual presentation solves this. When Thomas shows an amortization schedule, clients understand that early payments are mostly interest. When he displays rate comparisons, they see why a 0.5% difference costs $40,000 over 30 years.

Understanding creates confidence. Confidence creates decisions. Decisions create closings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast can clients connect to a CrankWheel screen share?

5-10 seconds. The broker sends a link via text or email, the client taps it, and they see the broker’s screen immediately in their browser. No downloads, no accounts, no passwords. This speed matters because mortgage clients often call from work or while driving—they won’t wait through a complicated setup.

Does CrankWheel work on mobile phones?

Yes. CrankWheel works on any device with a browser—phones, tablets, laptops, desktops. Clients viewing on mobile see the same screen share quality as desktop users. This matters for mortgage brokers because many clients review loan options from their phones during lunch breaks or between appointments.

Can I record a CrankWheel session for a client’s spouse to watch later?

Yes. CrankWheel’s recording captures your screen and voice. When the session ends, you get a shareable link. The spouse watches in their browser without downloading anything. Mortgage brokers use this when one partner couldn’t join the call—the recording lets both decision-makers see the same presentation.

How does CrankWheel compare to Zoom for mortgage presentations?

CrankWheel connects in 5-10 seconds without downloads. Zoom requires the client to download software, create an account, or navigate browser permissions—taking 2-5 minutes minimum. For mortgage brokers doing quick rate comparisons during phone calls, that friction kills the moment. CrankWheel keeps you in the conversation.

Can I use CrankWheel to send video messages to mortgage leads?

Yes. CrankWheel’s sales video platform lets you record your screen with voiceover, then send a trackable link. Mortgage brokers use this to send personalized loan comparisons to online leads before the first call. The video shows you’ve done the work, and you get notified when they watch it.