Compass Mortgage cuts verification costs by 43% and unlocks double-digit conversion gains with Argyle

Headquartered in Warrenville, Illinois, Compass Mortgage is a retail, independent mortgage banker known for combining personalized service with modern, automation-forward operations. In its quest to offer competitive and streamlined home financing, the company regularly evaluates emerging technologies that can reduce friction for loan teams and borrowers alike. 

Challenge

As Compass evaluated where technology could have the greatest impact, its approach to income and employment verifications quickly stood out. The lender had tried multiple verification providers in an effort to find a dependable, cost-effective solution, but recurring issues revealed how unsustainable the existing approach had become. That was especially true with The Work Number, where high fees alone raised concerns.

“We needed a more affordable option that gave us direct access to a borrower’s payroll data and allowed us to retrieve it quickly,” says Nicki Cather, senior vice president of loan operations at Compass.

Cost was only part of the problem. The Work Number also frequently returned information that didn’t match borrower documentation, forcing Compass staff to spend significant time tracking down accurate details from employers. This follow-up process was labor-intensive, often frustrating for everyone involved, and created unnecessary delays in preparing files for underwriting.

“It often meant repeated follow-ups until we could get the information we needed, which wasn’t a great experience for anyone involved,” Cather says.

Solution

After evaluating a wide range of verification providers—including solutions available through Blend, its point-of-sale (POS) platform, as well as standalone providers such as Truv and The Work Number—Compass had a clear point of comparison. That exposure helped the team understand what was possible when it came to cost, data quality and borrower engagement.

When Compass evaluated Argyle, the platform stood out as a more affordable option with stronger data completeness and accuracy than other solutions the company had tried. The team was also influenced by Argyle’s ability to drive higher borrower participation, supporting Compass’ broader focus on delivering a cohesive borrower experience.

“Our motto is that we’re home to a better mortgage experience,” says Kim Lewis, vice president of strategic initiatives at Compass. “Consistency and simplicity were key factors in our decision to select Argyle for verification.”

Once Compass decided to place Argyle first in its verification waterfall, the rollout centered on delivering a verification experience that felt familiar and secure for borrowers. Compass worked closely with Argyle to align verification communications with its existing borrower workflows in Blend, so borrowers could complete the process through channels they already recognized and trusted.

The lender also activated Argyle’s Doc VOI functionality to support cases where direct payroll connectivity isn’t available, enabling automated data extraction from paystubs, W-2s and other income documents.

Outcomes

It wasn’t long before Argyle began delivering results that validated Compass’ decision:

• Verifications completed in minutes for earlier income visibility
  With Argyle positioned as the first step in Compass’ verification waterfall, the lender is now able to initiate verification orders in seconds, with borrowers completing the process in minutes. This speed allows Compass to surface income and employment data earlier in the loan process, giving teams more time to review information, resolve questions and prepare cleaner files for underwriting.
  
  “Argyle makes the process both a little smoother and a little quicker, and that makes a difference when we’re trying to get files ready early,” says Ainsley Williamson, submitting assistant at Compass.
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• Double-digit gains in VOIE conversion
  With Argyle, the percentage of Compass borrowers who successfully complete verification of income and employment (VOIE) has increased to a consistent 58%. Prior to adopting Argyle, conversion rates fluctuated significantly, dipping as low as 33% and averaging around 41%.
  
  “More borrowers are completing income and employment verification successfully,” Cather says. “That improvement in follow-through has been one of the most noticeable changes for our team.”
  
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• 43% reduction in verification costs
  By consolidating verification workflows through Argyle and moving away from costly legacy providers, Compass has reduced its verification spend by 43%. The savings help lower costs passed on to borrowers while keeping operational expenses in check.
  
  “The cost savings lower the burden on our borrowers and help us manage expenses without sacrificing data quality,” Lewis says.
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• More routes to rep and warranty relief
  In cases where a direct payroll connection is unavailable to validate income and employment, Compass relies on Argyle’s Doc VOI functionality to extract required data from uploaded documents. While document-based verifications are typically more difficult to validate through Freddie Mac’s Loan Product Advisor® asset and income modeler (AIM), Argyle’s Doc VOI has proven effective enough that 37.5% of these submissions have received validation. Each validated loan component provides Compass with representations and warranties relief, reducing exposure to future repurchase risk.
  
  “Seeing early AIM validations through Doc VOI is a big win for us,” Cather says.
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• A collaborative partnership
  From early testing through full deployment, Compass has described the Argyle team as highly responsive, collaborative and willing to problem-solve as needs arise. Ongoing check-ins help ensure Argyle remains aligned with Compass’ expectations for both borrowers and loan teams.
  
  “Argyle doesn’t just take feedback — they act on it,” says Cather. “That willingness to listen and adjust has made them a strong partner for us.”

With Argyle, Compass has made verification simpler, faster and more reliable, supporting better borrower outcomes and stronger loan quality as the lender continues to scale.

“Argyle has already made a meaningful impact on our process, and we’re excited to keep building on that together,” Lewis says.