Funnels

Mortgage Quiz Funnel Questions Borrowers Actually Finish

How to write mortgage quiz funnel questions that qualify without paperwork: what to ask first, how many questions, answer design, and 4-question examples by loan type.

Mara Ellison · Funnel Strategy Editor · Updated · 6 min read

Blog cover: Tenzo the fennec fox holding a quiz card — Quiz questions borrowers finish

Key takeaways

  • Ask the easiest, most motivating question first — usually timeline or goal, never income.
  • Four tap-only questions is our default: enough to route and personalise, short enough to finish on a phone.
  • Every question must change something: the result page, the follow-up or the loan officer's call.
  • Never ask for Social Security numbers, account numbers or exact income in a quiz.
  • Measure drop-off per question and fix the worst step first.

4

questions in our default quiz — every answer is a button

Source: Get Mortgage Funnels funnel standard (2026)

0

sensitive identifiers asked in a quiz (SSN, account numbers)

Source: Get Mortgage Funnels funnel standard (2026)

21%

of US home purchases were by first-time buyers, a record low

Source: NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (Nov 2025)

A mortgage quiz funnel lives or dies on its questions. Ask the wrong thing first and visitors leave before answering anything; ask too much and they leave halfway; ask nothing useful and your follow-up sounds generic. This guide covers how we write mortgage quiz funnel questions — the order, the count, the answer design — with four-question examples for common loan types.

What questions should a mortgage quiz ask?

Start with the borrower’s goal or timeline, then a broad budget band, then savings or equity, then a light self-assessment. That order works because each question is easier than the one a nervous borrower expects next, and each answer changes something useful downstream.

Every question has to pass one test: does the answer change the result page, the follow-up, or the loan officer’s call? If not, cut it. “How did you hear about us?” fails — UTM parameters already tell you.

The four jobs a quiz question can do:

  1. Route — send the borrower to the right result page (purchase vs refinance; VA vs conventional).
  2. Personalise — make the first text and email reference their situation.
  3. Prioritise — tell the loan officer who to call first (move in 60 days vs “just exploring”).
  4. Reassure — show the borrower you understand their situation (“Not sure — need help” is a valid answer).

Why does the first question matter so much?

Because the first tap is the biggest drop-off in almost every funnel. A visitor who answers one question has made a small commitment and usually keeps going. A visitor who sees an intimidating first question leaves.

Where a four-question quiz loses people (example)Illustrative example

Illustrative example of per-stage drop-off for 1,000 landing-page visitors; your numbers will differ. Use your own analytics to find the biggest drop. Source: Illustrative example created by Get Mortgage Funnels

Show the data as a table
StageVisitors (example)
Landing views1000
Q1 answered420
Q2 answered360
Q3 answered330
Q4 answered310
Booked or applied90

Good first questions are easy and a little motivating:

  • “When are you hoping to buy?” (first-time buyer, pre-approval)
  • “What do you want from a refinance?” (refinance)
  • “What best describes your service?” (VA)
  • “What kind of property?” (investor DSCR)

Bad first questions: “What is your annual income?”, “What is your credit score?”, “Enter your email to continue”. Each one asks for something personal before you’ve given anything back.

How many questions should a mortgage quiz have?

Four, by default. It’s enough to route and personalise, and short enough to finish on a phone in under a minute. Longer can work for high-intent traffic — a pre-approval funnel fed by agent referrals, say — but every extra question should change what happens next.

Question count vs completion (example)Illustrative example

Illustrative example of how completion tends to fall as a form gets longer. Test your own funnel rather than relying on any generic curve. Source: Illustrative example created by Get Mortgage Funnels

Show the data as a table
Number of questionsCompletion rate (example)
282%
474%
661%
849%
1040%
1231%

The curve above is an illustration, not a law. The general pattern — completion falls as length grows — is well known to anyone who has watched form analytics, but the slope depends on traffic, device and how interesting the questions are. The only numbers that matter are your own.

Quiz length trade-offs
LengthGood forRisk
2–3 questionsCold social traffic, simple routingThin context for follow-up
4 questions (default)Most funnelsMust choose questions carefully
5–7 questionsHigh-intent referrals, investor scenariosHigher drop-off on phones
8+ questionsRarely — this is an applicationMost visitors leave
Quiz length trade-offs

How should answers be designed?

As big buttons with three to five options, including an honest “not sure”. Tapping is faster than typing and works one-handed. A few rules:

  • Tap targets at least 44 pixels high, with space between them, so thumbs don’t mis-tap (WCAG 2.2’s minimum is 24 pixels; we go well above it).
  • Bands, not exact numbers. “Under $300k / $300k–$500k / Over $500k” is easier than typing a price, and close enough to route.
  • Plain words. “Pay off sooner” beats “Reduce amortisation term”.
  • An exit for the unsure. “Not sure” and “Just exploring” keep hesitant visitors moving, and they tell you to slow the follow-up down.
  • A back button. People change their minds; let them.

What should a quiz never ask?

Anything sensitive or anything you can’t use. Specifically:

  • Social Security numbers, account numbers or dates of birth — those belong in your secure application system.
  • Exact income or exact credit scores — bands and self-descriptions are enough at this stage.
  • Questions about protected characteristics (race, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, marital status, age as a targeting factor). Some appear in the government monitoring section of an application, handled properly; they have no place in a marketing quiz.
  • Leading questions that imply approval (“How much would you like to be approved for?”).

Where should contact details go?

Last, right before the result. By then the borrower has invested a minute and wants their answer. Ask for name, email and mobile number on one short screen, with:

  • a clear, unticked SMS consent checkbox with plain wording,
  • a one-line privacy note and a link to your privacy policy,
  • your NMLS ID and Equal Housing Opportunity text in the footer.

Asking for contact details first (“Enter your email to start”) feels like a toll booth and usually costs more completions than it saves.

Four-question examples by loan type

These are starting points — we rewrite them for each loan officer’s programs and voice.

Example quiz questions by funnel
FunnelQ1Q2Q3Q4
First-time buyerWhen are you hoping to buy?What do you pay in rent?Have you saved toward a down payment?How would you describe your credit?
VAWhat best describes your service?What are you planning?When do you need to move?Used your VA benefit before?
RefinanceWhat do you want from a refinance?Roughly your current rate?About how much do you owe?How long will you stay?
HELOCRoughly what is your home worth?About how much do you owe?What is the money for?When would you need it?
Investor DSCRWhat kind of property?Buying or refinancing?Expected monthly rent?How many rentals do you own?
Example quiz questions by funnel

Notice the refinance quiz asks for a rough current rate in bands — a self-reported number from the borrower, not a rate you’re advertising — which helps the loan officer prepare without putting a rate in your marketing.

What happens after the last question?

A result page that actually answers something. The quiz earns the right to the borrower’s contact details by giving something back:

  • a plain-English read of their situation (“a VA purchase looks like the right conversation”),
  • the next two or three steps (documents, the Certificate of Eligibility, a call),
  • two clear buttons: book a call, or start the application pre-filled with their answers.

It never says “you’re approved”, “you qualify” or quotes a rate.

Quiz vs long form

Long contact or pre-qual form

  • 10–20 fields on one screen
  • Typing on a phone
  • Asks for personal data first
  • Same form for every borrower

Four-question quiz

  • Tap-only answers
  • Easy question first
  • Contact details last, with consent
  • Different questions per borrower type

Use a quiz to start the conversation and a proper multi-step application for borrowers who choose to continue. They do different jobs; don't make one do both.

How do I improve a quiz after launch?

Measure each step, fix the biggest drop first, change one thing at a time.

  1. Fire an analytics event (after consent) for each question answered.
  2. Find the step with the largest drop.
  3. Try one change: reword the question, reorder it, cut an option, or remove the question.
  4. Run it long enough to see a real difference, then keep the winner.

Most improvements come from the first question and the contact-details screen — that’s where most people leave.

A quick checklist

  • First question is easy and about the borrower’s goal or timeline.
  • Four questions, all buttons, each with a purpose.
  • “Not sure” options where people hesitate.
  • No sensitive data, no protected-characteristic questions, no approval language.
  • Contact details last, with an unticked SMS consent box and privacy note.
  • A result page that gives a real answer and one clear next step.
  • NMLS ID and Equal Housing text visible; compliance review before launch.

General information, not legal advice. Your compliance team should review all funnel copy.

Sources

  1. NAR — 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (press release) (November 4, 2025)
  2. W3C — WCAG 2.2 Target Size (Minimum) (accessed 2026-10-19)
  3. CFPB — Regulation Z §1026.24 Advertising (accessed 2026-10-19)

Written by

Mara Ellison

Funnel Strategy Editor · editorial persona of the Get Mortgage Funnels team

Mara edits our funnel playbooks: which question goes first, what the result page promises, and how fast the first text goes out.

#quiz funnels#landing pages#first-time buyers#conversion

FAQ

Questions about this topic answered

Can't find it? Search every answer or ask the funnel desk.

What questions should a mortgage quiz ask?

Start with timeline or goal, then a broad budget or price band, then down payment or equity, then a light self-assessment such as credit 'strong / average / rebuilding'. Every question should change the result page, the follow-up or the loan officer's call.

How many questions should a mortgage quiz have?

We default to four. More questions can work for high-intent borrowers, but each extra step should earn its place by changing what happens next.

Should I ask for income in a quiz?

Not exact income. Broad bands or self-described employment type are enough to route the lead; detailed income belongs in the application.

Should the quiz ask for contact details first or last?

Last. Ask the easy, interesting questions first, then ask for name, email and phone right before the result, with a clear SMS consent checkbox.

Can a quiz ask about credit score?

Ask for a self-description ('strong', 'average', 'rebuilding', 'not sure') rather than a number. It's less intimidating and still useful for routing.

Is a quiz the same as a pre-qualification?

No. A quiz gathers self-reported answers to route and personalise. It doesn't check credit or verify anything, and the result page should never imply approval.

Should answers be buttons or text fields?

Buttons wherever possible. Tap targets of at least 44 pixels, three to five options each, and an 'I'm not sure' option where people might hesitate.

How do I know which question is losing people?

Track an event per question answered. The biggest drop between two steps points at the question to rewrite, reorder or remove.

Can I reuse one quiz for every loan type?

Use a shared structure with branching, but write questions for each borrower situation. A VA quiz and a HELOC quiz should not ask the same second question.

Do quizzes need compliance review?

Yes. Quiz copy and result pages are advertising. Avoid trigger terms and approval language, include your NMLS ID and Equal Housing text, and have your compliance team review.

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