While a local lender may offer a longstanding history of operation, online mortgage providers bring their own suite of advantages to the table. Compared to local lenders, online providers have access to a much wider network of potential lenders, allowing you to compare more options and further ensure you’ve found the right loan for you. Online lenders also offer streamlined web-based platforms, which simplify the mortgage process by allowing you to track every step of your loan in one place. This same platform advantage can even save you time by making it quicker and easier to get pre-approved and apply for a loan.