Surefire by Top of Mind Networks has been a heavyweight in mortgage marketing for a long time. Their content library is legitimately impressive — hundreds of pre-written, compliance-reviewed email campaigns, social posts, and marketing materials. If content is your primary need, Surefire delivers.
But a lot of LOs are finding that great content isn't enough when the platform it lives in is hard to use, expensive to maintain, and missing the CRM features they actually need day-to-day.
Where Surefire Falls Short
It's a Marketing Platform, Not a Full CRM
Surefire's DNA is content and marketing automation. It's excellent at sending campaigns and drip sequences. But when it comes to core CRM functionality — pipeline management, deal tracking, task management, speed-to-lead automation — it's either limited or requires bolting on additional tools.
This creates a common problem: LOs end up running Surefire for marketing and a separate CRM for pipeline and lead management. Two systems, two logins, two sets of contacts that may or may not stay in sync. That's the opposite of simplicity.
Complexity for Everyday Users
Surefire is powerful — arguably too powerful for the average loan officer. The campaign builder, segmentation tools, and content management system are built for marketing teams, not individual originators. Many LOs we talk to report activating a handful of campaigns when they first sign up and never touching the platform again because the learning curve is too steep.
A CRM that doesn't get used daily is the most expensive software in your stack — regardless of the monthly fee.
Cost Structure
Surefire isn't cheap, and the pricing model can be confusing. Between per-user fees, content library access, and enterprise-level features you may not need, the total cost adds up fast — especially for solo LOs or small teams.
The Content Library Trap
Surefire's pre-built content is genuinely good. But here's the question: how much of it are you actually using? If you've activated 5 campaigns out of 500 available, you're paying a premium for a library you don't use. A simpler platform with fewer but better-targeted campaigns might be a smarter investment.
Limited Modern Features
The mortgage CRM space has evolved rapidly. AI-powered lead conversations, multi-channel automation (text + email + voicemail in one workflow), and intelligent speed-to-lead systems are becoming standard. Surefire's focus on email marketing content means some of these newer capabilities either don't exist or require additional integrations.
What Surefire Does Well (Be Honest About What You'd Miss)
Before you switch, be clear about what you value in Surefire:
- Content library — compliance-reviewed, professionally written mortgage content
- LOS integration — Surefire's Encompass and other LOS connections are mature
- Automated milestone campaigns — triggered emails based on loan status changes
- Brand compliance — enterprise-level controls for multi-branch operations
If you're primarily using Surefire as a content-delivery engine and you're happy with that specific function, the switch calculation is different than if you need a full CRM.
What to Look for in a Surefire Alternative
All-in-One CRM + Marketing
The biggest gain from switching is consolidation. Your alternative should handle contacts, pipeline, automation, communication, and marketing in one platform. No more syncing between a marketing tool and a CRM — everything lives together. See how Empower LO combines CRM, automation, and marketing in one system.
Simplicity Without Sacrificing Power
You shouldn't need to choose between "simple but limited" and "powerful but unusable." The right platform gives you pre-built mortgage campaigns that activate in one click, visual automation builders that anyone can understand, and a pipeline view that shows your business at a glance.
Multi-Channel Communication
Email-only marketing is leaving money on the table. Your new platform should support text messaging, voicemail drops, and email in integrated workflows — because borrowers in 2026 are far more likely to respond to a text than an email. Modern automation handles all channels in one sequence.
Mortgage-Specific Content (That's Actually Good)
You don't need 500 campaigns. You need 20-30 campaigns that are excellent — birthday sequences, rate alerts, post-close nurture, seasonal market updates, first-time buyer education, and referral partner touchpoints. Quality over quantity, activated in minutes instead of hours.
Transparent Pricing
No per-user surprises. No hidden content fees. Know exactly what you're paying before you sign up. If pricing requires a "contact sales" conversation, that's a red flag for complexity.
"The best marketing platform is the one your LOs actually use. If 80% of your team hasn't logged in this month, the content library doesn't matter."
Making the Switch
Migrating from Surefire is straightforward for contacts and pipeline data. The part that takes thought is recreating the campaigns you're actually using (not the hundreds you're not). Our CRM migration guide covers the full process.
Focus on migrating your top-performing campaigns first: speed-to-lead sequences, post-close drips, and database marketing automations. The rest can be rebuilt as needed — and you might find that your new platform's pre-built campaigns are already better than what you built in Surefire.
The Bottom Line
Surefire is a great marketing content platform. But if you need a full CRM — pipeline, lead management, multi-channel automation, AI engagement, and marketing all in one — it's only solving part of the problem. And paying enterprise prices for a partial solution doesn't make sense for most loan officers.
If simplicity, consolidation, and daily usability are your priorities, see what Empower LO offers — or talk to our team about your specific situation.