How Zillow, Bankrate, and Dave Ramsey Use Mortgage Calculators to Turn Visitors into Opportunities—and How You Can Too

How Zillow, Bankrate, and Dave Ramsey Use Mortgage Calculators to Turn Visitors into Opportunities—and How You Can Too

In today’s world, tools like mortgage calculators aren’t just helpful resources; they’re powerful strategies for turning casual visitors into potential customers. Giants like Zillow, Bankrate, and Dave Ramsey understand this better than anyone. Let’s explore how they leverage these tools—and how you can too.

The Power of Mortgage Calculators: 3.4 Million Searches Per Month

Did you know there are 3.4 million monthly searches for the term “mortgage calculator” on Google in the U.S.? This is a massive opportunity.

Bankrate alone captures about half of these searches, cementing their dominance in this space. Zillow, on the other hand, has gone even further, marketing their new Buyability Calculator with high-visibility strategies like TV ads.

But what are these tools really doing?

Mortgage Calculators: The “First Date” in the Funnel

For these big players, mortgage calculators are the equivalent of a “first date.” They provide upfront value, building trust with prospects long before asking for a commitment. The strategy is clear:

1. Offer Value at the Point-of-Research: Educate visitors when they’re actively seeking answers.
2. Build Trust Early: Give users accurate, actionable insights that foster goodwill.
3. Guide Them to the Next Step: Whether it’s comparing rates, exploring homes, or applying for a mortgage, calculators act as a springboard into their sales funnel.

It’s not just about crunching numbers—it’s about crafting a seamless, value-driven journey that turns visitors into engaged leads.

Here is an example of how Dave Ramsey’s Mortgage calculator process works.

First someone gets to his site from the content he creating on social, email, podcasts, YouTube, etc.

Once you get to his site and one of the main options is the home buying section is “Preparing to Buy”

Then the visitor is taken to a mortgage calculator…but with two call-to-action buttons that are asking what the visitor wants to do next.

And finally the person is taken to an intake to be connected to a mortgage professional.

Zillow just released their BuyAbility Tool.

There has been a very intentional effort to drive traffic to this tool from Zillow including television commercials. Zillow has been not-so-quietly growing their mortgage company “Zillow Home Loans” and this is one of their strategies to connect with people ready to buy and get qualified for a mortgage. They invested in a self service tool their visitors can use to play with numbers and graduate to the next step in their sales process when ready…See the pattern yet!

How BankRate Uses Mortgage Calculators

Just like Ramsey Solutions and Zillow, Bankrate is also adding value in advance by offering a consumer facing mortgage calculator. They then funnel visitors to offers from lenders on their rate tables.

What If You Had a Better Tool?

Here’s the thing: You might not compete with Zillow or Bankrate in search rankings (they’ve been dominating that space for years), but you don’t need to.

What if you could beat them at their own game by proactively getting your own cutting-edge calculator tool in front of prospects—on your website, social channels, and through your database—before they even think to search?

Enter Goalee: our newly released platform designed to help you do exactly that.

Meet Goalee: Your New Secret Weapon

Goalee is more than a mortgage calculator—it’s a marketing strategy. With features designed to rival (and arguably surpass) the tools used by the big players, it allows you to:

• Engage prospects at the “point-of-research.”
• Build trust and provide value early in the journey.
• Move users seamlessly into the actions you want: getting preapproved, book a call, Ask a question

Ready to see how it works?

👉 Check out Goalee here

You can see a live Goalee calc, view the monthly and annual pricing plans, and start a 14 day Free trial.

Why This Strategy Works

By offering value upfront, you establish yourself as a trusted advisor, not just another salesperson. This proactive approach allows you to “beat them to the first date,” building trust before larger competitors like Zillow or Bankrate pull prospects into their ecosystem.

Thoughts

This isn’t just about keeping up with the big names; it’s about leading with value in advance. Tools like Goalee allow you to engage prospects when they’re actively researching, ensuring you’re top-of-mind when they’re ready to act.

Let’s stop letting the giants dominate. It’s time to take control of your leads and your market.

P.S. This strategy is incredibly effective because it focuses on helping prospects at the exact moment they’re seeking solutions. Don’t wait—be the trusted guide they need from the very start.

P.P.S. Remember: It’s about getting to the “first date,” not waiting for the altar. 😊

Why Basic Mortgage Calculators Don’t Work for This Strategy—and Why Goalee Does

While basic mortgage calculators can give quick estimates, they fall short of the sophistication needed to truly engage prospects and drive leads. If you want to convert visitors into loyal clients, you need a solution that goes beyond number-crunching to deliver personalized, branded, and actionable experiences. That’s where Goalee shines.

The Problem with Basic Mortgage Calculators

Basic mortgage calculators have significant limitations:

1. Generic Experience: Most calculators offer no customization or branding, leaving no impression of your unique expertise.
2. No Lead Capture: They fail to convert visitors into leads because they lack forms, calls-to-action, and follow-up mechanisms.
3. No Customization for Programs: Generic calculators don’t account for different loan programs or lender-specific criteria, such as varying debt-to-income (DTI) ratios.
4. Inaccurate Assumptions: Many tools default to relying on the user to input values for key variables like property taxes, private mortgage insurance (PMI), and homeowner’s insurance, which can lead to inaccurate results.
5. No Usage Insights: Once a visitor uses a basic calculator, you lose visibility into their activity, making it harder to tailor your outreach.

How Goalee Solves These Problems

Goalee is built to address these limitations with features that make it a complete lead generation and client engagement solution:

1. In-Calculator Branding

Every Goalee calculator is branded with your logo, colors, and messaging. Each interaction reinforces your identity, building trust and keeping your business top of mind.

2. Built-In Lead Capture Forms

Goalee includes customizable lead capture forms and calls-to-action, allowing you to collect contact information and convert visitors into leads seamlessly.

3. Control Over Default Values and Program-Specific DTI Ratios

Goalee empowers you to configure key variables to align with your specific loan offerings:

• Customizable Default Values: Set the default property taxes, PMI, and homeowner’s insurance based on state-specific data or your preferences, ensuring more accurate and location-relevant calculations.
• Program-Specific DTI Ratios: Adjust maximum debt-to-income (DTI) allowances for different loan programs, reflecting the unique products your company offers. This ensures that users get accurate insights that are tailored to what you can provide.

4. Send Clients Private “Verified” Calculators for them to shop with

Goalee’s “Verified Calculators” take personalization to the next level:

• Locked Income & Debt Fields: Pre-verified by you, these calculators ensure clients use accurate numbers for exploring their options.
• Private Landing Pages: Create personalized calculators for specific clients, giving them a tailored experience and building trust.
• Preapproval Tool: Early adopters use verified calculators alongside preapproval letters to give clients a reliable tool as they shop for homes.

5. State-Specific and Intuitive Calculations

Goalee goes deeper with calculations that reflect real-world scenarios:

• State-Based Property Taxes: Accurately estimate property taxes based on local rates.
• PMI and Homeowners Insurance: Tailored estimates by state to give users a realistic picture of their monthly payments.
• Other Intuitive Calculations: Includes refinancing analysis, rent-vs-buy comparisons, and net proceeds from selling a home.

6. Usage Tracking and CRM Integration

Goalee tracks how clients use your calculators, giving you valuable insights into their activity and preferences. It integrates seamlessly with CRMs via Zapier, ensuring no lead falls through the cracks.

7. Website Embedding and Co-Branded Calculators

Embed Goalee calculators directly on your website, giving visitors instant access without leaving your platform. Upcoming co-branded calculators let you partner with referral sources like real estate agents, expanding your reach and influence.

How Early Adopters Are Already Using Goalee

Goalee is making an impact in real-world applications:

• With Preapprovals: Loan officers are attaching verified calculators to preapproval letters, empowering buyers with reliable tools while shopping for homes.
• On Real Estate Websites: Brokerages are embedding Goalee calculators to help buyers determine their price range.
• On Mortgage Websites: Mortgage Pros are embedding their Goalee calculators on their website to enhance engagement.
• With Referral Partners: Soon-to-launch co-branded calculators are helping professionals collaborate with referral sources like real estate agents.

Why Goalee Works for You

Goalee isn’t just another mortgage calculator—it’s a complete strategy for engaging prospects, building trust, and converting the next step in your sales process. With its intuitive customization, state-specific calculations, and lead capture features, it positions you as a trusted advisor who adds value at every step of the journey.

Ready to elevate your business?

👉 Explore Goalee Today

Don’t let the big players dominate. Be the first to connect with prospects, add value, and turn casual visitors into loyal clients.

P.S. Goalee’s customization ensures every calculation is accurate and tailored to your programs. Lead with value at the “point-of-research” and watch your business grow.

P.P.S. Remember, it’s all about getting to the “first date” before your competitors do. Let Goalee help you win that race! 😊