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## Overview

This guide will cover the common patterns that LOS partners use to integrate with Blend, and point you to all the resources you need to enact those patterns for your LOS.

## LOS Patterns

There are 3 main patterns for LOS integrations:

  1. One-way to Blend

  2. One-way from Blend

  3. Two-way

One-way integrations can either send a loan to Blend that was started in the LOS or get a loan from Blend and add it to the LOS. The LOS does not receive updates as the consumer moves through stages of the transaction in Blend or if the consumer's data is updated in Blend. One-way to Blend integrations are the easiest to set-up, but less featureful for customers. 

Two-way integrations both post data into Blend AND receive updates on consumers and loans if the information is updated or as they move through the transaction. This maintains a consistent picture of the consumer and the transaction in both systems.

## One-Way Integration to Blend Walkthrough

One-way integrations to Blend are usually initiated from the LOS's side, either by allowing users to manually trigger sending a consumer's information to Blend, or automatically triggering the integration to Blend based on logic in the LOS (initial app created or follow-ups needed e.g.).

Follow the steps on the [Create a New Home Loan](🔗) page to create a loan and add consumers and their information to the loan.

Once the information has been sent to Blend, the LOS will not get updates about changes to any of this information in Blend.

## One-Way Integration from Blend Walkthrough

This pattern takes the most work for the smallest pay-off, so it's not really a worthwhile integration pattern in and of itself. However, if most of your loans originate in Blend and then need to be synced back to the LOS, this the first step on the way to a full-fledged 2-way integration where the loan starts in Blend, and it can be helpful to understand how to reach this stepping stone on the way to the big payoff. 

One-way integrations from Blend are initiated by Blend via Event Notifications.  Blend's event notifications utilize standard [webhook](🔗) architecture. In order to receive Blend Event Notifications, you will have to create an endpoint that can receive and parse the events, and contact Blend in order to get your subscription set up properly. 

See [Getting Started with Blend Events](🔗) for how to get setup receiving event notifications. For this use case you'll subscribe to the Application Submitted event.

Once you are receiving the Application Submitted event, you will need to call out to Blend's APIs to get the loan file in order to import that event into the LOS. See the [Export a Home Loan](🔗) page for how to export loan data to upload to your LOS.

In the final system, the process will look like this: 

  1. LOS gets an Application Submitted event notification

  2. LOS calls Blend's API to export the loan

  3. LOS create the Loan in it's systems

  4. LOS calls Blend's API to update the LOS ID for that loan

Once the information has been sent to Blend, the LOS will not get updates about changes to any of this information in Blend until it subscribes to more events. 

## Two-Way Integration Walkthrough

Two-way LOS integrations can start in the LOS or in Blend following the patterns above. However, like the One-way from Blend pattern, Two-way LOS Integrations further leverage Event Notifications to track when changes occur in Blend and make updates in the LOS.

## Loans start in the LOS

Loans that start in the LOS will create a loan in Blend the same as the One-Way to Blend integrations. 

However, in order to get structured updates on when changes occur, you will also need to subscribe to the appropriate Event Notifications.

Blend's Event Notifications utilize standard [webhook](🔗) architecture. In order to receive Blend Event Notifications, you will have to create an endpoint that can receive and parse the events, and contact Blend in order to get your subscription set up properly. 

See [Getting Started with Blend Events](🔗) for how to get setup receiving event notifications, and [Blend Event Glossary](🔗) to select which events you need to subscribe to.  Unlike the One-way from Blend Integrations, you will not use the Application Submitted event. 

Once you are receiving Event Notifications, you will need to write logic on the LOS side to decide what to do with those events. Usually you want to get documents, update the consumers' information, or reimport the loan into the LOS.

You'll make use of these instructions: 

  • [Export Documents](🔗)

  • [Export a Home Loan](🔗)

In the final system, the process will look like this: 

  1. LOS creates loan in Blend

  2. Consumers use Blend and update some of their information

  3. LOS gets an event notification that consumers information has been updated

  4. LOS calls Blend's API to get the information that needs to be updated and makes the changes in it's systems

  5. Consumers submit documents

  6. LOS gets an event notification that documents have been submitted

  7. LOS calls Blend's APIs to get the documents

  8. LOS loads document into it's system

  9. Significant changes are made to the loan in Blend

  10. LOS gets an event notification that loan information has been updated

  11. LOS calls Blend's APIs to export the loan file

  12. LOS reimport the loan into it's system to update the loan

  13. The loan gets funded 

  14. The LOS calls Blend's APIs to archive the loan

## Loans start in Blend

One-Way from Blend integrations simply need to subscribe to more events and build the logic to support them in order to become a Two-Way integration.

Once you are receiving Event Notifications, you will need to write logic on the LOS side to decide what to do with those events. Usually you want to get documents, update the consumers' information, or reimport the loan. 

You'll make use of these instructions: 

  • [Export Documents](🔗)

  • [Export a Home Loan](🔗)

In the final system, the process will look like this: 

  1. LOS gets an Application Submitted event notification

  2. LOS calls Blend's API to export the loan

  3. LOS create the Loan in it's systems

  4. LOS calls Blend's API to update the LOS ID for that loan

  5. Consumers use Blend and update some of their information

  6. LOS gets an event notification that consumers information has been updated

  7. LOS calls Blend's API to get the information that needs to be updated and makes the changes in it's systems

  8. Consumers submit documents

  9. LOS gets an event notification that documents have been submitted

  10. LOS calls Blend's APIs to get the documents

  11. LOS loads document into it's system

  12. Significant changes are made to the loan in Blend

  13. LOS gets an event notification that loan information has been updated

  14. LOS calls Blend's APIs to export the loan file

  15. LOS reimport the loan into it's system to update the loan

  16. The loan gets funded 

  17. The LOS calls Blend's APIs to archive the loan

Identifying Loan Source

Make sure to include applicationSource 'type' and 'name' values when you create loans in Blend via a POST /loans call, this way your lender teams will be able to use the "Source Type" or "Source Name" filters in their pipeline to distinguish loans the originated in your LOS from those they originate in Blend. For more information, please see our [Loan Request Schema](🔗) documentation.

## Additional Information

If you want to allow Lenders or Bankers to seamlessly move between the LOS and Blend, see  [Leveraging Lender SSO for Integrations](🔗).