Integration Options

Perch offers three core integration models, grouped by reporting capabilities and technical requirements. These models help partners understand the trade-offs between simplicity and control, with each offering progressively deeper insights into client mortgage journeys. While partners can combine approaches or customize beyond these models, these represent our primary integration paradigms. Choose the model that best fits your business needs and technical capabilities. Before choosing your integration option, it may be beneficial to learn about how Perch has structured our core API resources (Leads & Plans) to help facilitate your decision.

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Integration Options Overview

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Referrals & Widgets

Aggregate Reporting Drive referrals to Perch by sharing your Referral Link on your website, social media, in your email signature, etc., or by embedding one of Perch’s embeddable tools to earn a commission on each funded deal.

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How It Works

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Data Access Capabilities

• Aggregate reporting only - conversion emails and referral counts
• No PII access - deal details are provided in aggregate and do not disclose client PII

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Why Limited Access?

When users simply click through widgets or referral links, there’s no established data sharing relationship. The client hasn’t explicitly consented to share their personal information with the referring partner beyond basic attribution.

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Getting Started

• Explore available embeddable widgets for your website
• Implement widgets following our implementation guide
• Contact your Perch representative to get your referral code or setup a widget

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Lead Management Tools

Light Reporting, Control & Insights Perch’s Lead Submission tools can be accessed via URL or embedded directly into your CRM for a more seamless submission experience.

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How It Works

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Data Access Capabilities

• Simplified data submission - provide the basics like name, email, deal purpose and notes (to submit a richer client profile (assets, debts, employment, etc.), consider using our API integration)
• Full lead tracking - monitor conversion from referral to funding
• Application status visibility - see where clients are in the mortgage process
• Plan details access - view pre-approval amounts, application stages
• Email notifications - get alerts when leads convert and reach milestones

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Getting Started

• Review our lead management tool guide for implementation details
• Read about embeds to explore how you can embed our tools into your CRM
• Contact your Perch representative to set up custom or branded versions of lead management tools

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API Integration

Deep Reporting, Control & Insight Our direct API integration gives you full control over your lead submission and monitoring experience. Unlike simpler integration options, the API allows you to submit a complete client profile including items like assets, debts, residence history, employment details, and more—helping your clients expedite their mortgage journey to get pre-approved faster.

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How It Works

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Data Access Capabilities

• Complete API access - full CRUD permissions on Leads and Read permission on associated Plans & PreApprovals
• Custom integrations - build tailored workflows for your business needs
• Bulk operations - efficiently manage large volumes of leads

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Zapier Integration

Perch’s Zapier integration (available via invite only) enables automated lead submission from your Zapier-compatible CRM systems directly to our platform. Use Zapier’s visual workflow builder to create automated workflows that sync leads without writing any code, while maintaining full access to Perch’s lead tracking and management tools.

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Getting Started

• Review API authentication requirements
• Explore the lead submission guide
• Contact your Perch representative for API credentials access to our Zaiper integration or book an API discussion with our integration team

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Choosing Your Integration Option

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Ask Yourself:

1. Do you need detailed client information and application status?

• Yes → Medium or High Integration
• No → Low Integration may be sufficient

2. Do you have technical resources for API integration?

• Yes → Consider High Integration for maximum flexibility
• No → Medium Integration provides great capability without development

3. Is your business involved during a certain point of the mortgage application (e.g. once a client is pre-approved, you need to take a certain action)?

• Not involved → Low Integration may meet your needs
• Involved → You likely need Medium or High Integration

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Migration Path

You can always start with a lower integration option and upgrade:

• Low → Medium: Begin submitting leads through our tools
• Medium → High: Add API integration while keeping existing lead tools
• Any Level: Add referral widgets alongside other integration methods

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Access Policies & Privacy Protection

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Lead Ownership Model

Our data access policies are built around a simple ownership model:

1. You submit a lead → You own the relationship → You’ll maintain access to the data
2. You deployed a referral link → No ownership established → Limited to aggregate reporting

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Privacy Boundaries

• PII Protection: Client personally identifiable information is only shared when there’s an established business relationship through lead submission
• Retroactive Access: Plans created by clients after sign-up (without lead submission) remain private unless manually linked by Perch support
• Consent-Based Sharing: All data sharing is based on the initial consent established through lead submission

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Why We Can’t Share All Referral Data

While it might seem logical that referring a client should grant full data access, privacy regulations and client expectations require explicit consent for data sharing. Simply clicking a referral link doesn’t establish this consent—submitting a structured lead with client details does.

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Summary

Integration Option	Data Access	Client PII	Application Status	Technical Requirements
Referrals & Widgets	Aggregate only	❌ No	❌ No	Minimal
Perch Tools	Submitted leads only	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	None
API Integration	Full programmatic	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Development

Choose the option that matches your business needs and technical capabilities. You can always upgrade as your requirements evolve.

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Next Steps