I’d personally recommend a broker over a bank. Last time I shopped around both my bank and a credit union didn’t offer very good rates and had exceptionally bad service (lost paperwork repeatedly, didn’t return phone calls etc.).
Is the process of a refi easier than the original mortgage process?
for me it was exactly the same. Although, this time I knew what I was expecting.
The loans I got had a little clause agains refinancing again within 6 months of issuance. You might want to double check the terms of your loan before you get too far along.