Housing News

Today on the Power House podcast, we are bringing you a special sponsored conversation between Zeb Lowe, the director of HousingWire’s Content Studio, and Andrew Bough, the COO at Class Valuation. Andrew is joining us today to share how Class Valuation is setting new quality standards for appraisals through approaches such as their appraiser scorecard system and creating specialty panels for unique property types. He also talks about tackling industry challenges like an aging workforce and regulatory changes, and how they’re shaping the market with their Appraisal Diversity Initiative. Here's what you'll learn: Class Valuation's scale allows for consistent quality in appraisals. Choosing the lowest-paid appraisers is a common misconception about AMCs. Performance scorecards help appraisers improve their services. Creating specialty panels enhances the quality of appraisals for specific, niche needs. The appraisal industry, like many other facets of the housing ecosystem, is undergoing significant change.

This week on Power House, Diego chats with industry veteran Chad Smith, the president and COO of Better, who stepped into the role earlier this year from Mission Loans. Chad and Diego talk about Chad’s decision to join the Better executive team and what they’re working on to help grow Better in 2025, which includes a focus on customer engagement and hiring more experienced LOs and industry experts. They also talk about Tinman, their proprietary platform, and a brand new AI loan assistant tool. Here's what you'll learn: Better’s Tinman platform and AI loan assistant are helping to improve mortgage processing and customer engagement. Chad Smith joined Better to drive innovation despite the company’s PR challenges. Hiring experienced loan originators is key to Better's growth strategy. Better aims to make homeownership more accessible through innovative products. The company is focused on driving down fulfillment costs to benefit consumers. Related to this episode: Better taps Chad Smith as new president

This week on the Power House podcast, Diego sits down with Daren Blomquist, VP of Market Economics at Auction.com. Daren is a friendly face to many of you, and was last on the show in early 2023 to discuss his 2023 forecast. He’s joining us again to talk about what he expects to see in the market post-election and into 2025. He and Diego talk about a potential market uptick as rates stabilize, how the mortgage rate lock-in effect is still impacting low inventory across the nation, and Auction.com’s plan to expand into non-foreclosure property sales. Here's what you'll learn: We’ll see a ‘Trump bump' in housing data. The certainty of the election results will encourage market activity. The current bidding activity indicates a sluggish spring market. The lock-in effect is keeping inventory low across the country. Auction.com is seeing interest from sellers outside of traditional foreclosure. Many sellers are turning to auctions as a viable selling option. Related to this episode: Foreclosures expected

This week on the Power House podcast, HousingWire president Diego Sanchez sits down with the co-authors of the recently published real estate and mortgage guidebook, “Leadership Matters.” Fobby is also the SVP of Homecomings Mortgage & Equity, and Ginger is the founder of Edumarketing. In today’s episode, they talk about why top performers don’t always make the best leaders, — especially in tough times — and discuss the critical role of training and communication in scaling leadership success across organizations. Here's what you'll learn: Leadership is fundamental in all aspects of life, not just professional ones. Leaders are forged in challenging times, not in easy ones. There is a leadership deficit in the mortgage industry. Top performers are not always effective leaders. Effective, prepared communication is key during times of change. Giving back to the community enhances leadership impact. Related to this episode: Edumarketing Ginger Bell | LinkedIn Fobby Naghmi | LinkedIn Homecomings Hous

This week on the Power House podcast, Diego sits down with Michele Harrington, CEO of FirstTeam Real Estate out of Orange County, California. Michele initially started her career in the Marine Corps, but after being stationed in Orange County, she not only fell in love with the beauty of Southern California, she also got bit by the entrepreneurial bug. Now, she leads California’s largest independent brokerage. Michele and Diego talk about what sets FirstTeam apart from other brokerages and the recruitment strategies that are helping them surpass their goal of $1 billion in recruited teams. They also talk about empowering women in leadership positions and their plans to expand outside of California. Here's what you'll learn: Women hold only 26% of leadership positions in real estate, despite being a majority of agents. Empowering women to pursue leadership roles is crucial for the growth of the industry. Their recruitment strategies focus on training new agents and placing them in existing teams. FirstTeam

This week on the Power House Podcast, HousingWire CEO Clayton Collins sat down with loan originator turned software executive: Jeff Bell, President at Uplist. Jeff joins us to talk about four really pertinent topics in today’s market: leadership, learning, loan monitoring, and recapture. Uplist just launched what it says is a killer new tool that will help loan officers automatically generate refinance options for their clients. The technology, called “Recapture,” is integrated with the leading pricing engines, and it provides LOs with timely, accurate data that identifies multiple refi opportunities for clients. Unlike rate alert tools, Uplist’s product fully automates the refinance analysis process. This includes property ownership checks, automated valuation models (AVMs), loan amount amortization and financial benefit calculations. Those four topics (leadership, learning, loan monitoring, and recapture) discussed in this episode are going to be hotly discussed at this year’s MBA Annual in Denver. Listen i

This week on the Power House Podcast, HousingWire president Diego Sanchez sits down with Steve Jacobson, CEO of Fairway Independent Mortgage to talk about what it takes to build a company culture centered around humility and loyalty. Diego and Steve also talk about Fairway’s retail growth after their decision to exit wholesale, their plan to sell the business back to its employees, and their commitment to helping communities in need. Here's what you'll learn: Increasing the speed of service gives you a competitive advantage Community engagement and giving back are responsibilities of all mortgage leaders Succession planning is crucial for long-term success Growth strategies should prioritize organic development over M&A Relationships between originators and servicers will continue to evolve Related to this episode: After exiting wholesale, Fairway hires origination teams across the nation | HousingWire Steve Jacobson - Madison, Wisconsin, United States | Professional Profile | LinkedIn Fairway Indep

This week on the Power House Podcast, Clayton sat down with Tomo CEO and co-founder Greg Schwartz to talk about what’s transpired in his business over the last two years — both the good and the bad. They dive into recovery indicators and the investments they’re making in technology and AI.  They also talk about how embracing accountable leadership and having a genuine love for the mortgage business is more important now than ever. Here's what you'll learn: Tomo’s approach and belief in building a purchase-focused mortgage company Focusing on health and a work-life balance are essential for effective leadership Why market dynamics should be accounted for, but not be used as excuses for performance How the Pinterest effect influences first-time homebuyers' expectations How to look for leading indicators for market recovery Related to this episode: Greg Schwartz on fixing the purchase mortgage experience | HousingWire Mortgage startup Tomo enters the home portal wars with AI tools | HousingWire Housing

In this episode of Power House, we welcome back Rick Roque, Corporate VP of New Growth at NFM Lending. Clayton Collins and Roque sit down during the HousingWire IMB Summit on October 1, 2024 at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas, TX to discuss key themes from the stage and evaluation of top sessions.  Coverage of the event is available on HousingWire, and select session videos will be released for on-demand viewing in the coming days.  The HousingWire IMB Summit is part of HousingWire’s Summit series which include events on AI, mortgage banking and housing economics. The next summit will be the Housing Economic Summit on February 26, 2025.  The Housing Economic Summit is designed to give mortgage and real estate leaders a comprehensive understanding of the economic factors driving the housing market in 2025 — and what it all means for business. Topics include the mortgage rate outlook, housing demographics, home-price trends, housing affordability, the impact of the election and more. HousingWi

This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton sat down with Robert Pieklo, COO of American Financial Resources (AFR) and Adam Carmel, Founder & CEO of Polly to talk about current mortgage market dynamics and growth strategies amid changing rates. They also discuss prioritizing the customer experience, effectively scaling your operations, and how to develop an adaptable product mix as we go into 2025 and beyond. Here's what you'll learn: Cost to completion is a key metric for lenders. Forward-looking technology for effectively scaling operations. Staying ahead and adapting to changing interest rates. Changing of the guard in the mortgage world. Win one customer over at a time. Related to this episode: Robert Pieklo | LinkedIn Adam Carmel | LinkedIn Polly.io AFR Corp HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real

In this episode, HousingWire president Diego Sanchez interviews Marc Trachtenberg, CEO of Silk Title Co. They explore the dominance of the "Big Four" in the title market and how Silk Title's model complements rather than competes with them. Marc also shares insights from the recent RealEdge conference and discusses adapting to new technologies, fostering collaboration, and educating consumers about the title process. Don't miss Marc at the upcoming IMB Summit on October 1 in Dallas, where he'll delve into Silk Title's vision for the future of the title industry.  Here's what you'll learn: Collaboration, rather than competition within the industry can lead to better outcomes for everyone. Diverse perspectives and consumer education are crucial for the industry's success. There is a significant lack of consumer education regarding the title process and its costs, and that needs to change. The title industry needs to redefine its approach to remain relevant in a changing market. Understanding risk and title

Today we are bringing to your feed a great conversation with an even greater guest: Nathan Knottingham. Nathan wears many hats within the mortgage space, including being the co-founder and CEO of the newly launched mortgage education company, MLO Force, the COO of Vetted VA, and the COO of Be My Neighbor Mortgage. Clayton and Nathan originally scheduled this podcast to talk about MLO Force and the exciting things they’re doing in mortgage education and C.E. but Nathan had a surprise in store this past Monday when he posted a picture of him and his partners on the floor of the NASDAQ. Be My Neighbor and real estate software firm reAlpha are joining forces in the hopes to bring the mortgage industry a step forward in an end-to-end homebuying process. Nathan offers great insights into MLO Force’s goal for continuing education across the larger workforce. He also shares what makes intellectual curiosity so special, even for those who consider themselves subject matter experts. Here's what you'll learn: Be My Nei

If you are a mortgage banking executive or leader, you will want to listen to this episode to hear what Sarah Wheeler has to share. In this episode of Power House, HousingWire Editor-in-Chief Sarah Wheeler joins HW Media CEO Clayton Collins to discuss critical themes and knowledge for mortgage banking leaders. Sarah discusses major stories related to LO compensation, servicing, and refi dynamics and her recent interview with Barry Habib. She also shares how HousingWire communicates this type of knowledge to readers via articles, podcasts, and events. These topics and a group of amazing executive speakers will be front and center at the HousingWire IMB Summit on October 1st in Dallas, Texas.  Register for the event today and take advantage of Labor Day Weekend prices promotions:  Register here: https://events.housingwire.com/IMB-summit  Code: LABORDAY (expires 8/30/24 on Labor Day)  Act now, this will be the lowest available price for tickets to the 2024 event! Related to this episode: HousingWire | YouTube E

This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins sits down with Austin Allison, the CEO and co-founder of Pacaso, a co-ownership marketplace for luxury vacation homes with over a billion dollars in transactions across 40 destination markets.  In this episode, Austin shares the lessons from building and scaling successful real estate businesses. Clayton and Austin also discuss the hard-to-sell mortgage model behind co-ownership and how, even in a complicated macro environment, Pacaso is addressing the growing affordability problem by offering fractional ownership of high-end vacation homes. Here's what you'll learn: How surrounding yourself with the right people drives success Why understanding your Total Addressable Market (TAM) and a strong monetization strategy are crucial to survive and thrive How the co-ownership model addresses affordability challenges in real estate How Pacaso is working to make the American dream accessible to more people Related to this episode: Austin Allison | Linkedin

This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins speaks with Randell Gillespie, the chief production officer at Lower. With over 30 years of mortgage lending and leadership experience, Randell was named chief production officer in March of this year upon the completion of Lower’s acquisition of Thrive Mortgage. Praised for his leadership style, Randell received the 2023 HousingWire Vanguard Award. In this episode, they discuss culture, leadership, technology, margins, recruiting, and even hamburgers. Randell shares how he’s navigating this transition to Lower and his plans for the future of mortgage lending at Lower.  Lower boasts an executive team with diverse expertise and a strong commitment to supporting LOs. The recent recruitment of The Loan Officer Podcast host Dustin Owen as their SVP of Growth is a key part of that strategy. Randell also highlights how technology is redefining the mortgage experience and how Lower adapts to the current rate environment to maintain strong margins. Related to this

This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins sits down with Jason Mitchell, founder of the Jason Mitchell Group.  With over $4 billion in annual transaction volume, 8,500 sides, and 800 agents, Jason Mitchell leads one of the largest real estate teams in the country according to RealTrends Verified. But it isn’t all about scale. Jason shares that he doesn’t need 5,000 agents across the country to win. He only needs about 1,600, and he’s halfway there. He’s in 150 MSAs today, and the episode reveals how Jason thinks about recruiting, M&A and developing new markets.  What’s unique about Jason’s business? He’s building at the intersection of real estate and mortgage with a highly differentiated b2b referral and lead strategy which hinges around partnerships with top mortgage lenders. And while many mortgage lenders are trying to cozy up to real estate agents for referral business, JMG has flipped the model and gets his real estate leads directly from over mortgage partners who trust his team to deliver

This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins sits down with Joe Tyrrell, the CEO of Optimal Blue. With over 25 years in mortgage, finance, and technology, Joe shares his wealth of experience about value-driven leadership, innovation, and the mortgage tech space. In their discussion, Joe talks about the significance of capital markets for mortgage lenders and how secondary market executions can drive profitability in 2024 and beyond. He also delves into Optimal Blue’s autonomy and technological advancements as part of Constellation Software, referencing a previous conversation with Bonnie Wilhelm of the Andromeda Group and Perseus. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: How Optimal Blue focuses on delivering value to lenders and maximizing profitability. Trust and operationalizing technology as keys to driving efficiency and overcoming resistance to change. AI’s crucial role in providing real-time data and insights to help lenders make informed decisions and improve profitability. Optimal Blue’s p

This week on the Power House Podcast, we are bringing you a sponsored interview between Clayton and Mickey Neuberger, the Chief Marketing Officer at Realtor.com. Before joining Realtor.com, Mickey was VP of Global Marketing at eBay for 9 years, where he built the company’s CRM platform from the ground up. He also has extensive experience in marketing, CRM, product and technology from previous roles at Travelocity, Loyalty Lab, and 24 Hour Fitness.  Clayton and Mickey start by discussing Mickey's career journey, his expertise in data management, and how he got into the marketing landscape. But, the real meat of this conversation is about one of Realtor.com’s biggest current initiatives: their buyer advocacy campaign.  The campaign spans several advocacy initiatives, including the development of a self-serve tool kit for buyer’s agents. This kit features tools and assets that can be customized and shared with one’s network to highlight everything agents do for consumers before, during and after the home-buying

On today’s episode of Power House, we had the pleasure of speaking with Craig Montgomery, the Chief Strategy Officer at Lower. Craig joined Lower this past June with plans to drive the company towards the goal of becoming a top five national mortgage lender. Today’s conversation is all about Craig’s vision for building Lower’s ambitious plans for growth, including a focus on an originator-first mindset and platform, as well as finding real value in strategic partnerships. Lower is also ramping up mergers and acquisitions to help achieve this goal with two different acquisitions within the past year. He shares their unique growth plan for today’s higher-rate, low volume environment.  Enjoy this episode with Craig Montgomery, Chief Strategy Officer at Lower! Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: Providing originators with the tools, resources, and support they need is crucial for their success. Listen to originators to truly understand their needs and shortcomings. Transparency and communication are key in

Anthony Lamacchia shares his journey from working in his father’s landscaping business to building Lamacchia Realty. He discusses the importance of marketing, branding, and consistent content creation in attracting clients and media attention. Lamacchia emphasizes delegating responsibilities and hiring experienced professionals for growth. He delves into his M&A strategy, market expansion, and his approach to marketing and recruiting agents using billboards and other methods. He addresses industry challenges, like the commission lawsuit and changing market conditions, and shares how he prepares his agents for success, concluding with his optimistic outlook for the future of real estate. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: •The importance of marketing, branding, and consistent content creation for attracting clients and media attention. •Strategies for delegating responsibilities, hiring experienced professionals, and executing a successful M&A strategy for business growth and market expansion. •Effective m