This week on the Power House podcast, HousingWire President Diego Sanchez sits down with loanDepot president and CEO, Frank Martell. Frank, who was a 2016 and 2023 HousingWire Vanguard Awardee, brings to the table over 30 years of mortgage and executive leadership experience.

Today’s conversation is all about loanDepot’s return to profitability in Q3 and a behind the scenes look at the launch of Project North Star and their Vision 2025 strategy. 

Here's what you'll learn:

• Loan Depot achieved Q3 profitability through directed team effort and strategic focus.
• loanDepot’s Project Northstar aims to achieve differentiation and profitable growth.
• Technology should enhance, not replace, human interaction in lending.
• Understanding and working around customer life events can drive better service.
• Maintaining a strong company culture is crucial during leadership transitions.

Related to this episode:

• Frank Martell talks loanDepot’s restructuring, path to profitability and M&As | HousingWire
• Governance - Executive Management
• loanDepot
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Power House podcast, Diego chats with industry veteran and Guild Mortgage CEO Terry Schmidt. Terry joined Guild in 1985 and she stepped into the CEO role in 2023.

Terry and Diego talk about Guild’s proprietary AI system, Guild IQ, and how Guild’s recent acquisitions are a step toward growing their reverse presence. They also talk about how they’re managing through a high-rate environment while keeping up with their customer-for-life strategy, and high employee retention through company culture.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Guild Mortgage has a strong focus on finding cultural fits during acquisitions.
• They aim to provide a comprehensive customer experience throughout the entire homeownership journey.
• Listen to your employees, even when you might not like what you hear.
• Guild is expanding their reverse mortgage channel.
• The Hispanic community is a key target for future homeownership initiatives.
• AI integration is enhancing Guild's origination processes and customer service.

Related to this episode:

• Terry Schmidt says Guild is seeing more interest in reverse mortgages | HousingWire
• Guild CEO offers details on Academy Mortgage acquisition | HousingWire
• Terry Schmidt | LinkedIn
• Guild Mortgage
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Power House podcast, Diego sits down with Jay Bray, the CEO of Mr. Cooper. Jay joined Nationstar in 2000 and brings over 25 years of mortgage serving and origination experience. They discuss Mr. Cooper’s growth and acquisition strategy, specifically the Flagstar acquisition, which brought Mr. Cooper's servicing book up to $1.5 trillion from $1.2 trillion at the end of Q3.

They also talk about finding a sustainable balance between their servicing and origination business, how banning trigger leads would — or rather, wouldn't — affect their business, and what AI advancements they’re looking at as we head into 2025.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Mr. Cooper’s servicing business has performed well in a rising rate environment.
• Flagstar's acquisition brought Mr. Cooper's servicing portfolio up to $1.5 trillion.
• AI is enabling revenue growth without increasing headcount.
• Long-term customer relationships will mitigate potential trigger lead bans.
• The industry needs to be ready for higher rates, for longer.
• The future of our business is all about enhancing customer experience.

Related to this episode:

• Mr. Cooper to acquire Flagstar's servicing and TPO businesses for $1.4B in cash | HousingWire
• Mr. Cooper
• Jay Bray | Mr. Cooper Group
• Jay Bray | LinkedIn
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Power House podcast, Diego sits down with James Dwiggins, the CEO and co-founder of national real estate franchise, NextHome. Guided by a “humans over homes” philosophy, the brand focuses on quality over quantity, with 600 offices and 6,000 agents across the country.

James has a lot of experience in the real estate world, and with that comes a lot of strong opinions — namely on clear cooperation policies, legal issues with dual agency, and MLS practices. He also shares why, despite its issues, NAR’s advocacy work shouldn’t go unnoticed by agents, and what NextHome is doing to grow in the face of industry challenges.

Here's what you'll learn:

• NextHome operates under a 'humans over houses' philosophy.
• 40% of growth comes from referrals and they don’t require franchisees to recruit aggressively.
• The NAR settlement is just the beginning of changes in real estate commissions.
• Many agents lack training on new compensation structures post-NAR settlement.
• Dual agency presents significant conflicts of interest.
• NAR plays a crucial role in advocating for real estate professionals.
• Clear cooperation policies benefit the marketplace and consumers.

Related to this episode:

• Commission lawsuits: Latest news and insights | HousingWire
• NextHome joins the list of firms to settle the commission lawsuits | HousingWire
• James Dwiggins | LinkedIn
• NextHome
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. 

Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.
• Diversity initiatives and embracing new technology are essential for the future of appraisals.

Related to this episode:

• Class Valuation
• Andrew Bough | LinkedIn
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. 

Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 and COO | HousingWire
• Chad Smith | LinkedIn
• Better
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. 

Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 to grow slowly to end 2024: Auction.com | HousingWire
• Daren Blomquist LinkedIn
• Auction.com
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. 

Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. 

Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 is on track to surpass $1 billion in recruited teams this year.
• The company aims for organic growth by expanding into adjacent markets.
• Michele's upcoming book emphasizes the importance of self-discipline in achieving success.

Related to this episode:

• Michele Harrington | LinkedIn
• FirstTeam Real Estate
• HousingWire | YouTube

Enjoy the episode!

The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Diego Sanchez speaks with CEOs, founders, and executives from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. 

Diego Sanchez is the president of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 in for insightful discussion about streamlining the loan monitoring process, competing in a refinance mortgage market, coaching and more!

HousingWire will be hosting a happy hour on Monday night at this year’s MBA Annual. You can register here.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Coaching can significantly impact personal and professional growth.
• Knowing how to use the right technology correctly is more important than just having technology.
• Prioritize proactive communication with clients instead of reactive.
• Understanding the nuances of a competitive landscape is key for originators.
• Leadership development should always be ongoing.

Related to this episode:

• Uplist launches automated refi analysis tool | HousingWire
• MBA Annual 2024 HousingWire Cocktail Party
• Jeff Bell | LinkedIn
• Uplist | LinkedIn
• HousingWire IMB Summit On-Demand

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 estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Independent Mortgage Corporation
• HousingWire IMB Summit On-Demand
• 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 estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices