CONNECT by California MBA

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 60th episode, our podcast sponsor Insellerate takes over for a great conversation with Josh Friend, CEO, Insellerate and Rob Chrisman, robchrisman.com

Topics of discussion:

3:10 – What is the outlook for interest rates and inflation?

10:06 – What should we expect from the CFPB under the new administration?

17:04 – A ‘win-win’ for customers and lenders

22:06 – What factors are impacting home prices?

28:36 – How should lenders position themselves to take advantage of the future market?

33:08 – What is the biggest challenge for the industry in 2021?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 59th episode, we welcome Brian Zitin Co-Founder & CEO, Reggora

Topics of discussion:

2:38 - What’s your background in the industry, and how did you end up at Reggora?

5:30 - What’s the innovative or disruptive factor that Reggora has brought to the market?

7:52 - What have you found to be helpful in building the company and breaking through in an industry that has a very traditional mindset?

9:54 - What do you think are the key characteristics of a great disruptive/innovative leader?

11:57 - What’s on the horizon for Reggora and the appraisal side of the business?

15:14 - In 5 or 10 years, what does the typical borrower’s experience look like, and how will it be different from today?

17:40 - Why is it important for you to support groups like the California MBA?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 58th episode, we welcome Brent Chandler, Founder & CEO, FormFree.

Topics of discussion:

4:04 - Since we talked last year, FormFree unveiled new branding to reflect its focus on expanding financial inclusivity in home ownership. Is financial inclusivity the new frontier for innovation at FormFree?

5:46 - What do you think has made FormFree a successful innovator/disruptor in the mortgage space?

9:31 - If I’m building a company that’s going to go into uncharted waters in an industry, likely to disrupt established players, what are some qualities I should look for in myself and my leadership team?

13:18 - What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of the past few years, as FormFree has grown tremendously?

15:53 - What does the next phase of growth look like for you and FormFree?

17:52 - Where is the mortgage industry most ripe for a new disruptor?

24:07 - What can mortgage companies do to continue to foster an environment that promotes innovation and evolution?

30:04 - Why should tech/vendor firms like FormFree support advocacy groups like the California MBA?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 57th episode, we welcome Alex Kutsishin, Co-Founder, Chief ROI Booster, Sales Boomerang.

Topics of discussion:

4:06 – What’s new at Sales Boomerang?

6:09 – What do you think has been the biggest innovation or disruption that you and Sales Boomerang have had on the marketplace?

13:06 – What is the most important attribute for a company to have to be a successful disruptor in any industry?

16:05 – What about the innovator or innovators at the heart of a successful company – what are the most important or common qualities you see in them?

22:26 – How do you make the transition from upstart disruptor to established market player?

26:42 – Back to mortgages, what aspect of the lending lifecycle is due for a major innovator or ripe for a disruptor to come in and shake things up?

32:48 – How important is it to bring in outside voices (outside the mortgage industry) to help drive innovation?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 56th episode, we welcome Michael Guidotti, VP, Integration & Branch Technology, American Pacific Mortgage

3:22 - What’s your background, and what led you to the tech side of the industry and APM?

6:27 - What has your experience been like over the past year, trying to keep your team systems up-to-date through the pandemic and refi boom?

8:34 - What changes are you starting to make with the return to a more purchase-oriented market on the horizon?

10:14 - Do you think that, during the next purchase market cycle, success will depend more on the strength of REALTOR relationships or technology integration/efficiency?

13:26 - Do you think customers are going to see more change and a better experience due to changes on the front end or back-end processes?

16:18 - What are you most excited to see in the future, when it comes to how lenders build out customer experience tools?

18:23 - You’ve been with APM for almost a decade now – what’s unique about the culture at the company, and how does that spill over into customer experience?

20:57 - Why is it crucial for lenders and younger folks in the industry to get involved and support their state/national advocacy groups, like the California MBA/MBA?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 55th episode, we welcome Greg Pettersen, Director of Technology at RWM Home Loans

Topics of discussion:

3:29 - What’s your background/how did you get started in the business, and what’s drawn you to the marketing/tech side of the industry?

6:04 - What’s the transformation in customer experience been like for you over the past decade?

9:56 - What has been the biggest improvement in customer experience during that time?

13:35 - What does the next decade look like? More gradual change, or something seismic that truly transforms the industry?

20:15 - What’s the biggest pain point right now that you see for homebuyers?

26:12 - How is your strategy shifting as you see the end of the refi boom coming and the return of a more purchase-focused market?

29:01 - What advice would you give to mortgage lenders to help the industry better reach out to and get young people interested in the business at a younger age?

34:39 - Why is it important for lenders and even younger people at the company to support groups like the California MBA and their advocacy efforts?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 54th episode we welcome Linn Cook VP, Sales, OptifiNow

Topics of discussion:

2:06 - What’s your background, and how did you get started in the industry and end up where you are now at OptifiNow?

4:07 - How has the pandemic sped up (or slowed down) industry innovation trends when it comes to customer experience?

10:48 - As an industry, it seems like we may be moving away from a tech stack/vendor bolt-on approach for originators in favor of all-in-one approaches. Is that the future?

16:14 - Can you give us a practical example of how marketing automation really does help drive more sales? How do you assimilate the massive amounts of data and make it practical for LOs to utilize to convert more transactions?

20:26 - What changes are we likely to see from lenders as we shift from refi back to purchase this year?

23:14 - Tell me about how lenders can use social media to engage with borrowers and build their brand equity

27:17 - In talking with lenders, what do you think execs need to know that they don’t?

33:18 - Why should tech firms belong to groups like the California MBA, and why should advocacy issues matter to them (and not just to lenders)?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. In our 53rd episode, we welcome Cathleen Schreiner Gates, President, SimpleNexus.

Topics of discussion:

3:06 - Tell us about your background and what led you to SimpleNexus.

8:25 - You’ve joined a leadership team that has largely been there from the start – how has it been integrating with the others on the exec team?

11:14 - What was your most important takeaway from the recent SimpleNexus SNUG event?

16:35 - Do you think the comprehensive homeownership platform model that SimpleNexus has forwarded is the future of the customer’s experience? Why?

21:41 - What’s the state of digital/mobile closing processes?

25:21 - Where is the biggest pain point for borrowers right now, and what must industry do to fix that?

29:21 - Do you think the next few years will see more change in “ease of use” or faster turnaround for borrowers (or both/neither)?

36:37 - Why should industry solutions partners like SimpleNexus support the advocacy efforts of the California MBA/MBA?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. Our 52nd episode we welcome back Josh Friend, Founder & CEO, Insellerate.

Topics of discussion:

 

3:35 - Much of the focus in the past half-decade (or more) in the realm of customer/user experience has been on the front end/end-user side.  But since the advent of digital mortgage platforms that put the borrower in the driver’s seat, it seems like the industry has started to realize that we can improve the customer experience by also innovating in process/technology that the customer may not always realize.  What are your thoughts on this shift?

7:26 - Where are we going to see the next big breakthrough in customer experience?

9:26 - What changes will we see as the pendulum swings back to purchase?

12:42 - What is the most effective strategy to stay in touch with borrowers throughout the process, and how can originators maintain touch with borrowers during high volume periods?

16:23 - Does the increasing ability of the borrower to educate themselves (with greater access to information) change how originators communicate with (and what they communicate) borrowers?

23:08 - How are the top lenders today turning the vast amount of data into actionable intelligence to drive sales further?

28:23 - What should we be keeping our eye on as far as new releases from Insellerate this year?

31:43 - It’s easy to forget the importance of industry advocacy efforts when volumes are high and everyone is busy and happy.  Why should companies make sure to invest in the advocacy work of groups like the California MBA in times good and not-so-good?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!

Welcome to Connect, a podcast featuring one-on-one interviews with some of the top movers-and-shakers in the mortgage industry. Our 51st episode we welcome 3 Rising Stars of Commercial Real Estate Finance.

Sarah Bernhisel, Vice President, Slatt Capital

Pasha Johnson, Principal, Pacific Southwest Realty Services

Amit Tyagi, Senior Director, Gantry

Topics of discussion:

 

3:41 – How did you got started in the industry?

9:10 - What is the current state of the CRE market from your perspective, and what’s your outlook for 2021?

16:16 - What is the biggest impact you see the new Biden admin could have on the market?

21:43 - What do you see as a potential hidden gem in the market, a silver lining or a great investment opportunity for the right borrower?

27:26 - What’s your favorite sales story – either a huge win or a crash landing that you learned from?

34:16 - What are you more concerned about, long term – retail or office? 

36:03 - What advice do you have for younger folks coming into the CRE space, and what can the industry do to better encourage a younger, more diverse workforce?

43:14 - How crucial are industry advocacy efforts right now, and what would you tell a colleague who perhaps doesn’t see the value in supporting organizations like the California MBA, MBA, etc.?

Thank you to our sponsor, Insellerate. To learn more visit insellerate.com or call 855-973-1646

To learn more about the California MBA visit www.cmba.com and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode!