Power House

By HousingWireBusiness Entrepreneurship News Business News

Power House episodes

October 31, 2024Inside FirstTeam’s billion-dollar growth strategy with CEO Michele Harrington
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.
26 min
October 24, 2024Jeff Bell: Four pressing topics as you prepare for MBA Annual
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.
41 min
October 17, 2024The art of giving back with Fairway CEO Steve Jacobson
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.
30 min
October 10, 2024Greg Schwartz: A love letter from the salt mines
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
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.
51 min
October 03, 2024Key Themes Emerge at HousingWire IMB Summit
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. HousingWire is gathering the best housing economic experts in one place for this one-day event that will provide you with the freshest data available and the insights you need to meet the opportunity of the 2025 housing market.
Registration is now open. You can register here.
Related to this episode:
Rick Roque lands at NFM Lending | HousingWire
NFM Lending
Rick Roque | LinkedIn
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.
30 min
September 26, 2024Post-acquisition tech, capital markets and origination strategies with Rob Pieklo and Adam Carmel
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 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.
26 min
September 19, 2024When to compete and when to complement with Marc Trachtenberg
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 alternatives is essential for both consumers and industry professionals.
Related to this episode:
HousingWire IMB Summit
Silk Title Co.
Silk Title Co. | LinkedIn
Marc Trachtenberg | LinkedIn
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.
28 min
September 12, 2024Sharpening the axe with mortgage education expert Nathan Knottingham
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 Neighbor Mortgage’s acquisition by Realpha highlights the importance of technology in the real estate transaction.
Continued education and always being a willing learner is crucial for mortgage professionals to stay up to date on industry regulations and best practices.
MLO Force offers mortgage education courses for individuals and enterprise-level clients, providing a flexible and comprehensive learning experience.
Related to this episode:
reAlpha gets into the mortgage brokerage biz, acquires Be My Neighbor | HousingWire
Nathan Knottingham | LinkedIn
MLO Force
Be My Neighbor Mortgage
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.
40 min
August 29, 2024Mortgage banking strategies and insights with Sarah Wheeler
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

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.
13 min
August 22, 2024Austin Allison: Cracking the co-ownership code
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
Pacaso | LinkedIn
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.
56 min

About Power House

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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's Zeb Lowe every…