October/November 2023

Oct/Nov 2023

100 REAL ES

TA

G ELLIN A DIGIT OP AL PR R

TE

RTGAGE COMP MO AN IE

S

OVER?

D AN

APPRAISAL

September 2021

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2021

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2021

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ JULY 2021

Is the Party

October/November 2020

March 2021 HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ OCT/NOV 2023

July 2021

THE Mortgage WORKFORCE

Movement

VANGUARDS

ON U TI OL EV

The top

50 executives IN

HOUSING

36 HOUSINGWIRE ❱ MAY 2014

04-F1.indd 36

4/22/14 12:26 PM

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

February 2022

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2022

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023

23

23

75

75

WHEN BORROWERS ‘GHOST’ THEIR SERVICERS

23

75

75

23

75

23

75

23

all things housing May 2022

MARKETING SOLUTIONS Solutions from Sales Boomerang and Monster Lead Group enable success.

P.50

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2020

HOUSING FINANCE LEADERS

2022

Your tech shouldn’t control you. Find out what works for you and use it.

P.38

2020

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2021

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ May 2022

OWN YOUR TECH

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MAY 2020

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2020

February 2021

WIRE FRAUD Who’s on the hook when money disapears due to wire fraud?

P. 32

TITLE SOLUTIONS Adeptive Software, Amrock, CoreLogic, DataTrace, ServiceLink, WFG

P. 38

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MAY 2020

100 real estate and mortgage companies driving innovation

Preparing for The unprecedented year ahead

How one month nearly broke the housing ecosystem October/November 2022

October/November 2021

P.40

This issue provided courtesy of Mortech housingwire magazine ❱ January 2013

VALUATION SOLUTIONS Seven companies leveraging tech to deliver accurate valuations.

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2012

P. 34

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ Octobter/November 2021

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ October/November 2022

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ APRIL 2020

APPRAISER VOICE For appraisers to get the representation they need, they must have a united voice.

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ APRIL 2020

 SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 12

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2012

Powerless Sandy exposes housing and mortgage market vulnerabilities

P.46

on the mend?

Housing improved in 2012, but what happens this year may depend on where you live

housingwire magazine ❱ January 2013

P.28

examining hamP P.30

2022 VANGUARD HONOREES

100

A New FHFA?

LEADERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS TO SUCCESS

the 2012 investments issue

THE

housing pipeline

Blue Sky

Showtime for the AmericAn DreAm

Who’s buying noW... and Where

Zoning: the answer to the affordable housing crisis?

Reviewed by:

00-Cover.indd 1

Final Approvals:

12/18/12 8:49 PM

CR

1

ed

2/14/12 9:59 PM

Ad

00-Cover_ALT.indd 1

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2016

BLUEPRINT FOR RECOVERY How Safeguard’s Robert Klein is creating a model to fight community blight — one block at a time.

P.54

POWER PLAYERS Service providers forging a new path.

P.38

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2016

EXPLORING THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF OFFSHORE MORTGAGE SERVICING

00-Cover.indd 1

1/18/16 3:53 PM

TRAILBLAZERS Follow these companies into 2017.

P.82

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ DECEMBER 2013

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ DECEMBER 2014 | JANUARY 2015

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

2016 VANGUARDS We recognize 40 powerhouse leaders of the U.S. housing economy.

P.38

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017

CRUNCH TIME

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ DEC 2014 | JAN 2015

2 0 1 3 P E R S O N of T H E Y E A R

The Investor HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ DECEMBER 2013

back to the

wild west? p. 32

MSR SWITCH Nonbanks show appetite for mortgage servicing rights

2015 ECONOMIC OUTLOOK P. 28

What the mortgage industry will look like with a new sheriff in town 00-Cover.indd 1

14 FOR 14 Companies to watch next year

P.54

P.26

15 FOR ‘15

2014 OUTLOOK

Companies to watch next year.

What to expect, in the year ahead

P.36

12/6/16 1:21 PM

00-Cover.indd 1

VALUATION MVPS Companies delivering a fast, accurate valuation process.

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2018

P.46

SINGLE STACK Developing vertical consolidation to simplify the mortgage process.

P.32

LAW AND ORDER Who’s responsible for the $30 million missing from one title company?

P.64

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2015

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2017

P.40

00-Cover.indd 1

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2015

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MARCH 2018

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ JANUARY 2014

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ JANUARY 2014

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT How the student loan debt crisis is affecting the entire housing economy.

P.50

P.58

11/25/14 3:11 PM

11/21/13 1:07 PM

HW INSIDERS Our 33 winners are doing some of the industry’s most important work.

P.40

MORTGAGE TECH Unique solutions for a faster, easier mortgage process.

P.54

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2017

BLURRED VISION THE FED READIES THE BEGINNING OF THE END

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

P. 36

THE FUTURE OF VALUATIONS

BUBBLE TALK

Chatter on overheated markets is gaining ground. Let’s settle this now.

P.44

SHARED APPRECIATION P.50

00-Cover.indd 1

HOW FINTECH is infiltrating the mortgage industry, and what traditional lenders should be doing to adapt

WHAT AUTOMATION MEANS FOR APPRAISERS AND APPRAISAL COMPANIES P. 34

Home ownership scheme is coming back, with more oversight.

P. 34

HOUSINGWIRE RECOGNIZES THE MOST INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES IN HOUSING. P.38

12/17/13 3:25 PM

00-Cover.indd 1

2/12/18 11:16 AM

P.42

SECONDARY ALL-STARS Agile, compliant companies delivering real solutions to the secondary market.

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MAY 2016

P.48

2/17/15 1:01 PM

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2018

HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ MAY 2016

RENTAL SURGE Tight credit and high home prices make renting a long-term necessity for many.

00-Cover.indd 1

00-Cover.indd 1

8/14/17 4:53 PM

THE SECRETS OF VALUE Understanding what features buyers want in new builds and remodels.

P.36

POWER PLAYERS: SERVICE PROVIDERS Five companies delivering outstanding HOUSINGWIRE MAGAZINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2018

quality in the servicing sector.

P.42

FULL PAGE AD

Deephaven Mortgage LLC. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for the use of licensed mortgage professionals. Distribution to consumers is strictly prohibited. Program and rates are subject to change without notice. Not available in all states. Terms subject to qualification. deephavenmortgage.com NMLSConsumerAccess.org NMLS #958425. Disclosures and Licenses https://deephavenmortgage.com/disclosures-and-licenses/

HousingWire MANAGING EDITOR JAMES KLEIMANN SENIOR MORTGAGE REPORTER BILL CONROY REAL ESTATE & TITLE REPORTER BROOKLEE HAN MORTGAGE REPORTER FLÁVIA FURLAN NUNES REPORTERS CONNIE KIM, SARAH MARX

REALTRENDS SVP MARKET DATA & MEMBERSHIP MARK ADAMS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR KEERI TRAMM

DATA JOURNALIST WILL ROBINSON LEAD ANALYST LOGAN MOHTASHAMI

PRESIDENT MIKE SIMONSEN

REVERSE MORTGAGE DAILY EDITOR CHRIS CLOW

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SARAH WHEELER

CORPORATE

CEO CLAYTON COLLINS COO DIEGO SANCHEZ VP OF FINANCE ANDREW KEY GRAPHIC DESIGNER BRANDON JOHNSON VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT HOLDEN PAGE PRODUCT MANAGER OF MEDIA BO FRIZE DIRECTOR OF HW+ & EVENTS BRENA NATH MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGER LESLEY COLLINS PEOPLE OPERATIONS MANAGER JAMIE BRIDGES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER CAROLINE ABAD EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST ALI MORRISSEY GROWTH COORDINATOR SYDNEY SMITH EVENTS AND PROGRAM MANAGER MAKENNA CLAY ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST WHITNI ROWE

SALES EVP SALES JENNIFER WATSON LAWS VICE PRESIDENT STRATEGIC SALES CHRISTI HUMPHRIES DIRECTOR STRATEGIC SALES PETER GRATT ACCOUNT MANAGER CASS HECKEL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE SAMANTHA STEIN DIRECTOR OF CLIENT REVENUE OPERATIONS ADINA RITTER STRATEGIC ACCOUNT MANAGER BRIA SOYELE SALES MARKETING MANAGER TOD MOHNEY CONTENT SOLUTIONS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DATA AND CONTENT TRACEY VELT MANAGING EDITOR ALLISON LAFORGIA CONTENT EDITOR JESSICA DAVIS MAGAZINE EDITOR AUDREY LEE MULTIMEDIA PROJECT MANAGER DALTON JOHNSON

4 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

JUNIOR DIGITAL PRODUCER ELISSA BRANCH CONTENT SOLUTIONS COORDINATOR EUNICE GARCIA

HOW TO REACH US LETTERS TO THE EDITOR EDITOR@HOUSINGWIRE.COM TIPS AND STORIES EDITORIAL@HOUSINGWIRE.COM CURRENT MEMBERSHIP / SUBSCRIPTION HWPLUSMEMBER@HOUSINGWIRE.COM NEW MEMBERSHIP / SUBSCRIPTION HOUSINGWIRE.COM/MEMBERSHIP MARKETING & ADVERTISING JLAWS@HOUSINGWIRE.COM OR (469) 870-4572 ADVERTISING CLIENT SUCCESS CLIENTSUCCESS@HOUSINGWIRE.COM

OCT/NOV 2023

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Moving Forward ON HOUSINGWIRE BRANDING CALLS

Throughout this whole decade, we also

earlier this year, someone asked us what

spotlighted people, like you, who are

our tagline, “Moving Markets Forward,”

trailblazers in the housing industry and

means to me. Having referred to this

are the backbone of moving markets

phrase for over 10 years, the explanation

forward.

we’ve used is as adaptable and forward thinking as the saying is supposed to be.

As we wrap this final issue of the mag-

At its core, it means providing you with

azine, the tagline means that we are

what you need to win the market.

continuing our mission to stay ahead of market trends and are shifting to deliv-

When we started using this phrase in

ering this news to you faster through our

2013, it was providing education around

digital site, HousingWire.com. We’re ex-

the launch of the newly created Consum-

cited to stay at the forefront of the market

er Financial Protection Bureau. Then in

in 2024 and beyond, and are thrilled to

2016, it was defined as sharing the infor-

connect with you beyond these pages.

mation you needed to capture your piece of the refinance boom, though one that

Thanks for being a loyal reader.

was vastly different from the one we recently experienced. 2020 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic brought a housing market and nation under crisis that time, it was our goal to not only provide the support and community so many of us needed, but also to share the unique situation the housing market was in.

Sarah Wheeler Editor in Chief HousingWire Brena Nath Director, HW+ & Events HousingWire

The information contained within should not be construed as a recommendation for any course of action regarding legal, financial or accounting matters. All written materials are disseminated with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal advice or other professional services. HW Media does not guarantee the accuracy of information provided, and is not liable for any damages, losses or other detriment that may result from the use of these materials. © 2023 by HW Media, LLC • All rights reserved

OCT/NOV 2023

5 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

we’ve never seen before. And, during that

CONGRATULATIONS

2023

HousingWire Insiders Award Winner

Thank you, Dana!

Your leadership and commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive, and productive environment create a workplace where everyone can thrive.

We can’t do it without you!

DANA GROSS Chief Administration Officer

Due Diligence

Valuation Services

Consulting & Advisory

Business Process Services

consolidatedanalytics.com | NMLS#165182

October/ November 2023 Local Intel

16 People Movers

12 Rocket Companies appoints Varun Krishna as CEO, signaling a turn toward fintech.

Event Calendar

13 Experts discuss the power of AI in real estate marketing and how they’re harnessing the tech.

HW+ Member Spotlight

14 Here’s what Adam O’Daniel, senior vice president of marketing at Open Mortgage, never worries about.

Inside Agent

15 Beau Blankenship dominates the 30A Beaches real estate market with a $22.5 million listing.

Looking coast to coast, here’s what’s happening in top markets, including Arizona and Iowa.

118 Trade Desk

102 Associations like AIME, MBA and NAHB share their updates for the month of October.

Mortgage

106 Surviving non-QM lenders are gaining business, but high rates and tight pricing create challenges.

Real Estate

110 How are real estate agents and brokers using artificial intelligence to better their business practices?

CFPB Watch

114 8 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Kudos

State regulators are investigating title joint ventures, which they believe might be violating RESPA.

OCT/NOV 2023

HW Media partnered with Housing Forward to propel their mission to end homelessness.

Checklist

120 Altos Research founder Mike Simonsen on the top 5 indicators of the housing market.

History of Housing

121 How was the market in 2010? It wasn’t long ago, but the state of housing looks very different.

Parting Shot

122 Celebrating 10 years of HousingWire Magazine and honoring top leaders in the housing space.

features

f

HW Vanguard Honorees

22

100 of the most influential leaders in housing receive the honor of being named an HW Vanguard. These leaders and executives are moving housing forward, one day at a time.

76

HW Insiders Honorees

Referred to by one honoree as the “Oz behind the curtain,” these HW Insiders honorees do the behind-the-scenes work to push their organizations to the next level.

eClosing product guide These two companies offer eClosing solutions that help lenders streamline the closing process and ramp up to a fully digital closing process at their own pace.

98

By Gary Acosta

20

OCT/NOV 2023

9 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Improving housing affordability

Join

HW+

.

PEOPLE MOVERS

Varun Krishna | Rocket Companies | CEO Varun Krishna was named CEO of Rocket Companies and began work in September. The leadership transition comes as longtime executive Bob Walters is set to retire. Krishna arrives at Rocket after several years of overseeing the tax products of Intuit Inc. and managing consumer offerings at PayPal. Krishna will shepherd Rocket Companies in the fintech space and emphasize the importance of helping consumers achieve financial freedom.

Glen Lemeshev | CrossCountry Mortgage | Chief Revenue Officer Cleveland-based CrossCountry Mortgage appointed Glen Lemeshev to an executive position as its chief revenue officer. He previously served at CrossCountry as senior vice president and branch manager on the production team.

Now, he will be responsible for the company’s financial planning, products and partnerships in his new leadership position. Lemeshev held previous leadership positions at GMI Home Loans and worked as a boots-on-the-ground loan officer for many years.

Darren Graeler | loanDepot | Chief Accounting Officer National mortgage lender and servicer loanDepot has appointed Darren Graeler to serve as its chief accounting officer. Graeler has been serving at the company since 2018, most recently in the position of senior vice president of corporate accounting. He will be responsible for managing the company's financial and accounting operations, SEC financial reporting and tax oversight. He previously served as a founding partner at consulting firm Financial Services Advisory Partners.

Jody Mulkey | First American | Chief Technology Officer Santa Ana, Calif.-based title and closing company First American appointed Jody Mulkey as its new chief technology officer. Mulkey is the first person to hold this newly created position within the company, and he will oversee its product development team with a particular focus on enterprise clients. Mulkey previously served as chief technology officer at online telemedicine company GoodRx.

Jayma Banks | CrossCountry Mortgage | Senior VIce President of Housing Initiatives Jayma Banks has been appointed senior vice president of housing initiatives for CrossCountry Mortgage. She will focus on the maintenance and further development of the lender’s affordable housing options, including a downpayment assistance program. She joins CrossCountry from Freddie Mac, where she most recently served as its single-family sales and relationship manager.

Allison Batts | Cenlar | Vice President of Executive Client Management Cenlar has appointed Allison Batts as vice president of executive client management. In her new role, she will oversee internal teams in an effort to improve service delivery for clients. Most recently, Batts served as managing vice president of client delivery at Mr. Cooper. She held several roles at that company during her tenure, as well as previously working as an executive with HSBC Finance’s North American division.

12 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Jon Boller | Livian | President Keller Williams-associated real estate team Livian has appointed Jon Boller as its new president. Boller will oversee growth, refinement and scaling of Livian’s platform, and he comes to the team after having served in leadership roles at both emerging and established real estate companies. He most recently served as a marketing professional with Side Real Estate. Boller will focus on transforming the consumer experience through world-class customer service.

OCT/NOV 2023

EVENT CALENDAR

FUSE

LISTEN NOW

Date October 4-7 Cost to attend Non-member $1,499 | Member $599 Presented by AIME

“Compass agents on the power of AI in real estate”

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

BY ELISSA BRANCH

HousingWire Annual

Date October 10-12 Cost to attend Non-member $1,750 | Member $875 Presented by HW Media AUSTIN, TEXAS HW Annual is HousingWire's capstone mortgage event, connecting leading professionals from across the housing economy who seek to grow, innovate and win market share. This is where strategies are formed, deals are inked and lifelong relationships are solidified. This year’s speakers include Sandra Thompson, director of FHFA, Jay Promisco, chief production officer at Sierra Pacific Mortgage and Amory Wooden, chief marketing officer of Anywhere Brands. Speakers at HW Annual will discuss regulatory updates, the latest trends in mortgage lending and proptech innovations.

Attendees can sit in on specific sections for marketing leaders and women of influence. And, invited attendees have the chance to be in the off-therecord Vanguard Forum.

NAR NXT

Date November 14-16 Cost to attend Non-member $650 | Member $550 Presented by National Association of Realtors ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA Real estate agents, broker-owners and proptech leaders will find networking opportunities, educational sessions and cutting-edge innovation from sponsors at this conference. Previous years of NAR NXT have included thousands of attendees, hundreds of speakers and many hundreds of sponsors. Real estate leaders can look forward to fresh programming and presenters including Brian Donnellan, president and CEO of Bright MLS, Katie Lance, founder of Katie Lance Consulting and Hope Atuel, executive director of the Asian Real Estate Association of America. This year’s conference will include NAR governance meetings, educational sessions and other special events.

OCT/NOV 2023

Rich Hopen is a broker-associate of Compass and co-founder of REAL-E in New Jersey, and Susan Vanech is a broker-associate of Compass and founder of Compass Coastal in Connecticut.

Hopen is a self-taught expert in all things ChatGPT and built an AI-powered listing chatbot. Vanech used that chatbot to market a multimillion-dollar property. They discuss the power of AI in real estate marketing, what the future holds, how they are embracing AI in their businesses and what trends they are seeing.

Tracey Velt: There’s a lot of controversy over ChatGPT. You’ve heard Elon Musk talk about the necessity to have some controls on it before it’s too late. So talk to me a little bit about that and the possibilities for AI in real estate.

Rich Hopen: It’s hard to look at the news and not see someone take a position on AI. It ranges from this advanced technology that’s going to solve huge macro issues, and then the other end of the spectrum is that we shouldn’t unleash this thing. It’s going to destroy the human race. But one thing that everyone agrees with is that it’s very advanced and powerful. It’s hard for me to really come up with any industry that’s not going to be impacted in a major way. You have a small percentage of agents that are leaning into this tech. They’re using it to generate content. And then you have a really small percentage of agents like Susan, who are getting way ahead of that and asking where it’s going.

Susan Vanech: I want to create content to educate the buyer. So, kind of leapfrogging over what’s more exposed to the typical agent through ChatGPT. Using the AI Butler, doing exactly what Richard just said, which is adding another layer of service to that end user, and giving them the ability to engage and participate in a more human way, even though it’s through the use of this AI. It’s about merging and bridging what we each as humans have contained within us, but having this bot that’s able to communicate on our behalf.

Scan the code to listen now!

13 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

FUSE is the largest gathering of independent mortgage professionals. In previous years, this conference has attracted more than 3,000 attendees, dozens of speakers and dozens of presenters and sponsors. This year, attendees can look forward to hearing Kate Sweeney, CEO and chairman of AIME, Dale Vermillion, founder and CEO of Mortgage Champions, Mat Ishbia, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage and Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. Outside of hearing from these powerful speakers, attendees can look forward to golf tournaments, diversity summits and specific sessions on VA lending. Build your conference experience your way by customizing your ticket bundles.

Attendees can register for FUSE with group discounts, happy hour bundles and more.

HW+ MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

ADAM O'DANIEL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING | OPEN MORTGAGE

A leading voice in the housing space, Adam O’Daniel currently serves as senior vice president of marketing at Open Mortgage. His list of accomplishments include helping Open Mortgage in strategic recruitment, branding and social media campaigns to supercharge the company's mission to drive homeownership. While he is known as an engaging and caring leader at work, these core values extend into his personal life too. Here’s an inside look at HousingWire Rising Star and HW+ member Adam O’Daniel.

1. My morning routine looks like… Up at 5:40 to play fullcourt 5 v 5 basketball for a morning workout. Before my first meeting, I review my calendar, set priorities for the day and make sure my inbox is up to date.

2. Relaxation means… Being outdoors. Lately, I’ve been winding down in the evening by listening to the Atlanta Braves games on the radio while sitting on the back porch.

3. My favorite thing to do with my employees is… Riff on a good idea. I love those moments when the team is throwing out fun, creative and even ridiculous suggestions.

4. My last vacation was… A family trip to visit all five national parks in Utah.

14 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

5. I don’t ever worry about… Things I can’t control. We can acknowledge our circumstances, but our focus should be on how we respond.

OCT/NOV 2023

INSIDE AGENT

Beau Blankenship Engel & Volkers beau.blankenship@evusa.com

4603 W. County Hwy 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 $22.5 million 9 bed, 9 bath

Beau Blankenship is a successful business owner, luxury real estate advisor and investor, as well as a licensed partner for Engel & Völkers 30A Beaches. He opened his first brokerage in 2018 at the age of 27 and has cleared almost a billion dollars in personal sales volume since the start of his career. In 2020, Blankenship was recognized by RealTrends’ The Thousand as the No. 36 real estate professional in the country.

Blankenship recommends preparing for a return to a normally paced market by putting in the extra work to earn more listings.

“A great way to add listings is to create them,” he said. “Our market is hyper-competitive, and while we are able to represent a large number of existing properties, we certainly take every opportunity to get involved with new builds and developments as often as possible.”

The property at 4603 W. County Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, is more than 11,000 square feet. This new construction home has 85 feet of incredible beach frontage on the secluded west end of scenic Highway 30A. The high-end property is ideal as an investment property with unparalleled rental potential.

15 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Because the property is still in the building stages, Blankenship has invested in high-quality renderings to help potential buyers get a thorough feel for what they can expect to see when the property is completed. The listing includes various vantage points from aerial renders, exterior renderings from the ground and interior renderings with incredible attention to detail.

OCT/NOV 2023

LOCAL INTEL

By Brooklee Han It is no secret that Phoenix's housing market conditions have been hot over the past few years. Fueled by investor interest and the pandemic home buying boom, the 90-day average median list price in Phoenix rose from $415,862 in late February 2020 to $549,331 in early July 2022, according to data from Altos Research. But while the housing market has cooled over the past year, temperatures in the Valley of the Sun have not. This heat, combined with the city’s arid nature, prompted state government officials to take action, placing a ban on residential building permits in parts of Phoenix. While 80,000 already-permitted units, as well as new builds in areas with a designated water provider, still have the go-ahead, local agents like Elsie Fay are still concerned about the city’s housing shortage. “We are down a little over 200,000 units, so I don’t think 80,000 will make much of an impact,” the eXp Realty agent said. Since the building ordinance does not currently affect new construction within the Phoenix city limits, she does not feel it will have a massive impact on home prices, at least in the short term. However, she noted that the areas impacted by the building ordinance are typically more affordable and that the scarcity of properties in these areas will cause prices to rise.

“It is really going to hurt some first-time homebuyers,” Fay said.

Phoenix, Arizona

16 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Known for its stunning architecture and renowned arts and culture scene, Chicago is the third largest city in the country. Despite the Windy City’s popularity, over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people looked to move out of higher-priced urban areas, the 90-day average median list price in Chicago went on a bit of a roller coaster ride. In early March 2020, the median list price was $261,215, but it quickly escalated to an all-time high of $382,763 in November 2020.

The median list price finally troughed in March 2023, at $265,265, roughly $4,000 higher than it was three years earlier. By mid-August 2023, the median list price was back up to $299,519. Although prices have risen in recent months, housing inventory has remained relatively steady, hovering around 1,800 single-family listings, according to data from Altos Research.

With a Market Action Index score of 41, Altos Research still says that Chicago is a seller ’s market.

Chicago, Illinois OCT/NOV 2023

Burlington, Iowa

Defined as the seacoast region between Boston and New Hampshire, Massachusetts’ North Shore region is populated by quaint coastal towns, like Gloucester, Rockport and Newburyport, and cities integral to the economic development of the region, like Saugus, home to the first integrated ironworks in North America, and Peabody, which had the largest concentration of tanneries in the world. Today, the region is home to some of New England’s most prized real estate. While prices in the area have always been well above the national average, since early March 2020 the 90-day average median list price has skyrocketed from $589,000 to $929,000, as of mid-August 2023, according to data from Altos Research. Doug Danzey, the leader of the eXp Realty brokered teamerage The Cobalt Group, attributes the most recent list price spike, which saw the median price rise from $750,000 in early March 2023, to nearly $1 million in August, to a lack of inventory. “We are still seeing a lack of listings,” Danzey said. “I am still seeing prices continue to climb in the middle price range. The high-end listings are starting to come down a little bit, though, and stay on the market longer. But if you are looking for an entry-level property, even in some of the less expensive areas, you can’t buy anything for less than $650,000.” Although the market has slowed, Danzey said it is not uncommon to see multiple offer situations on well-maintained homes at popular price points.

“People want some walkability in their lives, they want to be around shops and restaurants, and here they get the added luxury of being by the beach and water,” he said.

OCT/NOV 2023

17 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Massachusetts’ North Shore

First settled in 1833, Burlington quickly became a bustling river port during the steamboat era due to its location on the Mississippi River, and it was a central city to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The city’s rich historical past means it is home to several landmarks and Snake Alley, the most crooked street in the country. While it is no longer a vibrant port city, Burlington’s riverside location has made it a regional hub for outdoor recreation.

Although the housing market in Burlington is not as hot as elsewhere in the country with an Altos Research Market Action Index score of 39, the city has seen a slight uptick in the 90-day average median list price over the past three years. In early March 2020, the median list price was $123,044, but it hit an all-time high of $150,525 in early August 2023.

Despite the housing market being cooler in Burlington than in other cities, Jon Salvador, a local Century 21 agent, says the city is facing many of the same challenges as other markets. “You are seeing a glut of buyers and a lack of listings,” Salvador said. “So, we have a lot of multiple offer situations and a lot of people vying for the top spot. The last four deals have been multiple offers and they have ended up going over asking price. Now, this is little Burlington, Iowa — you see that kind of stuff on the East and West coasts, but to see it reflected in our own market, it is kind of exciting and kind of energizing.”

$1 BILLION 2023 YEAR-TO-DATE LOAN ORIGINATIONS

Easy Street Capital’s Milestone Acheivement Easy Street Capital has firmly established itself as the premier hard money lender, surpassing $1 Billion in 2023 year-to-date loan originations. Easy Street Capital has consistently delivered innovative and flexible lending solutions and provides efficient options that bridge the gap between short-term capital needs and long-term financial goals. As a fully discretionary lender, Easy Street Capital has the ability to customize the loan specifically to meet the needs of individual borrowers.

Our Loan Products EasyFix, Easy Street’s fix-and-flip bridge loan program, has garnered the company a reputation for excellence and resulted in the highest percentage of repeat borrowers in the country.

EasyRent, Easy Street’s tailored and industry-leading DSCR loan program, provides long term financing for rental properties, specifically pioneering the Short Term Rental sector.

EasyBuild, Easy Street’s ground-up construction loan program, is designed so that investors get draws on time and ensures that proper support is provided so that projects are completed efficiently.

Need a fix-and-flip or ground up construction loan? Scan here to get pre-qualified.

Need a DSCR loan? Scan here to get pre-qualified.

Want to learn more? Visit us at www.easystreetcap.com

COMMENTARY

20 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

I

mproving housing affordability

By Gary Acosta

The median price of a home in America is rapidly becoming out of reach for most first-time homebuyers. This is especially true for minority families who on average have less wealth than non-minority families. Like most things in our economy, home prices are influenced LAUNCH A GOVERNMENT-FUNDED AFFORDABLE by supply and demand principles.

HOUSING AWARENESS CAMPAIGN An abundance of housing supply Home equity is the primary source of wealth for most will diminish home prices while a Americans. So of course, all homeowners want the value shortage of homes available for sale of their property to be stable and even increase over time. will escalate prices. It is fair to say This dynamic is the reason homeowners often want their that the current shortage of housing politicians to suppress the building of new housing in their “Zoning laws today supply is at crisis levels, which is the neighborhoods. While most people believe that everyone primary reason home prices have deserves a decent place in which to live, many homeowners can still result in soared in recent years. It’s basic simply don’t want people of lesser affluence living in segregation of math, but how we got to this point is their neighborhoods. This is referred to as NIMBYism, an communities by more complex. acronym for the phrase “Not In My BackYard.” But much of affluence. Housing Residential zoning laws are NIMBYism is rooted in ignorance. Elected officials establish affordability, designed to promote orderly zoning and land use policies, and if those policies are going which is a factor of development, control traffic flow, and to become less restrictive, homeowners are going to have housing supply, is ensure that noise and activity levels to embrace the idea of increasing the amount of affordable the most significant are appropriate to each specific housing. This will only happen if homeowners believe that barrier to minority neighborhood. That’s all good, but an influx of affordable housing won’t negatively impact their homeownership...” they also exist to keep property property values, but will make their communities stronger. values high and to constrain growth, Data shows that affordable housing improves communities in part by establishing minimum lot by expanding a healthy workforce and increasing tax sizes and limiting density. Decades revenues, which can be used to improve local infrastructure. ago, zoning laws were used to legally A national awareness campaign regarding the virtues of segregate local communities based increasing affordable housing is necessary to break the on race. The Fair Housing Act made slow-growth or no-growth mindset that most American the explicit segregation of communities by race homeowners possess. illegal.

However, zoning laws today can still result REFORM ZONING AND LAND USE POLICIES in the segregation of communities by affluence.

Zoning laws across the country need to become less restrictive Housing affordability, which is a factor of and allow for greater density. Smaller lot sizes mean more housing supply, is the most significant barrier units can be built, and legalizing accessory dwelling units to minority homeownership, and no issue is a (ADUs) makes more efficient use of already-existing homes. greater deterrent to increasing housing supply Multigenerational families are more common among Hispanic than restrictive zoning laws. and other minority communities. Homes with ADUs can be a perfect option for multigenerational families to pool their money

OCT/NOV 2023

COMMENTARY

REFORM IMMIGRATION POLICIES TO ADDRESS LABOR SHORTAGES Along with regulatory expenses, the price of land, lumber, and labor are the biggest factors associated with the overall cost of building more housing. The cost of labor has skyrocketed in recent years, driven by shortages in the construction workforce. More than 30 percent of the three million construction workers in America are immigrants, and in Texas, California, and Florida it’s closer to 60 percent.

The National Association of Home Builders has been advocating for reforms in our immigration policies that “... allows employers to recruit legal immigrant workers when there is a shortage of domestic workers”. There are more than 11 million unfilled jobs in America today. The nation’s growing labor shortages are slowing economic growth, contributing to inflation, rising interest rates, and a shortage of housing supply.

REQUIRE GOVERNMENT-OWNED HOMES TO BE SOLD TO NON-PROFITS OR OWNERS WHO WILL LIVE IN THEM Foreclosures have been low in recent years, but in downcycles, foreclosed real estate owned by the federal government has been a more substantial percentage of the overall market. Currently, more than 80 percent of the mortgage market is government-controlled, which means in the next down cycle there will be many more homes owned by the government. These homes are far too often sold to investors who can pay cash and close quickly, but the unintended consequence of this is a lower national homeownership rate.

During the Great Recession, nearly six million homes were lost to foreclosure. During that time the national homeownership rate dropped nearly six percentage points. Government-owned homes are an excellent opportunity for first-time homebuyers, and an important chance to improve minority homeownership in particular. The government should sell homes exclusively to people and families who will live in them and should sell homes in need of repair to non-profits, who will rehab them and in turn sell them to owner-occupants.

REDUCE OR ELIMINATE CAPITAL GAINS TAXES WHEN HOMES ARE SOLD TO OWNER-OCCUPANTS An idea that has been floating around housing circles is based on the theory that there are millions of would-be sellers of existing homes who, because of capital gains taxes, simply cannot afford to sell their homes. Older homeowners may not need as large a home as they once did. Empty nesters, who would be better off living in smaller dwellings or retirement communities, face huge tax bills if they sell their homes that are probably worth six times what they paid for them 40 or more years ago. Eliminating capital gains taxes for sellers who sell their home to an owner-occupant could add a few million homes available for new homeowners over the next two decades.

Housing affordability won’t improve on its own, and unfortunately, there is no single lever or policy that can solve the problem altogether. It is going to require a concerted effort by a legion of stakeholders and policymakers at the local and national levels to make it happen. It won’t be easy, but it is imperative if we want our country to be a nation of stakeholders who are vested in the well-being of our communities and our nation.

Gary Acosta is the co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals.

OCT/NOV 2023

21 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

to purchase a home. California recently passed SB 9: The California HOME Act, which makes it much easier for existing homeowners to build a second unit or an ADU on their property.

Even when zoning allows for more affordable housing, homebuilders complain about the time it takes to get new projects approved. In many communities, local planning commissions and boards can reject proposed projects even if they meet zoning requirements. Streamlining the permitting process can significantly increase the supply of affordable housing.

22 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Honoring the housing industry experts

OCT/NOV 2023

Margy Grant Dustin Gray

James O’Bryon Laura O’Connor

Pavan Agarwal Jeff Allen

Julian Grey David Hall

Steve Ozonian Sheryl Palmer

Santhosh Ananthakrishnan Luke Babich

Hoby Hanna Josh Harley

Brian Pannell Sajag Patel

Nick Bailey Rob Barber

Jennifer Hedgepeth Chris Heller

Ryan Peterson Tamir Poleg

Cerita Battles Joshua Bishop

H. Marc Helm Greg Holmes

Robert Reffkin Joseph Restivo

Gino Blefari Brad Bonney

Mat Ishbia Steve Jacobson

Bill Rogers Scot Rose

Nicole Booth Timothy Bowler

Lee Jelenic Kurt Johnson

Michael Sachdev Sam Sawyer

Laura Brandao Christina Brown

Ruth Johnson Jimmy Kelly

Chris Sears Baron Silverstein

Brett Brumley Bob Caruso

Adam Kessler Jarred Kessler

Joe Skousen David Smith

Wendell Chambliss Sherry Chris

Bernadette Kogler Karen Kreutziger

Richard Steinberg Katie Sweeney

Tom Cronkright Joe Cutrona

Varun Krishna Kamini Lane

Steve Thompson Abbie Tidmore

Rutul Davé Uday Devalla

Ronald Leonhardt Jr. Suzy Lindblom

Michael Valdes Aaron VanTrojen

Ross Diedrich Patrick Dodd

David Lykken Ben Madick

Dale Vermillion Daniel Walters

Michael Dubeck Dan Duffy

Frank Martell Phil McCall

Cristy Ward Brian Webster

Rene Galicia Venkatesh Ganapathy

Michael Middleman Gene Millman

Joe Welu Charles Williams

Nima Ghamsari Mewael Ghebremichael

Erik Richard Morin Maria Moskver

John Wines Sue Yannaccone

Randell Gillespie Bob Goldberg

Steve Murray Patrick O’Brien

OCT/NOV 2023

23 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

David Aach Jason Abrams

Leadi ng th rou g h trials

In its 9th year, the HousingWire Vanguards award offers a definitive list of the top leaders in housing who are shaping the housing economy for the better. The forward-thinkers and trailblazers who are shaping the industry through their unwavering commitment, transformative ideas and steadfast dedication to driving growth and positive change. This year, 100 honorees were selected for their outstanding leadership in the midst of market volatility.

With more than 25 years of mortgage industry experience, CRO Greg Holmes’ forward-thinking mindset and adaptability have helped Xactus successfully navigate the down market – emerging as a leading organization that is growing and increasing its market share. In fact, the company’s revenue is outpacing the market by 15% thanks to Holmes’ exceptional leadership skills in fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance.

By providing clear guidance, setting ambitious yet achievable goals, and empowering team members, Holmes has created a motivated workforce that consistently delivers exceptional results.

Milestones CEO Dustin Gray started his career in real estate technology in 1996 as a high school student.

He apprenticed at a local commercial real estate brokerage as a sales agent for five years during college, then went on to earn his CCIM designation.This background led to the founding of Milestones, a comprehensive homeownership platform to modernize the real estate experience in a way that makes it more profitable for professionals and more seamless for consumers.

Ruth Johnson owned a thriving Coldwell Banker franchise in Minnesota when 9/11 happened and was imme-

diately inspired to find a way that her business could contribute to the betterment of those in her community.

Johnson founded Homes for Heroes, a company that helps heroes buy or sell a home and earn money in the process. In the 22 years since its inception, Homes for Heroes has built a nationwide network of more than 4,500 affiliates who work to help their local heroes – including firefighters, first responders, law enforcement,

24 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

military, health care professionals and teachers – by helping them buy or sell a home and earn money in the process.

Congratulations to the 2023 Vanguards winners as we celebrate their profound influence and eagerly anticipate their continued impact on housing.

OCT/NOV 2023

Jason Abrams

Chief Operating Officer

Head of Industry and Learning

Blue Sage Solutions

Keller Williams

Over the past three years, David Aach has helped Blue Sage Solutions gain marketwide recognition as the leading end-toend, cloud-based mortgage technology solution. He oversaw massive growth, including a 100% increase in client installations of the Blue Sage Digital Lending Platform and a tripling of the company’s employee headcount. During the past 12 months in particular, he directed a shift toward serving mid-market lenders, credit unions and banks struggling amid challenging market conditions. Aach helped them quickly thrive and lower costs by streamlining implementations of Blue Sage’s technology. Aach has played an instrumental role in the launch of new standalone products, including LION, Blue Sage’s point-of-sale technology, and its document management solutions, in addition to other integrations and enhancements of Blue Sage’s comprehensive Digital Lending Platform for all channels of business. As chief operating officer, Aach led the development of the organization’s operational excellence, financial reporting and industry partnerships. Aach also oversaw the creation and implementation of the company’s HR process, including training programs to ensure the company meets all legal and regulatory requirements. Over the past year in particular, Aach leveraged several strategic hires to help guide Blue Sage’s transition from a de-centralized delivery model to one based on agile principles and effective program management, quality and an enhancement in the company’s ability to produce roadmaps and release schedules for new products.

Jason Abrams serves as the head of industry and learning at Keller Williams. Abrams brings more than 20 years of experience in real estate to his current role, previously serving as an operating principal, team leader, KW Mega Achievement Productivity Systems (MAPS) leadership coach and a founding board member of the nonprofit KW Kids Can. Abrams is the co-founder of Metrix Coaching and Training, which is the industry’s leading digital training company, with an exclusive focus on team building via technological strategies and tactics that keep real estate agents and consumers at the center of the transaction. To continue to fuel disruptive growth at Keller Williams, Abrams joined KW President Marc King each week in 2022 and 2023 on a companywide, growth-themed webinar to speak to leaders of more than 800 KW franchisees. They discussed the dynamically shifting market of the moment and growth opportunities. At KW and industry conferences, Abrams leads business leadership conversations on how agents can use KW models and systems, training, coaching and market-of-themoment-based best practices to continue to grow a business.

Abrams is also the primary host of a new Keller Williamspowered YouTube and playbook-based real estate business series. The video training series is based on KW’s brand tagline, “Where Entrepreneurs Thrive.” The ongoing series continues to feature interviews with top agents and business leaders across the U.S. The series shares best practices for real estate businesses to thrive in any market.

25 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

David Aach

OCT/NOV 2023

Jeff Allen

CEO

President

Celligence and Sun West Mortgage Company

CubiCasa

As CEO at Celligence and Sun West Mortgage Company, Pavan Agarwal is a renowned leader in the mortgage lending industry and a pioneer in bringing artificial intelligence (AI) to the financial markets. Agarwal built the first mortgage-focused AI development firm and one of the nation’s largest, longest-serving, privately held mortgage companies that has an all-minority board with a majority of women (3-1). Agarwal takes a casual, honest approach in discussing real-world economics and why the financial industry is reluctant to change due to fear of regulatory complexity. Agarwal’s vast experience and expertise make him a recognized Ginnie Mae MBS issuer, servicer and master servicer, with agency approvals from FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition, Agarwal’s engineering education gave him the foundation to create dozens of patents in his name and achieve expertise in AI, blockchain and other advanced technologies. He founded Celligence after experiencing the long and arduous homebuying process, and he focused on creating tech solutions to revolutionize the experience and process. He leads the organization servicing a multibillion-dollar loan portfolio.

Agarwal’s belief that everyone should have the opportunity to apply and be approved for a home loan comes through in both his demeanor and actions. He continues investing in transformative technology to serve all members of our community, from his personal mission to invest and correct the limited financial services available to adults living with autism, to his recent elimination of all standard loan processing fees charged to mortgage brokers.

As president of CubiCasa, Jeff Allen is leading the company’s dramatic expansion as they make accelerated progress toward their mission of a floor plan for every listing in the country. In the last six months, CubiCasa has launched a growing new MLS Partnership program that already has 25 organizations signed up and launched an immersive and powerful new 3D Product set that elevates property listing marketing. The company is moving with focus and big ambitions under Allen’s leadership. In the past 12 months, Allen presented on the need for MLSs to increase coverage of standardized property data at the RESO Spring 2023 conference and presented at the NAR annual conference on appraisal modernization in November 2022. In May 2023, Allen launched the CubiCasa Preferred Photographer program for photographers who want to include a floor plan on every shoot they perform. As a leader, Allen helps keep CubiCasa focused on big swings that move the needle forward for their mission by removing distractions and building a team focused on speed of execution above all else. Using this approach, CubiCasa’s market share of real estate listings has tripled in the last 12 months, and the percentage number of listings they touch now is estimated to exceed 12%. Along the way, they’ve hit record highs for new user signups as more and more agents and photographers identify that CubiCasa is the easiest way to create a more enhanced package for real estate listings.

26 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Pavan Agarwal

OCT/NOV 2023

Santhosh Ananthakrishnan

Luke Babich CEO and Co-Founder

Global Head of Mortgage Practice

Clever Real Estate

Tata Consultancy Services

Because of Luke Babich’s leadership as co-founder and CEO, Clever is a success story in an industry facing remarkable headwinds. Clever launched a major new brand, several new consumer products and become profitable in tough market conditions. Babich manages the company closely to its manifesto — to help people achieve their real estate goals and to connect them with the most trustworthy advice for every step of their real estate journey. In 2017, Babich founded Clever and grew it into a company selling over $4 billion per year in real estate.

To date, Clever has matched more than 95,000 customers with agents and saved them more than $160 million in real estate fees. It currently has a network of 19,000 partner agents in all 50 states. In 2022, Clever launched its partnerships initiative, a new solution for mortgage lenders to grow their businesses. The Clever Pro business line has grown 700% year over year. Over the last nine months, through the toughest real estate market of the last 50 years, Clever achieved profitability in May 2023 and achieved three consecutive months of record revenue.

27 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Santhosh Ananthakrishnan leads Tata Consultancy Services’s (TCS) large, dedicated, full-spectrum mortgage unit, globally.

He is responsible for setting the vision and formulating strategies to align the firm’s capabilities with the mortgage market needs, making invaluable contributions to mortgage industry customers worldwide. Ananthakrishnan has more than 25 years of professional experience and is currently the global head of TCS’s mortgage practice which serves more than 50 customers worldwide. Before this role, Ananthakrishnan headed TCS’s mortgage practice for North America. Prior to TCS, he held many leadership positions at Freddie Mac in technology, product development and strategy development. Ananthakrishnan has been instrumental in driving digital transformation for many customers. He has formulated the vision and provided leadership to develop many of TCS’s modern, digital solutions which tackle some of the hardest industry problems. He is a consummate consultant and a highly sought-after thought leader.

Ananthakrishnan is a passionate advocate for home ownership and sustainability, and he routinely mentors new borrowers and high school students. In his tenure at TCS, Ananthakrishnan has acquired many top customer logos for TCS and closed multiple large deals, led the organization to leadership positions with industry analysts and expanded business to new areas in Latin America and Europe. Ananthakrishnan championed the development of innovative digital solutions, used by many large lenders in the U.S. and many top banks in Canada, UK and India.

OCT/NOV 2023

Rob Barber

President and CEO

CEO

RE/MAX

ATTOM

As President and CEO of RE/MAX, Nick Bailey leads all aspects the brand and business, globally. A RE/MAX World Headquarters vice president at just 28 years of age, Bailey’s career consists of numerous elevated successes in corporate, entrepreneurial and consulting environments. Today, he drives the growth of the worldwide network and oversees the development and delivery of RE/MAX, LLC support services to franchisees and affiliates. Bailey sets the vision for the brand and leads the alignment of resources throughout the RE/MAX operation — prioritizing innovation and modernization in virtually every area. He also addresses the membership, leads a staff in the U.S. and Canada and represents the brand through frequent media interviews and industry events. Bailey had a successful 12-year career within the RE/MAX regional services before departing in 2012 for other leadership opportunities in the real estate industry. He rejoined RE/MAX as chief customer officer in September 2019 and was named president in 2021. In January 2022, he was named president and CEO of RE/MAX. Bailey has become a go-to resource for market and regional turnarounds and franchise startups, having built and managed diverse teams, developed hundreds of multi-site franchises and jumpstarted best practice initiatives with audiences of 5,000+ over the course of his career. He has been a revenue-generating operations leader who increases margins while mitigating the impact of economic change.

As CEO of ATTOM, Rob Barber directs the enterprise, data and product strategy, as well as customer service, acquisition and corporate management teams, for the premium property data provider. Barber also leads the company’s mergers and acquisitions strategy, which continues to further expansion initiatives and demonstrates a keen ability to innovate with advancements in technology and new data delivery solutions. A more than 30-year veteran in the real estate information services industry, Barber leads the ongoing curation of the nation’s premier property database and product innovation that leverages the company’s data warehouse and data delivery platforms.

Through developments like the ever-expanding ATTOM Table of Data Elements, various analytics-driven tools and new data delivery solutions, Barber continues to maintain the company’s focus not only on its investment in data elements but also its commitment to investing in people elements. Guided by Barber, the key components of ATTOM’s mission – increasing real estate transparency, powering innovation and investing in data and people – continue to drive the company’s strategic vision, rapid growth and data expansion initiatives. Barber’s true passion for property data guides the ATTOM team of forward-thinking experts, dedicated to ensuring ATTOM’s key stakeholders achieve success through a culture of integrity and excellence, in a positive and collaborative environment. Under Barber’s leadership, ATTOM’s advanced technology developments and partnerships attained through mergers and acquisitions have demonstrated the company’s commitment to being the one source its customers need for real estate data solutions that impact decisions, innovation and profits. Thanks to Barber, ATTOM completed strategic initiatives to bring more comprehensive real estate data to the marketplace and provide new data delivery solutions.

28 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Nick Bailey

OCT/NOV 2023

Cerita Battles

Joshua Bishop

Managing Director, Head of Community and Affordable Lending

Chief Operating Officer of Servicing Newrez

Chase Home Lending

Joshua Bishop has over 15 years of extensive operations and compliance experience in consumer finance and mortgage servicing. Bishop currently serves as chief operating officer of servicing at Newrez. In this role, Bishop has changed the course of how servicing has grown to be what it is today. Bishop’s handson leadership style and continued focus on improving the customer experience have helped set him apart in the industry. He consistently uses a strategic and innovative approach to solve problems or simply find a better way to accomplish tasks and goals. He continuously looks for new tools and processes to make projects more efficient, a recent example being the implementation of a department request tracker for our servicing division that balances projects, eliminates multiple email requests and allows tracking of all inter-departmental requests.

He strives to build a valuable community environment in the workplace. He leads by example by staying involved not only within the company but also in the community. He has a handson approach with community and charitable events, joining employees in constructing a Habitat for Humanity build in Heritage Hills in Nicholtown, S.C., and walking alongside a team from the Greenville office to help raise money for March of Dimes.

He’s also been heavily involved in the Toys for Tots and Autism Awareness initiatives. Bishop is the executive sponsor for the BOLD Employee Resource Group at Newrez. BOLD is a group that empowers and drives change for people of color by cultivating an inclusive and uplifting environment that stimulates professional growth through mentorship, professional development and community engagement.

29 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Cerita Battles is an inspirational leader with 34 years of experience in the financial industry and 26 years specifically dedicated to the mortgage industry. She created a career path that enables her to pursue her passions, like helping communities of color and low-to-moderate income communities attain and sustain homeownership. She understands that homeownership is one of the biggest determinants of wealth creation and financial stability in our economy, and she uses her position to build strategies, products, programs and governance processes to create industry and leadership visibility and awareness of the barriers that exist on the path to homeownership. Battles has a gift for speaking and a passion for serving others. The work she does as head of community and affordable lending truly defines her purpose. She is committed to identifying and implementing strategic solutions to help close the homeownership gap, specifically within Black and Hispanic communities across the full income spectrum. Through this impactful work, Chase is in a position to make a difference in the lives of their customers and communities that have traditionally been underserved, and this commitment is clear from leadership down. A respected leader and pillar within the mortgage industry, Battles represents Chase on several boards and collaboratives, including 2022 Chairwoman of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, MBA Affordable Housing and DEI Councils, OCC Project Reach, Ability Housing, Inc. and a host of others.

OCT/NOV 2023

Brad Bonney

CEO

Vice President of Operations

HomeServices of America

Opendoor

Gino Blefari is president and CEO of HomeServices of America, one of the country’s premier providers of homeownership services. He came to his position from HomeServices of America subsidiary HSF Affiliates LLC – operator of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices global real estate franchise network – where he retains the position of chairman. The company’s influence is enormous in size and scope, represented by nearly 50,000 real estate professionals at 1,500 offices in the U.S. and a dozen other countries. Blefari joined the HomeServices of America family from Silicon Valley, California-based Intero Real Estate Services, which he founded in 2002 and through mid-2014 served as its president and CEO. Under Blefari’s direction, Intero became one of the fastest organically growing companies in the history of real estate. This year, Blefari received the top slot on the Swanepoel Power 200 list — a definitive ranking of the industry’s top leaders. Blefari launched his real estate career in the early 1980s and was an award-winning agent, manager and broker/owner.

Brad Bonney is the vice president of operations at Opendoor.

He is a steadfast leader and motivator who has spent his career building diverse teams, achieving operational excellence across multiple industries and empowering colleagues to reach their fullest potential. His leadership skills and operational expertise are a culmination of serving others. Bonney’s mission-oriented mentality drove him to the real estate industry with a desire to make home ownership easier and more certain for everyone, no matter their economic or geographic standings. While serving as a Navy Officer, Bonney adopted and grounded his leadership method through the tenet of “decentralized command,” which allows individuals the space to learn and grow in their roles and environment with minimal oversight. He encourages his managers to align on purpose and vision and then gives them the ability to create the strategies and tactics they need to succeed. Using data, communication feedback loops and flexible operating environments, Bonney empowers his teams to make decisions based on qualitative and quantitative information.

Today, Bonney implemented his decentralized command method with his global operations team of over 500 people. Led by Bonney, these teams orchestrated the overhaul of Opendoor’s assessment process, making it virtual instead of in-person which resulted in a significant reduction in cost structure for the business. Through clarity of purpose, clarity of outcomes and clarity of vision he held his teams accountable to deliver operational excellence.

30 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Gino Blefari

OCT/NOV 2023

Nicole Booth

Timothy Bowler

Chief Executive Officer

President

Synergos Strategy

ICE Mortgage Technology

Nicole Booth is a respected housing tech expert and executive leader with a background in business strategy, public policy,and regulatory affairs spanning nearly two decades. She is the CEO of Synergos Strategy.

Timothy Bowler became president at ICE Mortgage Technology, a business segment within ICE, at the beginning of 2023. As a long-time leader in the housing and home finance space, Bowler has a history of spearheading critical projects that focus on ensuring the home finance system is helping people and their families have a better life. In his current role, he is leading the ICE Mortgage Technology team to deliver industry-changing innovation for customers so they can better navigate market changes and help borrowers achieve the dream of homeownership. Bowler’s career shows his passion for improving the home finance system. Prior to joining ICE Mortgage Technology, he held a number of roles that have helped shape the housing industry. Bowler helped banks, finance companies and even the GSEs navigate the Great Financial Crisis and its aftershocks in the late 2000s. Through that work, he collaborated with the U.S. Treasury so frequently that they asked him to leave the private sector and join their team to serve the taxpayers. During his time at the treasury, he managed large, challenging assignments, including overseeing the nation’s investments in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, coordinating new rules for the securitization markets, working to establish refinancing programs for borrowers with little to no equity in their homes (HARP) and restructuring the TARP housing program. In his current role, Bowler has dedicated himself to helping create a better mortgage manufacturing process so lenders can be more successful and better support their borrowers. Everything he does focuses on gaining a better understanding of his customers’ needs.

Booth previously served as executive vice president of public affairs at Notarize, where she built the start-up’s public affairs team and led efforts on digital transformation. Prior to her time at Notarize, Booth was vice president of public policy at the Rocket Family of Companies, aiding and overseeing the company’s public policy planning and advocacy agenda and building the company’s first-ever state government affairs team. She also spent time at QC Ally, a tech-enabled loan quality and audit services company, as the company’s chief executive officer and chief marketing officer.

31 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Booth proudly serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) MORPAC Steering Committee and supports mPower. In 2023, she was awarded the MBA Burton C. Wood Legislative Service Award in recognition of her service to the association and the real estate finance industry.

OCT/NOV 2023

Christina Brown

Chief Strategy Officer and Partner

Chief Operations Officer

Equity Prime Mortgage

Atlantic Bay Mortgage

Laura Brandao has made significant contributions to the mortgage business in impactful and positive ways for over 20 years by championing the values of diversity, inclusivity and equality for all. She has consistently provided a powerful example of leadership and work ethic. Brandao’s energy, compassion and positive mindset are wellknown and respected across the mortgage industry. Brandao is currently the chief strategy officer and a partner at Equity Prime Mortgage (EPM). Her vision for the company is laser-focused on empowering clients with knowledge, opportunities and the educational tools they need to navigate the mortgage process with ease and clarity. In her prior role as the president and partner at American Financial Resources (AFR) for 15 years, Brandao led that company, and the entire industry, in developing unique products to support the ever-changing demands of the housing market. Brandao has been a consistent voice for new product development as well as placing technology at the forefront of the mortgage process. During her tenure at AFR, Brandao led the charge for accessible support through technological innovation. Brandao is committed to the cause of promoting and supporting women in the mortgage industry through encouragement, education and providing opportunities for women to grow and succeed in their careers. She is the chair of the Women with Vision and National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America’s Visionary program, a board member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of New Jersey, the chair of the MBANJ Women’s committee, the co-chair of the MBA’s IMB network and an executive coach with Vision 20/20 Vision for Success Coaching, among several other roles in the industry.

Christina Brown is the chief operations officer at Atlantic Bay Mortgage. She is involved in multiple committees, peer groups and platforms. Brown has successfully led her company through some of the most difficult times her industry has ever faced. On top of her unwavering dedication to her company, she is also fully committed to helping the industry during these times, by serving in many different capacities. As a 26-year veteran in this industry, Brown has only been serving in a leadership role for seven years and has worked in almost every position in lending. Brown is a certified mortgage banker, accredited mortgage professional and a certified residential underwriter. In the last 12 months, Brown has gone above and beyond for her organization. Her curiosity and passion for knowledge have been valuable during a challenging time in lending. Never afraid to ask hard questions, Brown is known to reach out to the best in the industry to ask for help or guidance. Leading a team of 200 employees, Brown’s fearlessness and passion are her greatest strengths, particularly in a time when the industry is experiencing unchartered waters. Thanks to Brown and the executive team, ABMG was honored as the best large mortgage company to work for in 2022.

32 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Laura Brandao

OCT/NOV 2023

Bob Caruso

Founder and CEO

CEO

Lender Toolkit

ServiceMac

Brett Brumley is the founder and CEO of Lender Toolkit. Long before AI became the topic de jour in the mortgage industry, Brumley had conceived and built a company that seamlessly integrates AI into the underwriting process to help lenders save time and money. Brumley has created tools for effortlessly automating and streamlining many mortgage tasks from origination to underwriting to the secondary market, including AI Underwriter, which delivers one-touch loan decisions by enabling lenders to customize, automate and apply underwriting conditions in 90 seconds or less. Through a partnership with the industry’s leading loan origination system, the company develops technology to automate mortgage processes and creates an enhanced user experience to drive efficiencies and increase profitability for lender clients. Brumley’s deep understanding of the industry and his curiosity and passion for mortgage technology have been the driving force behind Lender Toolkit’s outstanding success. The organization has doubled in size since Brumley founded the company seven years ago. Lender Toolkit now works with hundreds of lenders of all sizes — including many of the top 50 lenders in the country — representing more than $45 billion in loan volume. During the past 12 months in particular, Brumley’s leadership has led to the creation of cutting-edge tools, including AI Underwriter and Prism, that automate mortgage processes, streamline operations and enhance user experiences far beyond competing solutions. Under his guidance, the company has also achieved significant milestones, including the formation of a strategic partnership with the industry’s top loan origination system.

Through his unwavering drive to continually push the mortgage servicing industry forward, CEO Bob Caruso has left an indelible mark on the broader mortgage industry. Most recently, at the helm of the innovative mortgage sub-servicer, ServiceMac, Caruso has implemented his vision for leveraging data, automated rules and highly trained staff to partner with borrowers and provide personalized service that helps minimize lender risk. ServiceMac’s rapid growth and success have spurred greater investment in and adoption of advanced technologies by servicers across the industry, leading to more servicers managing portfolios more efficiently, accurately and cost-effectively than ever before. Over the span of his career, Caruso has worked for three of the largest banks in the mortgage industry as well as leading national title insurance providers. Now at the helm of ServiceMac, a mortgage sub-servicer that he helped launch in 2017 and was acquired by First American in 2021, Caruso continues to push the industry to new and greater standards of excellence. From the company’s inception, Caruso understood that data and automated analytic tools have the potential to significantly improve mortgage servicer efficiency by providing real-time insights into borrower behavior, payment patterns and other vital indicators. Under Caruso’s leadership, ServiceMac created a highly experienced team whose sole focus is to analyze portfolio data and identify trends quickly, which helps enhance compliance and addresses anomalies before they impact the overall risk of the portfolio. Through his constant focus on efficiency and effectiveness, Caruso challenges all servicers to raise the quality of their programs.

33 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Brett Brumley

OCT/NOV 2023

Wendell Chambliss

Sherry Chris

Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Executive Advisor Anywhere Real Estate

Freddie Mac

With more than 40 years of experience, Sherry Chris has played an integral role in shaping the evolution of the real estate industry from her pioneering use of social media, her focus on relationship building at every level and her authentic brand of mentorship. In her dual roles as president and CEO of both Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and ERA Real Estate, she has tirelessly worked to uniquely position these brands and play to their respective strengths to foster growth. Chris has consistently generated momentum by welcoming new companies looking to generate new business opportunities by standing out and excelling in their local markets. Following her recent retirement from brand leadership, Chris was appointed executive advisor for Anywhere Brands, supporting the company’s value to its growing network of affiliated broker/owners and serving as a respected voice in the industry. Throughout her career, she has strived to do things differently and takes great pride in encouraging everyone to raise the bar for the entire real estate industry. In August 2022, she received the Nate Ellis Award, which honors an individual or organization that gives more than they take from the real estate industry. Chris championed the introduction of women’s leadership development programs for both brands. She led ERA Real Estate’s Hera Society, focused on strengthening both the individual and collective impact women real estate leaders have on the network, in the industry and in the communities they serve. She also supported Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s Sphere, a female-led mentorship program to cultivate future community leaders.

34 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

From Capitol Hill to private law practice, and now 25 years at Freddie Mac, Wendell Chambliss has been a champion for housing equity and affordability. Given his experience, when Freddie Mac created a standalone diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) division, Chambliss was uniquely positioned to lead the company’s DEI program and initiatives as senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer. In his role, Chambliss has oversight of workforce diversity, engagement and outreach, supplier diversity and use of minority businesses, including those owned by women and the disabled. He leads a team that works across the company to attract, engage and develop employees, suppliers and business partners in support of DEI. Prior to joining Freddie Mac in 1999, Chambliss was in private practice and worked on Capitol Hill as a staff member in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Chambliss is actively involved in Freddie Mac’s community volunteerism events, including school playground cleanups, Habitat for Humanity builds and more. He also spends time speaking to future leaders and supporting the professional development of others. Most recently, he gave a keynote address for the Freddie Mac Rising Leaders’ Annual Leadership Summit on “Making the Case for Sponsorship,’’ spoke with interns at HomeFree’s Center for Financial Advancement and spoke at the match day for interns at the University of Alabama – Birmingham.

OCT/NOV 2023

Joe Cutrona

Executive Chairman and Co-Founder

Chief Business Officer

CertifID

Auction.com

Tom Cronkright is one of the most active voices in the title industry on all things wire fraud and cyber security. When his agency Sun Title was hit by wire fraud several years ago, he didn’t just fight to get that money back, he worked to build technology-based solutions that could prevent this from happening to others in the industry. Later, this passion project became the company CertifID. CertifID has become a leading provider of wire fraud protection software, insurance and services to hundreds of title agencies and real estate firms. Last year, the technology identified over $1 billion in suspected fraud for customers. The company also launched a new solution to protect mortgage payoff transactions, the leading source of fraud loss to the industry. That product, PayoffProtect, has protected billions in transactions and prevented over $20 million in confirmed fraud cases. Cronkright also serves on the Cyber Security committee of the industry’s main national advocacy organization, American Land Title Association (ALTA). Through that committee’s work, ALTA issued new Best Practices last year to ensure stronger cybersecurity for their member organizations such as the use of wire verification services. Cronkright knows that well-informed people provide the most important layer of protection to any organization. He has personally trained approximately 5,000+ real estate, legal and title professionals and leaders over the past year through sessions at underwriter and industry events. When he saw the rise in seller impersonation involving vacant properties — he worked with the U.S. Secret Service to issue an advisory that raised the awareness of the entire industry to an emerging threat.

By focusing on enhancing client engagement and driving growth, Joe Cutrona, Auction.com’s transformative chief business officer, is reshaping his division and achieving outstanding results in just a relatively short amount of time. His exceptional leadership has united the team, instilled a culture of trust and propelled client satisfaction, solidifying Auction.com’s position as a trusted partner. Cutrona has a proven track record of recent successes including winning new business and partners, securing partnerships with prominent banking institutions, launching innovative products and a rare combination of industry knowledge. One critical achievement has been implementing structured processes, rigorous controls and heightened accountability. His dedication to excellence has instilled renewed engagement among team members, elevating our performance. Cutrona’s exceptional leadership style has left an indelible mark on the organization as his leadership approach centers on building high-performing teams, ensuring that each individual is in the proper role or providing opportunities to enhance their skills. By fostering strong relationships and creating a culture of trust and camaraderie, Cutrona has united his team, enabling them to deliver results to partners that exceed their expectations. Cutrona’s vast accomplishments extend beyond his tenure at Auction.com. Within the last year, he has consistently exceeded expectations, winning major RFPs, securing partnerships with prominent banking institutions, launching innovative products and demonstrating the ability to navigate complex market dynamics.

35 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Tom Cronkright

OCT/NOV 2023

Rutul Davé

Uday Devalla

Co-Founder and Chief Transformational Officer

Chief Technology Officer Sagent

Maxwell

As chief technology officer at Sagent, Uday Devalla pushes the industry forward as lead architect of the servicing space’s first and only cloud-native software platform that powers entire performing and non-performing loan servicing lifecycles for servicers, consumers, investors and regulators. An industry stalwart and longtime insider, Devalla has remained at the forefront of every innovation milestone — from building the first automated underwriting system at Countrywide to making the digital mortgage a reality at Blackstone-owned Stearns and top fintech SoFi. Today, Devalla relentlessly drives execution across Sagent’s global, 500+ person technology team. Over the last 12 months, Devalla has remained singularly focused on his servicing customer while accelerating Sagent’s mortgage fintech roadmap and development of the servicing fintech leader’s cloud-native, open-API servicing platforms. Under his leadership, Sagent reached over $2 trillion in outstanding mortgage balances this year. The milestone is a testament to the wider industry’s need for servicing operations excellence aligned with cost control, optionality and real-time policymaking. Over the last year, Devalla led the full integration of over 120 fintech professionals onto the Sagent team as part of the firm’s partnership deal with America’s third largest servicer, Mr. Cooper. Devalla ensures his new team members understand how a unified product and engineering organization can iterate and execute rapidly based on customer feedback, market factors and the introduction of new technologies.

36 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Rutul Davé is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Maxwell. He’s on a mission to serve the small and midsize lenders that originate over 70% of America’s mortgage loans.

Davé spearheads the development of solutions that help lending teams utilize state-of-the-art technology infrastructure that eliminates costs, offsets risk and increases access to more diverse capital, providing a crucial edge in the current economic environment. Davé’s career has spanned over two decades in successful, venture-backed startups and he channels that deep experience into his current role at Maxwell. He leads a team of 25 developers and guides his team to build industry-leading tools and solutions for the over 400 lenders on Maxwell’s platform. His technological innovations empower lenders to combat the current market, helping lending teams close 15% more loans per month 13 days faster, with a 10% reduction in loan resubmissions. Davé spearheads the development of solutions that to date have facilitated over $230 billion in loan volume for over 400 lenders serving more than 720,000 borrowers. The technology created under Davé’s leadership has helped lenders to drive meaningful efficiency and reach untapped markets, creating new opportunities for profitability. In the face of a rapidly changing mortgage market, Davé has worked hard to position Maxwell as a stronger partner to its clients and empowers his team of engineers to think creatively about solving some of the industry’s biggest challenges, from accessibility to affordability. This dedication shows in Maxwell’s own success trajectory.

OCT/NOV 2023

Patrick Dodd

CEO

President and CEO

Covered Insurance

CoreLogic

Ross Diedrich is the co-founder and CEO of Covered Insurance Solutions. Diedrich leads a team of experts developing worldclass insurance software, enabling companies across the fintech, banking, real estate and mortgage to find higher customer satisfaction and retention through a seamless, unbiased insurance marketplace. Showing exceptional leadership and drive, Diedrich has pushed the envelope for industry standards resulting in Covered‘s customers reporting an unmatched NPS of 91 compared to the insurance industry average of 35. This NPS score is a direct result of technology that is simple to use and unbiased agency guidance on coverage from agents who are salaried and evaluated on customer service rather than commission. Diedrich has built an ecosystem of some of the top business partners to deliver this insurance marketplace. This ecosystem includes a fast-growing list of the top players in lending, banking, payroll systems, real estate and more. Diedrich and his team of experts have carved a niche in the embedded insurance industry that clearly differentiates the organization from competitors. In a highly regulated industry, Diedrich understands the importance of adhering to compliance, privacy and security regulations for consumers. With his leadership, Covered has become one of the leading InsurTechs where all operations are U.S.-based and have best-in-class regulatory compliance partner programs with leading infosec procedures.

Patrick Dodd has exhibited exceptional leadership in transforming the housing industry at CoreLogic. He leverages his more than three decades of experience working with data across a number of industries. Under his guidance, CoreLogic has delivered innovative solutions and facilitated key acquisitions and partnerships, helping to drive innovation and reshape the future of the property ecosystem and further establishing CoreLogic as an industry leader. Through acquisitions and partnerships, Dodd has positioned CoreLogic as a comprehensive solutions provider, offering a wide array of services spanning property data, analytics and technology. This integrated approach has proven invaluable to clients, as they can now access a holistic suite of tools to streamline their operations. Dodd was named president and CEO in 2022. Under his guidance, CoreLogic has maintained a people-first focus, prioritizing the needs of clients and staff. His emphasis on fostering strong relationships and understanding pain points has allowed the company to continuously innovate and develop solutions that directly address market challenges. Thanks to Dodd, CoreLogic is undergoing a complete tech-enabled transformation with clients’ needs as the north star, developing industry-leading solutions such as Precision Marketing, Climate Risk Analytics and our Discovery Platform—which are all poised to revolutionize the way the industry uses data. He has also overseen successful acquisitions, partnerships and integrations with other leading companies. Dodd’s forward-thinking, people-first mentality has kept CoreLogic ahead of the curve and helped clients drive business growth, regardless of current economic conditions.

37 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Ross Diedrich

OCT/NOV 2023

Dan Duffy

CEO and President

CEO

Planet Home Lending

United Real Estate Holdings

Michael Dubeck’s strategic vision amidst a complex and changing mortgage market has propelled Planet Home Lending forward in servicing, originations and asset management.

Dubeck’s market insights are drawn from his three decades of industry experience. Dubeck is a nimble and thoughtful leader who has purpose-built a synergistic multichannel company designed to weather all markets. As CEO and president, Dubeck leads with a strategic approach of looking ahead, anticipating changes and preemptively adapting. Over the past year, Dubeck has amassed strategic funding that will enable the company to take advantage of opportunities that arise in today’s dislocated market. Through a series of intelligent and calculated moves, Planet expanded its distributed retail footprint, increased its mortgage servicing portfolio, acquired new subservicing clients and grew the company’s correspondent lending channel.

Amid the complex and evolving mortgage landscape, Michael Dubeck’s innovative strategic direction has guided Planet Financial Group’s stability in servicing, origination and asset management. With 30 years in the industry, including a time spent on Wall Street with giants like First Boston (now known as Credit Suisse) and Morgan Stanley, Dubeck’s market acumen is extensive. Dubeck stands out as a dynamic and reflective leader of a multichannel company adapting to ever-changing market conditions. In the whirlwind of the past year, Planet expanded its retail footprint, grew to be the No. 3 overall correspondent lender, became the fastest-growing non-prime servicer, enhanced its commercial servicing platform, and continues to be a sought-after partner for private client portfolio management.

Dan Duffy is the CEO of United Real Estate Holdings, a real estate services and franchise holding company operating multiple businesses under its “United” trade name. In his role as CEO, Duffy is principally responsible for the establishment and execution of long-term strategies for United operating companies and for attracting and retaining exceptional professionals.

Prior to founding United’s predecessor company Five D Inc., Duffy spent nearly 20 years focused on serving clients in a number of senior executive positions. Most recently he served as the president and CEO of a two-time Microsoft “Global Partner of the Year” and largest global Microsoft Business Solutions partner with over 25 offices on three continents serving 12,000 clients in 48 countries. Prior to his tenure in the technology services and software development market space, Duffy served as the chief development and financial officer for an online business-to-business exchange. He served the auction and brokerage market for industrial equipment. He started his career with Ernst & Young and was a founding member of the Chicago practice of The Center for Strategic Transactions, a division of Ernst & Young LLP, where he provided strategic, merger and acquisition and corporate finance advisory services to Fortune 100 companies as well as high growth technology, product and services organizations across multiple industries.

38 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Michael Dubeck

OCT/NOV 2023

Rene Galicia

Venkatesh Ganapathy

Executive Vice President of Customer Advocacy

CEO

Bright MLS

LiveEasy Venkatesh Ganapathy is driven by his vision to make moving and living in a home easier and more cost-effective. Combining ever-emerging technology with the human touch enables all of the advantages of data, artificial intelligence (AI) and speed.

At every level of the value chain, he designed services to build wealth and reduce expenses to the consumer. In the 10 years since launching LiveEasy, Ganapathy has built his business on a diverse and inclusive culture. He can envision technical innovation long before the masses and combine that with business and financial acumen. He is a gifted leader who embodies strong work ethic with kindness and a desire to help people grow professionally. In the last 12 months, the company has gone from an exclusively founder-led organization to one with a diverse executive team, including significant recruits from around the industry to inform and lead the company into its expanded services and to further enable the impact on the U.S. housing economy. Ganapathy — along with co-founder Niraj Patel — more than doubled the company revenue and employee base, and secured Series A funding. Additionally, the company now serves more than 900 of the leading real estate brokerages in the country, with more than 165,000 end users, as well as growth into the mortgage, MLS and rental industries.

39 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Rene Galicia has a unique and varied industry background, which enables him to effectively collaborate across sectors of the entire real estate industry, benefiting consumers and the industry alike. A trained attorney, his expertise uniquely positions him in the industry at the intersection of policy, product integration and implementation throughout his varied career, Galicia has displayed exemplary leadership, an unwavering commitment to the real estate industry, and an unmistakable impact on the industry at-large. Galicia’s journey in the real estate sector has been marked by transformative contributions, with his most recent role as executive vice president of customer advocacy at Bright MLS, further solidifying his reputation as a visionary thinker and collaborator. In this role, Galicia oversees the customer advocacy group and his team has thrived, providing unmatched support and service to countless real estate professionals. Galicia’s role as the leader of Bright’s policy organization has established the company as a leader in the industry while it seeks to support policies that benefit millions of consumers throughout the mid-Atlantic U.S. Many in the industry look to Bright for leadership in this area, a role that Galicia embraces on behalf of Bright. Before his time at Bright MLS, Galicia held a key position as the director of MLS engagement at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), where he played a pivotal role in managing relationships between NAR and nearly 600 MLSs across the country. His efforts were instrumental in fostering collaboration and unity within the real estate community, leading to advancements in technology, standards and policies that benefited professionals nationwide.

OCT/NOV 2023

Nima Ghamsari Head and Co-Founder

Mewael Ghebremichael

Blend

CEO NRL Mortgage Mewael Ghebremichael brings a unique understanding of all facets of the business, having climbed the ranks from a loan originator to CEO. He has an unwavering belief in the power of homeownership — rooted in the moment his immigrant parents received the keys to their first home. Employing over 400 people with an extended reach of 60+ branches located across 48 states, Ghebremichael has worked to grow NRL Mortgage beyond its humble, local beginnings into a truly national mortgage company. Despite the many ups and downs of the industry, he continues to put people first with a firm foundation in repeatable processes and innovative technology to bring reliability home. When many other mortgage companies were closing their doors, Ghebremichael doubled down on the housing industry and the bright future on the other side of the current storm. Ghebremichael’s commitment to navigating the business through the significant economic challenges over the past 18 months has been instrumental to the future of the organization.

While many IMBs struggled financially in 2022 and 2023, NRL has been able to maintain profitability in 2022 and 2023. Tough decisions have been made to reduce expenses while providing a high-quality customer experience. Efficiency, transparency and relationships are central to how Ghebremichael and his team run the business. In fact, NRL Mortgage consistently achieves some of the fastest turn times in the industry.

40 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Nima Ghamsari is the head and co-founder of Blend, the cloudbased digital banking platform. In 2012, he saw an opportunity to automate and digitize the mortgage lending process from initial application to close. Today, Blend is enabling hundreds of financial providers — from the largest banks to credit unions, and community and independent mortgage banks — to process an average of more than $4 billion in transactions per day. Ghamsari has been instrumental in driving the strategy vision for Blend, guiding the company toward its mission of becoming the leading software infrastructure for all banking products in the world, including an end-to-end digital mortgage solution. Under Nima’s leadership, Blend continues to capture a growing share of the mortgage origination market. Blend’s mortgage banking software processed 23.2% of total market originations in the second half of 2022, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data. Ghamsari is passionate about bringing simplicity, transparency and accessibility to home ownership. He looks for opportunities to increase access and equity in housing and financial services through the company’s product offerings, particularly focusing on features that enable more equitable outcomes for borrowers. Ghamsari prioritizes meeting with customers to better understand their unique pain points and how Blend can meet those needs. He is vigilant about taking a customer-first approach to not just Blend’s product strategy, but every decision made at the organization. It’s why Blend’s first company value pillar is “Long-term Customer Value” and remains the north star for all employees too.

OCT/NOV 2023

Randell Gillespie

Bob Goldberg

Executive Vice President and National Sales Director

CEO National Association of Realtors

Thrive Mortgage

Bob Goldberg, CEO of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), has overseen transformations that have positioned NAR as real estate’s leading figure in the fight for diversity and inclusion. NAR is also the industry’s primary driver of technological innovation and an association lauded for a genuine, unwavering commitment to its members. As part of the responsibility NAR has to more than 1.5 million Realtors worldwide, Goldberg has overseen the formation of a number of initiatives that have influenced the market and proven immensely valuable to NAR’s general membership. Founded under Goldberg’s leadership, NAR’s strategic business innovation and technology group has transformed the industry by launching several widespread real estate technology tools. Some 190 global firms have been scaled through NAR’s growth accelerator, REACH and its investment arm, Second Century Ventures, of which Goldberg serves as president. Together, the two entities played a significant role in helping propel real estate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

41 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Randell Gillespie joined Thrive Mortgage in 2018 and made an immediate and indelible impact on the organization. Gillespie expanded Thrive’s national footprint from 13 to 39 states within months and increased Thrive’s origination volume to record levels. Throughout his storied career, Gillespie has been one of the most connected and well-respected executives in the mortgage industry. His tenure has resulted in Thrive Mortgage becoming a highly respected and influential force in the mortgage industry. After serving in the Marine Corps, Gillespie began a highly successful career as a loan originator. He quickly rose through the ranks to management positions for some of the biggest brands in mortgage banking. Organizational growth has been a hallmark of Gillespie’s leadership at every turn. Since joining Thrive as national sales director, Gillespie has guided the company through extensive periods of growth and many tumultuous industry cycles. Through Gillespie’s leadership, Thrive Mortgage has experienced more than just growth in origination volume and branch locations. Thrive has become a nationally recognized brand through his continued efforts and constant touring to industry conferences, recruiting meetings and leadership development. He invests extensive time and energy into those under his charge, continually challenging them to grow and empowering them to direct their divisions effectively. His leadership style is one of empowerment, encouragement and humility. Gillespie’s ability to articulate a vision without being overbearing on the details demonstrates a significant trust in the professionals around him, and that trust has led to a foundation of unparalleled leadership within Thrive that permeates all levels of the organization.

OCT/NOV 2023

Margy Grant

Dustin Gray

CEO

CEO

Florida Realtors

Milestones

Margy Grant is the CEO for Florida Realtors, the largest professional trade association in Florida. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and also holds the Realtor Association Certified Executive (RCE) designation, earning recognition for specialized industry knowledge as well as association achievements and experience. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

Dustin Gray, CEO of Milestones, started a career in real estate technology in 1996. He apprenticed at a local commercial real estate brokerage as a sales agent for five years during college, then went on to earn his CCIM designation. He joined the CCIM Institute and concurrently co-founded a commercial MLS, Catylist. Catylist scaled into 80 metros and was later acquired by Moody’s. After business school, Gray joined Deloitte’s global real estate group and worked extensively with real estate data to drive large-scale real estate CAPEX projects. From there, he led the consumer products division of RealPage and served as the head of operations at Realtor.com following its acquisition of Opcity. This background led to the founding of Milestones, a comprehensive homeownership platform to modernize the real estate experience in a way that makes it more profitable for professionals and more seamless for consumers. Gray’s contribution to the organization is to help articulate a vision, attract talent and make sure that Milestones is capitalized for success. Gray’s vision is for companies to ruthlessly focus on the homeowner or rest assured that someone else will. Gray took on the challenge to build a homeownership portal for consumers that is delivered through real estate professionals, mortgage professionals and title professionals. The company was deployed by 250,000 real estate professionals within the first 160 days of launch.

Grant has been recognized as an industry leader for her dedication and hard work, being named to the Swanepoel Power 200 list of the most powerful leaders in residential real estate for several years, including in 2022. Under her watch, Florida Realtors was selected as one of the Top Workplaces in Central Florida in 2022 and 2021 by the Orlando Sentinel. The state association also recently was recognized as one of Florida Trend Magazine’s top 100 “Best Companies to Work For in Florida” for 2022. She has been named the advisory council chair for the National Association of Realtors® “Riding with the Brand 2023,” a nationwide, multi-stop association member activation tour NAR plans in partnership with state associations for engagement events across the country.

42 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Grant earned her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, at the Suffolk University School of Law in Boston and her bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H. She is a member of the Florida Bar, Massachusetts Bar and the California Bar (inactive status). Grant joined Florida Realtors in 2005, and served the state association as its chief operations officer and general counsel before becoming CEO.

OCT/NOV 2023

Julian Grey

David Hall

Executive Vice President of Mortgage and Capital Markets, Data and Analytics Divison

President and CEO Hall Financial

Black Knight

David Hall has been a household name in the Detroit area for over 20 years. The reputation and level of commitment to clients, the community and the entire housing industry are just a few of the reasons Hall Financial has persevered through the hardest market seen in decades this past year. As president and CEO, Hall’s unique leadership style and approach to relationship building in and out of the walls of Hall Financial are his trademark. He’s constantly focused on how to build up those around him — his team, real estate partners and the like. Hall founded Hall Financial nearly seven years ago on the premise to be “different” and “memorable” to clients and partners, a mission that has taken on a life of its own, helping the company achieve nearly 6,000 five-star reviews in a short time. As one of the only companies that has never laid people off during hard times, and is in fact hiring with growth and the future in mind today, there are so many things that set this company apart from others because of Hall’s leadership and vision. Hall is the visionary, the driver of all perspectives, goals and initiatives. Hall Financial’s five-star review and brand reputation has grown immensely and recruitment continues to grow thanks to Hall.

43 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Julian Grey is the executive vice president of Mortgage and Capital Markets, Data and Analytics Division at Black Knight.

She is highly regarded for her keen, inventive thinking and wealth of experience managing the full life cycle of complex predictive analytics, data, data sciences and web-based solutions for the mortgage, housing research and capital markets industries. She is a dynamic and capable leader, who manages diverse, high-impact teams and highly complex, quantitative projects. Under her leadership, Grey’s teams have developed solutions that provide Black Knight clients access to innovative solutions that can help them mitigate risk, identify opportunities for growth and perform stronger in today’s competitive marketplace, while also dramatically improving the client experience and increasing access to data-driven decision-making tools. Grey and her knowledgeable, industry-leading teams are helping move these markets forward by delivering Black Knight’s unique, best-in-class data, as well as predictive and collateral analytics solutions, to drive growth, improve profitability, increase efficiency and reduce risk. Grey inspires her colleagues by allowing them to excel in their roles, promoting talent, valuing diversity and rewarding achievement while mentoring recent college graduates and emerging leaders. She is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and navigate successful career paths. Black Knight’s data and analytics presence within the mortgage industry has been bolstered by her charismatic, knowledgeable leadership. Grey’s skilled direction of The Rapid Analytics Platform (RAP) has already changed the landscape for mortgage and housing-related data science by bringing together more primary-sourced data and advanced analytics than any platform currently available.

OCT/NOV 2023

Josh Harley

President and CEO

CEO

Hanna Holdings

Fathom Holdings

A third-generation member of the Hanna real estate family, Howard “Hoby” Hanna IV has held many roles with the company since the beginning of his career in 1994. He currently serves as chief executive officer, leading the No. 1 family-owned-and -operated brokerage in the nation, which posted a closed sales volume of $40 billion and 128,767 closed transaction sides in 2022. Managing business and operational efforts throughout the company’s more than 500 offices across Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana, Hanna spearheads efforts to devise, procure and implement the market-differentiating technologies and programs that are crucial to the success of Howard Hanna’s agents. As CEO, Hanna oversees the Howard Hanna portfolio of real estate services, including residential and commercial brokerage, mortgage, title, insurance, relocation, appraisal and property management services. Hanna’s leadership has been instrumental in Howard Hanna’s growth and expansion, as he played a key role in the company’s partnership with the Allen Tate Company in North Carolina and South Carolina, F.C. Tucker in Indianapolis, Ind., Howard Hanna | Rand Realty, serving New York City’s northern suburbs and New Jersey, as well as Howard Hanna | Coach Realtors in Long Island, N.Y.

Since 2009, Joshua Harley has been the chairman and CEO of Fathom Holdings, a national, technology-driven real estate services platform integrating residential brokerage, mortgage, title, insurance, and SaaS offerings to brokers and agents.

Fathom’s brands include Fathom Realty, Dagley Insurance, Encompass Lending, intelliAgent, LiveBy, Real Results, and Verus Title. From 2007 to 2009, Harley served as founder and CEO of Home Central, an Internet lead generation service in the real estate space. Prior to that, Harley was the internet sales manager at Highland Homes from 2005 to 2007, responsible for building their Internet sales strategy. From 2003 to 2005, Harley served as founder and president of Everdrive Solutions, assisting automotive dealerships with Internet sales strategies and training. From 1995 until 2003, Harley served in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Sergeant, Instructor at the School of Infantry, and a hand-to-hand combat instructor.

Among other experience, qualifications, attributes and skills, the company believes that Harley’s perspective as the largest shareholder, extensive leadership and experience as its chief executive officer, knowledge of the industry and the company’s operations, and oversight of its business bring critical strategic planning and operational leadership that qualify him also to serve as one of the company’s directors. Harley has implanted the principles of servant leadership across all of the company’s brands and as a result, has received the highest rankings and employee/agent satisfaction among all real estate companies.

44 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Hoby Hanna

OCT/NOV 2023

Jennifer Hedgepeth

Chris Heller

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

President OJO

DHI Mortgage

With more than four decades of real estate industry experience, Chris Heller is a visionary leader at OJO, revolutionizing the way the company operates. Under his guidance, OJO has evolved from a home search portal with a success fee model, into a partnership-driven model focused on building strong relationships with real estate agents and agent teams. He spearheaded the creation of OJO Pro+, a specialized program that offers top-performing teams exclusive access to high-quality consumer introductions, resulting in higher conversion rates and increased success for both agents and OJO. Heller’s professional excellence and leadership are evident in both his career-long success and the transformative changes he has brought to the companies he’s led. Heller has grown from chief real estate officer to president at OJO, shaping partner strategies and creating a cohesive structure between real estate professionals and the company. Prior to joining OJO, he held influential industry positions leading real estate powerhouses Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) and LoanDepot’s mellohome. Heller’s revered expertise as the former CEO at mellohome not only contributed to his longstanding success but has also provided valuable insights that led to sustained success as a leader. Heller has showcased his leadership capabilities by growing one of the most successful real estate teams in the nation, which has sold more than 100 homes annually for over 30 years.

45 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Jennifer Hedgepeth serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer at DHI Mortgage (DHIM). With over 30 years of experience, Hedgepeth’s guidance over operations, insights into risk management, coaching and mentoring skills, and servant leadership have been true assets to the organization.

A champion of DHIM’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, her approach to team-building promotes inclusivity within DHIM, but her focus extends beyond. The team at DHI was founded to bring together teammates from all backgrounds and departments to ensure that DHI Mortgage continues to foster an environment where every employee enjoys equal opportunity for development, recognition and respect.

Hedgepeth is proud to also serve on NAHREP’s Corporate Board of Governors, the MBA’s Affordable Homeownership Advisory Council, the MBA’s IMB Council, as well as on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s DEI Advisory Board. Prior to her time at DHI, Hedgepeth served as national operations manager at WR Starkey Mortgage.

OCT/NOV 2023

Greg Holmes

President and CEO

Chief Revenue Officer

ReverseAmerica Advisors

Xactus

H. Marc Helm is a veteran in the mortgage banking field, having amassed an impressive 46-year career in the industry. He stands out as an accomplished professional and trailblazer. He held leadership positions at various companies and achieved success in every role he has had. Helm previously served as the president and CEO of Reverse Mortgage Solutions and currently serves as president and CEO of Mortgage Consultants of America (MCA), ReverseAmerica Advisors, Inc. (RAA) and senior partner with Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS). Helm’s dedication to professional associations and industry leadership is exemplary. He has been actively engaged with organizations like the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association and the Mortgage Bankers Association, serving on various committees and boards. As an industry thought leader, he has authored numerous articles and often presented at major conferences.

Helm’s expertise extends to executive coaching, consulting and expert witness roles, where he has provided critical support in litigated matters, offering testimony for both plaintiffs and defendants in diverse cases related to the mortgage industry.

His experience and dedication to industry advancement and community service make Helm a true leader and an asset to the mortgage banking sector. Beyond his professional achievements, Helm actively contributes to industry advancement, participating in numerous committees and associations. He is a prolific author of books and articles, and his reputation as a captivating speaker makes him a sought-after presence at conferences focusing on mortgage banking and as a specialist in the area of reverse mortgages.

Greg Holmes has more than 25 years of mortgage industry experience. Prior to his taking on the position of chief revenue officer at Xactus, Holmes served as CEO, managing partner and the national director of sales and marketing for Credit Plus — which later merged with Xactus. Throughout his tenure, his focus has been on inspiring his team to advance the modern mortgage through innovation. Holmes accomplished this by tenaciously building relationships with team members and customers and expanding the company’s product line which contributed to its consistent and significant year-over-year growth. Xactus has grown in a down market — even outpacing it by 15%. Over the past year, Holmes’s visionary approach and unwavering dedication have helped propel Xactus to unparalleled success in the face of challenging market conditions. Under his guidance, five companies seamlessly merged into what is now known as Xactus. Holmes played a key role in transitioning more than 600 team members and 6,500 customers to the unified organization and has been integral in attracting key industry experts to the firm, placing them in strategic roles that will foster growth. His leadership skills were paramount in fostering collaboration among former CEOs and presidents and bringing the companies’ infrastructures and employees together. He oversaw the merging of five different sales teams and compensation plans into one, as well as the blending of five corporate cultures into a single cohesive unit. He has unified the organization and developed innovative processes and structures for all revenue-producing functions at the company including sales, marketing, operations and customer service.

46 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

H. Marc Helm

OCT/NOV 2023

Steve Jacobson

CEO and President

CEO

United Wholesale Mortgage

Fairway Independent Mortgage

Mat Ishbia is the president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM). Under Ishbia’s leadership, UWM has soared to new heights, becoming one of the most innovative lenders in the industry. Ishbia is known as a prominent advocate for mortgage brokers nationwide and regularly promotes the wholesale channel on national platforms such as CNBC and Fox Business.

With his laser focus on supporting independent mortgage brokers across the country and growing the wholesale channel, Ishbia has taken UWM from a 12-person company to the No. 1 overall mortgage lender in the U.S. During this time, the company also retained the title of No. 1 wholesale lender for eight consecutive years. In January 2021, Ishbia took UWM public in the largest SPAC deal ever, shining a larger spotlight on the entire wholesale mortgage channel and elevating the status and value of brokers nationwide.

In April 1996, Steve Jacobson founded Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, a mortgage lender headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, and Carrollton, Texas. The company was named by Jacobson’s childhood best friend, colleague and forever member of the Fairway family, Randy Cross. Jacobson has since grown Fairway into a company with 9,900 employees and 300+ branches — a testament to the company’s unique corporate culture that attracts and retains team members. Today, Jacobson oversees and directs all business operations for the company’s full-service mortgage lending operation as CEO. Within five years of its inception, Fairway achieved $1 billion in closed annual loans. By 2016, the company had reached $17 billion in annual loan volume. A mortgage veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Jacobson previously held executive positions at Waterfield Financial Corporation. There he was responsible for negotiating placements of in-house loan officers in real estate offices nationwide. He was included in MPA’s Hot 100 list 2018 and was also named in Mortgage Global 100 list 2019. In 2021, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation was declared Energage’s No. 1 Top Workplace. A Wisconsin native, Jacobson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in management from the University of Wisconsin. He is also the former captain of the University of Wisconsin basketball team where he played for four years and achieved All-Academic Big Ten his graduating year.

47 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Mat Ishbia

OCT/NOV 2023

Kurt Johnson

Chief Innovation Officer

Chief FInancial Officer

United Wholesale Mortgage

Mr. Cooper

As chief innovation officer at United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), Lee Jelenic gives meticulous attention to UWM’s unmatched client experience, while also being the driving force behind many of UWM’s advocacy efforts. Whether he’s making an impact on Capitol Hill by putting a microscope and megaphone around opportunities that exist to level the playing field for brokers and their borrowers, or ensuring each interaction UWM team members deliver to broker partners exceeds client expectations, Jelenic’s impact scope is truly multi-faceted.

Jelenic spearheads multiple teams at UWM including client experience, government affairs and innovation, and he is involved in investor relations, allowing him to provide value across a variety of different channels. As the head of client experience, Jelenic focuses on ensuring that anyone who interacts with UWM is met with world-class service. His impact on client service can be seen through UWM’s NPS, which has progressively improved under his leadership. In 2022 UWM earned an NPS of +87. With Jelenic’s strategic thinking and thoughtful analysis, this score has risen to +89 in 2023, a substantial improvement that indicates his commitment to ensuring elite client service is at the forefront of every client interaction. Jelenic also heads the government affairs team and provides support to the investor relations team. Here, Jelenic’s excellence as a leader is felt through his ability to maintain and proactively cultivate crucial relationships within state and federal legislatures, government agencies, the administration and regulatory offices.

With his decades of experience in mortgage banking, strong relationships with government and industry stakeholders and a detailed understanding of his company’s platform, Kurt Johnson is a major force at Mr. Cooper and in the industry. As chief financial officer, he has been instrumental in setting Mr. Cooper on the path to delivering strong and rising investor returns, a path he has worked behind the scenes in forging during his nearly eight-year tenure at the company. Previously serving as both chief risk and compliance officer and chief credit officer at Mr. Cooper, Johnson led the company by setting all credit risk-related policies and governance, creating infrastructure for homeowner education and opening opportunities for prospective homebuyers to keep their dream of homeownership alive. Since joining Mr. Cooper in 2015, Johnson has established a track record of excellence in leadership, bringing both his colleagues and the broader industry forward. Johnson has extensive experience across originations, servicing, treasury, portfolio management and financial planning. In his time with Mr. Cooper, Johnson also led servicing transformation efforts, overseeing a multiyear initiative to bring technology and process enhancements to the servicing platform. This initiative was a key driver in giving Mr. Cooper greater scale with a low cost to service that has resulted in 77% portfolio growth during the last five years. Johnson was also heavily involved in the 2018 merger of WMIH Corp. and Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc., ultimately forming Mr. Cooper Group as it operates today. Beyond his contributions to the company’s bottom line, he is also a well-regarded leader among the Mr. Cooper team. He serves as executive sponsor for the Pan-African Coopers Empowered (PACE) employee resource team, providing mentorship as the company focuses on advancing inclusion.

48 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Lee Jelenic

OCT/NOV 2023

Jimmy Kelly

Founder and CEO

CEO

Homes for Heroes

Lone Wolf Technologies

Homes for Heroes CEO Ruth Johnson is a thoughtful entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for giving back. More than 20 years ago, Johnson was a successful real estate professional who was inspired to find a way that her business could contribute to the betterment of those she served in her community, leading her to found Homes for Heroes. Homes for Heroes is a company that helps heroes buy or sell a home and earn money in the process. Thanks to Johnson, tens of thousands of heroes have collectively earned millions on their transactions, and as the company continues to expand its nationwide reach, she’s likely to help thousands more. Johnson owned a thriving Coldwell Banker franchise where she worked with her family in suburban Minnesota when 9/11 happened. She recalls being moved by a speech President Bush delivered that called on communities to rally together to work past the tragedy a speech that sparked an idea, a way that she could use her business to give back. Johnson went on to found Homes for Heroes to help local heroes in her community by assisting them with their real estate transactions. She created a network of agent affiliates who were willing to give their referral free to the hero as a thank you, amounting to an average of $3,000 cash back at closing. In the 22 years since its inception, Homes for Heroes has built a nationwide network of more than 4,500 affiliates who work to help their local heroes — including firefighters, first responders, law enforcement, military, health care professionals and teachers by helping them buy or sell a home and earn money in the process.

In his role as CEO at Lone Wolf, Jimmy Kelly is a catalyst for change and innovation. He envisions a future where Lone Wolf delivers a comprehensive platform that consolidates the myriad software tools used by agents into a unified, user-friendly experience. By eliminating the complexities of multiple logins, fragmented user experiences and duplicate data entry, Kelly seeks to provide real estate professionals with the freedom to focus on customers and deliver exceptional service. His vision for Lone Wolf extends beyond disruption; it positions the organization as an enabler, ensuring the continued relevance and value of real estate agents in providing advice, representation and guidance to homebuyers and sellers. Throughout his career, Kelly has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of people’s aspirations and their paths to success. His personal drive to make a positive impact has fueled his commitment to empowering others and facilitating their personal growth.

As CEO, Kelly sets the vision and strategy for Lone Wolf while assembling and nurturing a talented team capable of delivering against that vision. He firmly believes in allowing his team the autonomy to flourish, stepping aside when necessary and providing guidance and coaching to drive their success. While Kelly is capable of delivering impactful messages on stage, his true strength lies in one-on-one engagements with fellow leaders, where he excels at connecting the dots and aligning the organization’s goals. Kelly’s leadership style empowers those around him and encourages diverse voices to contribute to the success of the organization.

49 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Ruth Johnson

OCT/NOV 2023

Jarred Kessler

Chairman of the Board

CEO and Founder

Academy Mortgage Corporation

EasyKnock

In 2023, industry veteran Adam Kessler reassumed the role of CEO of Academy Mortgage, after serving as chairman of the board since 2019 and the company’s CEO from 2016 to 2019.

Since reassuming his role as CEO, Kessler has been focused on creating efficiencies to position Academy for continued success while tackling the ever-changing market. Kessler has been with the organization through several industry highs and lows, beginning his career with Academy in 2000. Having navigated industry uncertainty in 2009 as the company’s president, Kessler truly understands the importance of focusing efforts on staying one step ahead of what is happening. Academy is known for its people-centric culture, which was fostered by Kessler. Believing that with every challenge comes great opportunity, Kessler has been laser-focused on ensuring that Academy continues to deliver the best possible experience for its customers, partners, and team members. He has placed his focus on strengthening relationships and instilling a culture of trust throughout the organization. Kessler is a standout industry leader who has always placed importance on helping others become their best selves by focusing on professional and personal development and by giving back to communities and assisting those in need.

Inspiring Hope, Delivering Dreams, and Building Prosperity isn’t just a tagline at Academy, thanks to Kessler. He firmly believes that Academy exists to make homeownership a reality for as many individuals and families as possible for years to come.

As the CEO and founder of EasyKnock, Jarred Kessler is an industry thought leader and vision-driven entrepreneur ushering in a new chapter into the real estate industry and empowering American homeowners to achieve financial success.

Whether a homeowner wants to convert the equity in their home into cash, explore a bridge loan alternative or make a stronger offer on a new home, EasyKnock’s mission is to help everyday Americans. Kessler has led EasyKnock through a year of vast growth, announcing the acquisition of Ribbon, a pioneer of power buying and cash offer solutions, as well as increasing strategic partnerships with real estate agents, brokerages, home builders and others offering their clients access to a suite of products and helping partners expand their business. Kessler founded and continues to build EasyKnock with American homeowners’ long-term financial well-being as the top priority. Understanding that Americans need and deserve a new way, EasyKnock is revolutionizing the space with a new approach, addressing the trapped equity crisis head-on through innovative and accessible residential sale-leaseback programs that help customers reach their financial goals without having to increase their debt or leave the homes they know and love.

Demonstrating true leadership and professional excellence, Kessler not only educates and supports EasyKnock’s team and customers through his expertise, but also provides value and an expert perspective on current events in the news cycle for a broader audience through media appearances, industry speaking engagements and contributed articles.

50 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Adam Kessler

OCT/NOV 2023

Karen Kreutziger

CEO and Co-Founder

CEO

RiskSpan

Flat Branch Home Loans

Bernadette Kogler is CEO and co-founder of RiskSpan, a data and analytics firm serving mortgage investors, traders and others in the origination, servicing and secondary marketing space. During the past year, Kogler has presided over record growth in the adoption of RiskSpan’s Edge Platform. She is a visionary leader who is constantly innovating and finding new ways to improve the industry by encouraging cloud and other novel forms of technology adoption — something the housing finance industry has historically been slow to do. She is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, working to make the housing industry more accessible to everyone. Kogler is a dynamic, hands-on executive with a unique ability to oversee complex technical initiatives while also managing the day-to-day operations of a growing firm with over 100 employees. Her deep range of experience spans the entire lending lifecycle, from loan origination to servicing, to capital markets transactions and asset management. As a respected leader on mortgage finance issues, she has authored several articles and research studies for a variety of clients. Kogler co-founded RiskSpan’s SmartLink Lab, which brings innovation to clients in the lending and securitization markets. Under Kogler’s leadership, RiskSpan has developed a powerful, flexible and affordable way to organize mortgage data, models and forecasts to maximize investment returns. Her company sits uniquely at the intersection of data, modeling and innovation, and offers reliable and ready-to-use data, transparent models, analytics that scale and deep domain expertise that can be leveraged on-demand.

Karen Kreutziger has an unwavering dedication and compassion toward her employees and community. Her mission is to empower families to achieve homeownership. Demonstrating exceptional leadership as CEO, Kreutziger actively serves on multiple advisory boards and holds pivotal roles in philanthropic organizations and programs focused on addressing housing inequality, bringing it to the forefront of political discussions.

Kreutziger also spearheaded the program development and employee adoption of The Giving Branch, an employee-funded non-profit organization that supports our local communities. Kreutziger’s leadership is a remarkable blend of business acumen and genuine empathy. This unique combination has been instrumental in driving Flat Branch’s growth, positioning it as a prominent industry leader in the Midwest. Beyond her business success, Kreutziger’s visionary leadership extends to initiatives that prioritize the welfare of her team and community. Kreutziger’s dedication also shines through in her involvement with external initiatives, such as the MBA’s Home For All Pledge, which actively addresses racial inequalities in housing.

By leading the charge in such meaningful endeavors, Kreutziger showcases her passion for making a difference in the lives of others and advocating for positive change. Kreutziger’s multifaceted leadership has not only elevated Flat Branch to new heights but has also fostered a culture of compassion, equity and community engagement.

51 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Bernadette Kogler

OCT/NOV 2023

Kamini Lane

CEO

President and CEO

Rocket Mortgage

Coldwell Banker Realty

Varun Krishna, incoming CEO of Rocket Companies, has more than 20 years of experience building consumer platform strategies for leading global fintech companies. Most recently, Krishna served as executive vice president and general manager of the consumer group at Intuit. There, he oversaw the organization’s end-to-end suite of consumer and tax products and services, including TurboTax and TurboTax Live. During his tenure, TurboTax Live became the fastest-growing product in Intuit’s history. Prior to Intuit, Krishna served as senior director of product at PayPal, where he managed the company’s global consumer product team. Krishna took over as CEO of Rocket Companies on September 5. Krishna succeeded Bill Emerson, who served as interim CEO since June. Emerson will remain on the Rocket Companies board while also working with Krishna to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.

As the president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Realty, Kamini Lane brings her two decades of experience in marketing, communications and operations to one of the nation’s largest real estate brokerages, comprised of a network of approximately 55,000 affiliated real estate agents across 600 offices in more than 55 markets across the country. Lane leverages her expertise to drive the future of Coldwell Banker Realty by providing agents with cutting-edge technology and services. Early on, Lane discovered her passion for entrepreneurship and found a way to empower numerous business owners in the luxury space at one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. As she progressed in her journey, she delved into the agency world, where her expertise in brand strategy and marketing flourished, giving her a profound understanding of the power of brands.

Lane’s dedication and skills landed her in various management and marketing roles at some of the nation’s leading brands.

With her background in technology, marketing, luxury and brand management, she was a natural fit for her current role at Coldwell Banker Realty. She recently served as a speaker at the Asian Real Estate Association of America’s national convention.

Lane has been instrumental in spearheading an organizational transition for Coldwell Banker Realty, which has fundamentally shifted operations and decision-making. So far this year under her leadership, Coldwell Banker Realty has recruited a total of 854 agents.

52 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Varun Krishna

OCT/NOV 2023

Suzy Lindblom

Founder and CEO

Chief Operating Officer

CrossCountry Mortgage

Arc Home

Ronald Leonhardt Jr. started CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) in 2003. His vision was to build CCM into a nationwide, full-service lender that could provide more to both customers and employees. Since then, CCM has been able to achieve that vision, and Leonhardt and his team are continuing to expand their nationwide footprint by adding top lending talent to the roster with the ultimate goal of being recognized as America’s leading and most reputable mortgage company. CCM has been a Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae-approved seller and servicer since 2012 and has expanded its mortgage-based solutions into a wide portfolio of home purchase, refinance and home equity products. CCM is licensed in all 50 states and has earned a number of awards and accolades along the way including Retail Mortgage Lender, 2023 Scotsman Guide Top Lender Rankings, Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies and many more. With Leonhardt at the helm, CCM’s culture is based on honesty, humility, integrity and service. Fueled by company initiatives that put loan officers first so they can put their customers first, CCM’s LOs and their support staff are dedicated to making the mortgage process fast, easy and rewarding. By empowering them with streamlined processes and new platforms — including Edge for customized business intelligence and Blend for maximizing productivity and cutting loan cycle times in half — CCM is able to stay true to its simple mission: to provide borrowers with the best possible advice and benefit to their financial needs while facilitating a straightforward, stressfree mortgage process.

Suzy Lindblom brought her 40 years of mortgage experience to Arc Home in 2022. Lindblom has led operations for some of the most successful lenders in the country. As the chief operating officer of Arc Home, Lindblom is responsible for building and leading a best-in-class experience for Arc Home’s clients in all areas of operations. As a leader, Lindblom is a results-driven, enthusiastic problem solver with business acumen for creating and managing high-performing, cross-functional teams and continuously improving processes and procedures. She has an effective combination of strengths in large-scale national operations, strategic planning and succession planning with outstanding communication skills and the ability to mentor future leaders. Lindblom serves on the board of directors for NEXT and has won numerous leadership awards.

53 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Ron Leonhardt Jr.

OCT/NOV 2023

David Lykken

Ben Madick

Founder and Chief Transformational Officer

Co-Founder and CEO Matic

Transformational Mortgage Services

Ben Madick’s extensive experience in correspondent lending and compliance risk management propelled him to create Matic Insurance. Under Madick’s leadership, Matic has simplified insurance for consumers, lenders and servicers, trailblazing the concept of “embedded insurance” and creating a buying process that fits naturally within the homeownership experience. Madick’s early career began in correspondent lending at Bank of America. After co-founding MQMR, a firm that performs compliance risk management and audit support to mortgage lenders and banks of all sizes, Madick identified a problem with loan closing delays due to proof of insurance not being in place.

Applying his extensive mortgage experience, he created Matic to simplify the world of insurance. Since the go-to-market launch in 2017, Matic has experienced high growth based on revenue, valuation and team size while maintaining an off-the-charts Net Promoter Score of 90 among Matic policyholders. Madick is passionate about creating a culture of teamwork, transparency and fun. In 2023, Madick was named a “Best CEO For Women”

by Comparably — a nationwide workplace culture platform that selected the top 100 CEOs across 70,000 companies. Matic was also named a “Best Place to Work” for five years in a row

by Columbus Business First, a direct result of Madick’s focus on cultivating a positive culture. Matic’s new west coast hub in Phoenix also received a “Best Place to Work” award by the Phoenix Business Journal in 2022.

54 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

David Lykken, a 50-year veteran of the mortgage industry, is the founder, president and chief transformational officer of Transformational Mortgage Solutions (TMS). Lykken and his team of industry veterans are transforming the way the mortgage industry does business. This is accomplished through consulting, executive coaching and various communications strategies. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on FOX Business News as well as occasional guest appearances on CNBC and CBS Evening News. He hosts the widely acclaimed weekly “Lykken On Lending” podcast.

OCT/NOV 2023

Phil McCall

President and CEO

President and Chief Operating Officer

loanDepot

ACES Quality Management

As president, CEO and a member of loanDepot’s board of directors, Frank Martell is responsible for setting strategic direction for the company. Martell also oversees the operations of loanDepot’s multichannel origination model, which includes direct lending, in-market retail and joint ventures, as well as the company’s servicing and mortgage-adjacent services such as mellohome, melloinsurance and mellotitle. He is known for delivering scaled market leadership and consistent growth in revenues and profitability that result in significant stakeholder value creation. With more than 30 years of executive leadership experience, Martell understands the real estate market and the power of data, and he brings a digital-first mindset to deliver superior service for customers. Prior to joining loanDepot, Martell spent more than a decade in leadership roles of increasing responsibility at CoreLogic, where he cemented the company’s reputation as the gold standard for real estate data, intelligence and analytics. Before joining CoreLogic, Martell held a variety of senior positions in the marketing, financial services and business information sectors. He spent the first 15 years of his career at General Electric and subsequently held leadership roles including chief operating officer at Nielsen Corporation and CEO of the Western Institutional Review Board. He also served on the boards of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Harvard Joint Centers for Housing Studies. Martell has been regularly recognized as one of the region’s 500 most influential leaders by the Orange County Business Journal.

As president and chief operating officer of ACES Quality Management for nearly a decade, Phil McCall is highly regarded for his leadership and commitment to personnel inside and outside of the organization. One of the key internal initiatives he has spearheaded over the last year is ACES’ Interdepartmental Managers program, which aims to inspire leadership within the company and increase comradery and collaboration across teams within the ACES organization. McCall could easily be known as lead product visionary given his role in identifying and developing additional features and enhancements to the ACES platform. His most recent feat: the launch of ACES PROTECT, a suite of automated regulatory compliance tests to ACES’ flagship auditing platform. Through ACES PROTECT, ACES users can easily access a suite of compliance checks within the ACES platform, including certification of loan estimates and closing disclosure calculations, high-cost mortgage and high-price mortgage loan testing, QM tests and other critical compliance tests. In addition to his work with ACES, McCall also serves on the Mortgage Bankers Association’s risk management committee. Outside the industry, McCall is an avid supporter of animal rescue charities, including the Best Friends Animal Society and the National Mill Dog Rescue. A 2016 recipient of HousingWire’s Vanguard Award and 2017 MBA Tech All-Star, McCall has made strategic enhancements to both the ACES product suite and the company’s internal operations to support lenders’ loan quality and risk management initiatives.

55 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Frank Martell

OCT/NOV 2023

Gene Millman

Senior Executive Vice President

President and CEO

Freedom Mortgage

REcolorado

Michael Middleman, senior executive vice president at Freedom Mortgage, is a strategic leader committed to developing and elevating his team of more than 2,500 employees focused on excellence in operations and offering superior customer experiences.

During the past year as interest rates skyrocketed, Middleman quickly adjusted the entire dynamic of the business while continuing to maintain profitability every quarter — which was very challenging to achieve in the market. Middleman joined Freedom Mortgage in 2013 and rose through the ranks to his current role as senior executive vice president, responsible for direct lending channels including direct-to-consumer and wholesale divisions. Additionally, he oversees the marketing and information technology teams. Middleman is a pivotal member of the company’s strategic and executive committees.

As the market shifted over the past 12 months, Middleman was proactive and his teams quickly repositioned the entire business to adjust to the opportunities available in the current marketplace. Leading through change is one of Middleman’s core competencies. During challenging times, Middleman was able to motivate his teams to keep refining the new goals and productivity levels required to adjust and grow into the company’s new business model. Under Middleman’s leadership, Freedom Mortgage was able to grow the servicing book year over year by over 20% through these challenging times and now services the mortgages of nearly 2 million homeowners representing over $452 billion in loans.

When Gene Millman took on the role of president and CEO of Colorado’s largest MLS, REcolorado, he sought to establish a company vision that would unite his team through a shared mission to deliver an essential service to subscribers, one that would change the way MLS data was accessed through unmatched customer input and stellar technology. Now, three years later, REcolorado stands out as a leader among MLS providers thanks to Millman’s emphasis on customer feedback, which is used to inspire continuous improvement in the tools and resources it provides. But for Millman, the focus extends beyond just the company’s successes and rests on his belief in the need to be a strong voice in the industry, making bold choices and leading strategically to promote a fair and efficient real estate marketplace. Millman is an avid believer in the power of collaboration, and he places an unwavering emphasis on the need for inclusivity and communication within the company’s ranks, knowing that a thriving corporate culture is critical to any company’s success. As a leader, he works to empower his team so every individual feels their contribution is essential, that they know it’s OK to take chances, to speak up with new ideas, and that “failing forward” is valuable too. To create a positive culture, Millman outlined core values that guide the team: integrity, customer-centric, trust, excellence, respect and flexibility.

56 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Michael Middleman

OCT/NOV 2023

Maria Moskver

President

CEO

Atlas Valuation Management Solutions

Cloudvirga

During a 25-year career in the mortgage industry, Erik Richard Morin has been an equity partner in multiple national mortgage lenders and a partner in three AMCs. In addition to his latest venture in the AMC space, he formerly published a magazine for the reverse mortgage sector and currently serves in executive leadership for a mortgage tech start-up. He is also passionate about diversity in the mortgage industry and has served both the MBA Diversity and Inclusion Committee and as Exofficio of the American Mortgage Diversity Council. Previously, Morin was the founder and CEO of Landmark Network, a leading appraisal management and technology company acquired by Class Valuation in 2018. Prior to the acquisition, Landmark earned its place on the Inc. 5000 four times. He served as partner and chief operating officer of specialty teams for Class Valuation until he sold his interest in 2021 and launched a consulting practice. He has served in numerous leadership roles with industry trade associations including the MBA, National Appraisal Congress and NRMLA as well as the boards of national non-profits. Morin also is a founder of Kinekti Technologies, a mortgage technology company, and he leads as president of Atlas VMS, a national appraisal management company.

Maria Moskver is a mortgage industry veteran with over 25 years of executive management and regulatory compliance experience. Moskver has amassed significant expertise in acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, data privacy and security, consumer lending, employment and tech services — all of which have contributed to her proven record of driving new business and innovation in the mortgage industry while ensuring fiscal success. She is a seasoned fintech and compliance professional with a diverse skill set that few other executives have. Moskver is not only a visionary CEO but also a significant contributor to the mortgage industry, making her mark on technology advancements. With an exceptional track record, she has proven herself to be a mastermind behind the flourishing of multiple mortgage industry companies, consistently driving them toward new heights of accomplishment. She leads with a passion for enriching the homebuying experience for borrowers and for the mortgage professionals responsible for supporting them through technology focused on ease of use, consistency, automation and compliance. Over her storied career, Moskver has led the charge for start-ups and large service providers, with specialized experience in mergers and acquisitions. Her legal background gives her a unique position as an executive who understands the technical needs of the mortgage industry and operates from a place of compliance and integrity. Among her achievements, Moskver built a compliance department from the ground up for a previous company, and that department still stands today.

57 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Erik Richard Morin

OCT/NOV 2023

Patrick O’Brien

Partner

CEO and Co-Founder

RTC Consulting

LenderLogix

Steve Murray, partner of RTC Consulting, earned his credibility by having been in the residential real estate field since 1977. He has handled over 3,600 assignments related to these services, has served as an advisor on over 800 acquisitions or sales of residential brokerage companies with an aggregate value exceeding $12.1 billion, and has testified on the value of residential brokerage firms in several different states including California, New York, Florida, Nevada, Illinois and Massachusetts among others. He has testified as a qualified expert on the residential brokerage industry on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission and the National Association of Realtors. Murray has provided training to the executives and affiliates of RE/MAX LLC, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, CENTURY 21 Real Estate, Prudential Real Estate Affiliates and Keller Williams Realty, among others. Murray co-authored four books on the valuation of residential real estate brokerage firms; co-authored the 2011 book “Game Plan,” about the past and future of residential brokerage; and co-authored the 2014 book, “Game Changers: The Unfounded Fears and Future Prosperity of the Residential Real Estate Business.” Murray has served dozens of state and local Realtor® associations and MLS organizations in a consulting capacity and has consulted with several large technology firms over the years. Murray is strong in his faith, which has propelled him thus far in his career. He credits his wife and two adult sons with his success. He says his driving force also comes from having the ability to do things for others.

A former loan officer turned tech founder, Patrick O’Brien understands the wants, needs and pain points for today’s loan officers and mortgage lenders. He co-founded LenderLogix to provide loan officers and lenders the tools they need to provide a digital-first borrower experience without hefty implementation times, investment or upkeep. That vision has resulted in a suite of products designed to save lenders time and money while delivering exceptional, digitally driven borrower experiences from the initial point of contact — all of which play a crucial role in lenders’ ability to differentiate themselves in today’s highly competitive market. From the launch of LenderLogix in 2016, O’Brien envisioned a meaningful and agile way for lenders to deliver borrowers the digital mortgage experience they craved. Today, that vision has resulted in the company’s current suite of solutions, which have enabled hundreds of lending organizations to quickly and easily improve their borrower-facing digital footprint without bottoming out their bottom line. O’Brien believes high-touch early engagement is essential to lenders’ success and shouldn’t be hidden within an app or behind a login screen. As a result, LenderLogix’s suite of solutions has been designed specifically to ensure lenders see increased lead capture, increased applications and consistent brand identity across branches and teams. What’s more, lenders enjoy a granular insight into marketing and sales performance.

In addition to his internal efforts at LenderLogix, O’Brien is also an active member of the local Buffalo community, prioritizing building LenderLogix with local Buffalo residents. He is also an active board member of the Buffalo Niagara Mortgage Bankers Association and the New York Mortgage Bankers Association.

58 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Steve Murray

OCT/NOV 2023

Laura O’Connor

CEO

President and Chief Operating Officer

RE/MAX Gold Nation

JPAR Real Estate

James O’Bryon’s vision has guided RE/MAX Gold Nation for more than 25 years. His leadership has seen the organization expand from five offices and 100 agents to 120 offices with over 3,000 agents in six states. O’Bryon’s ingenious view of the real estate world has led to exponential growth and an extraordinary environment designed for successful agents, staff and essential services partners. O’Bryon’s relentless approach to growth, adaptation and change has created an environment of leaders who do not quit and are always looking to evolve and improve. Without him, Gold Nation would not have seen the astronomical growth it has had over the years under his guidance. O’Bryon has the unique ability to see value and potential in anyone and has brought incredible people to Gold Nation to continue its expansion and advancement. His desire and drive led to bringing out the excellence in everyone. O’Bryon’s innate ability to question everything has led to an organization that does not rest on its laurels but is onto the next opportunity at every turn. Under his watch, Gold Nation worked with the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). Since 2015, agents and staff have donated over $1.89 million to CMN to support one of their local 16 hospitals across the footprint. Gold Nation is looking forward to celebrating the $2 million donation milestone that no RE/MAX brokerage has achieved.

Laura O’Connor, president and chief operating officer at JPAR Real Estate, has led the organization through significant growth and success, demonstrating exceptional agility in navigating market uncertainties. O’Connor’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive environment within the company and the broader community showcases her visionary approach to leadership and genuine desire to empower others. As a leader, she embodies the core values of integrity, productivity and service, impacting JPAR and the real estate industry as a whole. O’Connor has demonstrated exceptional professional excellence and leadership, particularly evident in her career-long success and achievements in the last 12 months. Despite market uncertainties, she successfully moved 4,000 agents to a new platform to serve clients effectively, navigating through challenging times of market contraction and layoffs. Her commitment to diversity is evident in the organization’s intentional efforts to foster a more inclusive environment. Today, 50% of the leadership at JPAR is made up of women, and the organization has seen a steady increase in diverse representation including significant percentages of Hispanic, Black, LGBTQ+ and women leaders among those who launched in 2023. In the last 12 months, O’Connor’s value to the organization can be measured by the remarkable growth achieved. The affiliated network experienced a remarkable 22% increase in offices, 14% in agents and 8% in transaction sides from the end of 2021 to the end of 2022.

59 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

James O’Bryon

OCT/NOV 2023

Sheryl Palmer

President and CEO

Chairman and CEO

Williston Financial Group

Taylor Morrison

Steve Ozonian is the president and CEO of the Williston Financial Group (WFG), a portfolio company of Golden Gate Capital. A well-respected industry leader with deep operational experience in the real estate, prop tech, and mortgage industries, Ozonian has spent more than a quarter century engineering the dramatic growth of multiple real estate-related businesses, commanding billions in revenue, leading tens of thousands of employees, restructuring finances, and expanding coverage to achieve dominant market leadership. Throughout his accomplished career, industry powerhouse Ozonian has been laser-focused on improving the consumer experience through the use of technology. Ozonian, who led the creation of the industry’s first national online consumer real estate search platform as CEO at Realtor.com, and is currently leading the charge to elevate the real estate transaction experience for all participants as president and CEO of WFG, believes technology can and should be leveraged to create a more positive home buying experience for all participants. Because his career has spanned all areas of the real estate transaction, Ozonian doesn’t look at the process as a combination of efforts from disparate industries, but rather from the same 360-degree perspective from which consumers experience it: as a single transaction culminating in one of the most significant events in their lifetime. He also views it as an opportunity to empower all transaction participants, facilitate greater transparency, and take time and cost out of the real estate transaction.

Sheryl Palmer is the chairman and CEO of Taylor Morrison, a leading national homebuilder and developer based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since 2007, Palmer has overseen a highly experienced leadership team in several key national homebuilding markets. With more than 30 years of cross-functional building experience, including leadership in land acquisition, sales and marketing, development and operations management, Palmer has led Taylor Morrison into the top ranks of America’s largest public homebuilders, following the company’s IPO in 2013. Under Palmer’s leadership, Taylor Morrison has been successful in creating trustworthy relationships with both internal and external customers. The company was named “America’s Most Trusted Home Builder” for the sixth consecutive year by Lifestory Research, recognized as BUILDER Magazine’s 2020 Builder of the Year, named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune Magazine in 2019 and 2020, and recognized as a repeat member of Bloomberg’s Gender Equality Index (GEI) for transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Palmer herself was also named a Top CEO in 2018 in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards. Palmer currently serves as chairman of the Building Talent Foundation, an organization that partners with homebuilders to address the vast trade labor shortage. She also served as the chairman of the national board of directors of HomeAid America from 2019 to 2021, is on the board of directors of Interface and is an executive committee member of the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) Policy Advisory Board at Harvard University.

60 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Steve Ozonian

OCT/NOV 2023

Sajag Patel

Chief eServices Executive

Chief Operating Officer

DocMagic

Keller Williams Realty International

Brian Pannell is a dynamic and versatile technology expert, recognized for his exemplary leadership in the mortgage industry. In his role as chief eServices executive at DocMagic, Pannell demonstrates strategic prowess by spearheading the seamless integration of cutting-edge eMortgage solutions, such as eSign, eNotary, eVault and MERS eRegistry technologies. Pannell’s extensive credentials and experience highlight his unmatched expertise in fostering and cultivating strategic third-party technology and business relationships. As a driving force behind optimized efficiency and technology integration in the mortgage sector, he leverages his exceptional leadership experience to unlock the true potential of lenders. With DocMagic’s groundbreaking eServices, Pannell empowers organizations to embrace the future and elevate their operations to unprecedented heights. Pannell is a proactive leader known for his exceptional ability to collaborate with lenders, investors, warehouse lenders, settlement providers and servicers to successfully implement DocMagic’s cutting-edge eClosing system.

His expertise lies in leading interoperability initiatives, bridging the gap between different systems and essential entities within the digital mortgage ecosystem. His vision is to foster seamless connections, effective communication and compliant exchange of critical loan data in real-time throughout the lending and secondary market processes. Pannell’s dedication to driving efficiency and innovation in the industry makes him a valued subject matter expert, and he actively serves on several boards, championing the adoption and widespread use of digital technologies within the mortgage sector. With Pannell’s leadership, DocMagic continues to be at the forefront of driving innovation and progress in the mortgage landscape.

Sajag Patel serves as the chief operating officer of Keller Williams, the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count. He has served in various leadership capacities during his 12 years at Keller Williams. Most recently, he served as head of coaching, communities and learning and vice president of segments, where he oversaw the growth and ongoing development of KW communities. Over the past year, Patel has been the primary driver of KW’s major expansion of its community-based business alignment and formation efforts to support recognized and emerging real estate market segments. He oversees the growth and ongoing R&D and M&A associated with its established business segments. Currently, KW has 14 business communities. In the second half of 2022, under Patel’s leadership, KW unveiled five more business communities — KW Real Estate Planner; KW Relocation; KW Wealth; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion; and KW Style to Design — in support of recognized and emerging real estate market segments. In 2023, KW announced three additional business communities — KW Operations, KW Wellness, and KW Clarity. Patel has also been responsible for the appointments of the leaders of each new KW community.

61 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Brian Pannell

OCT/NOV 2023

Tamir Poleg

President

CEO

Grid151

The Real Brokerage

Grid151 president, Ryan Peterson, led the company through the innovation, build and launch of three new products in the past four years. Grid151’s mission is to help clients achieve their mission — a statement that perfectly sums up Peterson’s whole career. Peterson likes to listen to his clients talk about their challenges, points of friction and areas of frustration.

And out of that listening, he addresses those challenges with new products and services. In 2022 Peterson led his team to create GridBase. They had the idea that one of the biggest gaps in the real estate home-buying journey was integrations. The mortgage lender, the real estate agent, the title agent and the dozens of vendors that support each of them each sit on their own operating system and tech stack and build operations centers around that tech stack. Peterson and his team innovated, launched and brought to market an entirely new solution in under one year. Peterson and the team have added GridBase to their suite of products and services and they are busy expanding its reach, even in the midst of a down market. In the past 12 months alone GridBase went from pencil sketches at Peterson’s desk — to market launch. GridBase is now taking the market by storm and gaining traction — all with a very lean team and crazy fast development timelines.

Tamir Poleg is a magnetic leader who believes there is a better way to buy and sell homes. He is shaping The Real Brokerage to provide an end-to-end solution that is driven by technology and begins and ends with the agent. Since founding the company in 2014, Poleg has positioned Real as a technology company operating in the residential real estate space. This angle has influenced the company’s focus on innovation and building a proprietary platform that results in both cost and operational efficiencies.

His commitment to putting the agent first by combining some of the best commission splits in the industry with long-term wealth-building opportunities and a sense of community for agents has resulted in Real becoming the fastest-growing publicly traded brokerage firm. As the housing market began to slow last summer, Poleg quickly shifted the company’s focus from a startup in investment mode toward long-term profitability through operational efficiencies and growing its agent base. As a result, Real was the only publicly traded brokerage to post year-overyear revenue and gross profit growth in the first quarter of 2023.

To encourage collaboration and provide additional earnings potential, Real became the only brokerage to offer a co-sponsored revenue share program, which allows two agents to sponsor a new agent and benefit from an equal portion of Real’s split of the commission. The company also announced it will be launching a willable revenue share program and offering benefits to its agents.

62 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Ryan Peterson

OCT/NOV 2023

Joseph Restivo

Founder and CEO

CEO

Compass

American Mortgage Network

Robert Reffkin founded Compass in 2012, drawing inspiration from his mother, Ruth, a longtime real estate agent. Under his leadership, Compass ascended to become the country’s No. 1 real estate brokerage in the United States, achieving half a trillion dollars in real estate sales. Reffkin holds both a B.A. and M.B.A. from Columbia University, and his professional background includes roles at McKinsey and Goldman Sachs, along with a tenure as a White House Fellow. Beyond his business endeavors, he has run 50 marathons in 50 states, raising $1 million for charities including the nonprofit America Needs You, which he founded to empower young people from underprivileged backgrounds, assisting them in becoming the first in their families to attend college. He is also donating all of the proceeds from his recent book, “No One Succeeds Alone,” to nonprofits that help young people realize their dreams.

Joseph Restivo started American Mortgage Network (AmNet) as a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company in 2019. With his background as a top originator, he wanted to develop a new standard of working relationships between employees and clients. American Mortgage Network is a different kind of ESOP. After working in multiple executive positions in the mortgage banking industry, Restivo was determined to change the way the industry works from an ownership perspective. Because every employee is an owner, the ESOP model provides a way to make AmNet’s values an integral part of the daily workday.

Employees have the freedom to make decisions, work where they want and focus on purposeful work where they can make a difference with clients and each other. Restivo is a hands-on leader who is engaged with employee owners or recruiting new team members on a daily basis. In addition, there is a strong internal communications program that includes daily updates from him on WhatsApp, all-hands meetings and personal messages from Restivo and the team. All employee-owners are empowered to “own” their jobs and enact change when necessary.

Recent survey results verify that these comprehensive communication techniques work. Throughout his career, Restivo has supported the military community where he has advocated on behalf of veterans and encouraged hiring those who have retired from the military.

63 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Robert Reffkin

OCT/NOV 2023

Scot Rose

Founder and CEO

Chief Innovation Officer

Homeowners Financial Group

Class Valuation

Bill Rogers has created something special at Homeowners Financial Group. As the founder, sole owner, CEO and president of Homeowners since its inception in 2004, Rogers has grown the company by valuing the success of the employees, who do the same for clients, partners, vendors and neighbors. By establishing a mission of improving the lives Homeowners touches and understanding that people are the reason for everything the organization does and achieves, he drives success through the strength of shared values with employees, which are embedded in a culture of caring and giving. Rogers is a true servant leader who is connected and accessible to his people and puts them first at all times. This has been especially evident in the current housing market. Through it all, Rogers has remained consistent with his creative approach to solving problems by coming up with worthwhile and collaborative solutions. He has kept his sales force confident, upbeat and motivated by not only laying out the ways they will emerge on the other side of this difficult market as the recipients of considerable survivor’s benefits but by sharing how some of those benefits are already coming to fruition. Rogers’ reputation throughout the industry is equally impeccable and has earned him many esteemed recognitions over the years. He is an advocate for other mortgage professionals and has lobbied in Washington, D.C., for the Mortgage Bankers Association. In June 2022, he was proud to be part of a group of leaders who created a new community bank called Gainey Business Bank, and he currently sits on the board of directors.

In his role as chief innovation officer of Class Valuation, Scot Rose works every day to improve the appraisal profession and experience for all stakeholders. He does so through innovating new appraisal technology, aiding the company in its merger and acquisition strategies and partnering with lenders and regulatory bodies to push forward in appraisal modernization. In his efforts to modernize the appraisal process, not only is he creating a better experience for appraisers, lenders and homebuyers but also a more accurate one, free from bias. With over 20 years of experience in the appraisal industry, including being a licensed appraiser, Rose couples his level of expertise with a unique element of empathy. He can relate to appraisers as well as leaders from companies that have been acquired. He has been in both sets of shoes, and he draws upon his background to ensure all parties involved with Class Valuation are receiving fair treatment and improved experiences. In the past 12 months, the industry has seen the fruits of Rose’s labors.

The GSEs launched new appraisal options and Class Valuation created a new product allowing lenders to take advantage of these programs. In addition to leading product innovation, Rose plays a crucial role in Class Valuation’s growth. In a market that is seeing many housing companies forced to make cuts, Class has aggressively acquired a number of companies while also adding to the organization’s headcount outside of M&A.

64 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Bill Rogers

OCT/NOV 2023

Sam Sawyer

CEO

CEO and Founder

Snapdocs

Pinnacle Realty Advisors

Michael Sachdev, Snapdocs’ longtime president and newly appointed CEO, has accelerated the adoption of digital closings. Under Sachdev’s leadership, Snapdocs lenders reached 80% adoption of digital closings and over 25% are completed transactions with eNotes on average. These contributions have been vital in transforming Snapdocs into the industry’s most trusted provider of eClose technology. Sachdev has emerged as a trailblazing leader and catalyst for change in the mortgage industry by driving new initiatives that enable lenders to scale digital closings — saving lenders up to $400 per loan in origination cost, empowering the next generation of leaders and improving lender-settlement coordination throughout the closing. Sachdev believes that the key to perfect closings lies in connecting the people, processes and technology that power our industry. Rooted in this belief, he has led the development of several new innovations and initiatives over the past year that enable lenders to reach scaled adoption of digital closings and partnered closely with hundreds of lender and settlement customers to drive real productivity and efficiency gains. To maximize the value of digital closings for lenders, Sachdev realizes that increasing the adoption of eNotes is critical. With the launch of Snapdocs eVault, loan originators and secondary market participants can scale eNote transactions and save an average of $290 per loan. This uniquely designed, groundbreaking solution paired with Snapdocs’ white-glove implementation and industry expertise in change management, is giving lenders the tools they need to accomplish eClose strategy success. Over 25% of Snapdocs lenders complete transactions with eNotes — a true testament to Sachdev’s visionary leadership and execution.

Sam Sawyer is a real estate prodigy whose journey began at just 19 years old. Renowned for his marketing instincts, he earned the moniker “the guy who sells houses” while studying at Southern Methodist University. Sawyer’s impressive career includes rising to senior vice president at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty and co-founding The Collective, which was later acquired by Compass. His achievements earned him recognition as one of the National Association of Realtors’ 30 under 30 and a spot on D Magazine’s esteemed list of “Best Realtors in Dallas.” Now at the helm of Pinnacle Realty Advisors, Sawyer is revolutionizing the industry. His mission is to provide agents with the essential tools, support and transparent services they need to succeed on their terms. With a commitment to honesty, simplicity and innovation, Sawyer is shaping the future of real estate nationwide. Under Sawyer’s visionary leadership and unwavering determination, Pinnacle Realty Advisors has thrived even in the face of challenging market conditions.

Despite the complexities of the real estate industry, the company has achieved remarkable growth, with a staggering 60% increase in the last six months alone. Sawyer’s forward-thinking mindset and innovative brokerage model have proven to be a winning combination, attracting a growing number of agents who recognize the exceptional value Pinnacle Realty Advisors offers. His ability to navigate through obstacles and his dedication to empowering agents has been instrumental in driving the company’s success. As the driving force behind Pinnacle Realty Advisors’ strategy and hard work, Sawyer has played a pivotal role in propelling the company to new heights, solidifying its position as “the future” in the real estate market.

65 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Michael Sachdev

OCT/NOV 2023

Baron Silverstein

President

President

JPAR Real Estate

Newrez

Through his visionary leadership, Chris Sears, president of JPAR Real Estate, has built the largest and fastest-growing franchise in the network, empowering over 500 agents to succeed in the competitive Houston area. With a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, philanthropy and mentorship, Sears has transformed his organization and positively impacted the housing economy. In the last 12 months, Sears spearheaded the development of a program to foster homeownership in Harris County through a community land trust program. This initiative has provided more opportunities for individuals and families to become homeowners, thus positively impacting the local community and contributing to the growth of the housing economy.

Sears has actively given back to the community through his volunteer work. He has been associated with several charitable organizations, including the Housing Furniture Bank, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Habitat for Humanity. His commitment to addressing food insecurity is evident through the “Every Transaction” initiative, where every closed deal results in the donation of 100 meals to the Houston Food Bank. Over the past year, this initiative has provided an astounding 50,000 meals to those in need, showcasing his dedication to making a positive impact beyond the real estate industry. Sears successfully brought together leaders from organizations such as NAHREP, AAREA, YRD, HIREBA and the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance to collaborate on best practices designed by Sears himself for the first time in 70 years. These efforts have helped these organizations succeed in their core missions through more efficient approaches and raising funds for their respective causes. His dedication to fostering diversity and inclusion in the real estate sector is commendable and will continue to impact the industry.

Throughout his more than 30-year industry career, Baron Silverstein has managed and led mortgage and capital markets platforms through a variety of transitions and market backdrops. His resume, which includes senior roles at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch and Bank of America Securities in addition to most recently leading Newrez, is nothing short of impressive. Today, Silverstein defines success not merely by the way he leads, but by his ability to empower others to lead. As Newrez continues to grow, Silverstein continues to set the right tone and culture in which industry leaders are able to develop and navigate the peaks and challenges of the ever-evolving mortgage space. Silverstein joined Newrez as president in May 2020. Tasked with growing Newrez during the COVID-19 pandemic and an explosive period of mortgage lending, Silverstein’s approach to leadership was both attentive and progressive. Silverstein’s full view of the mortgage lifecycle and customer journey — from both a lending and servicing perspective — has allowed him to make extremely important and often difficult decisions in the short term for Newrez while also maintaining a strategic foresight and a steadfast focus on the company’s long-term goals.

66 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Chris Sears

OCT/NOV 2023

David Smith

Founder and CEO

Head of Mortgage

Inside Real Estate

Truist

The founder and CEO of Inside Real Estate, Joe Skousen has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions and services to drive the success of over 400,000 real estate agents, teams and brokerages, representing many of the top real estate brands in the industry. His passion has fueled the growth of the industry-leading technology platform, kvCORE, and his strategic vision has catapulted the company to new heights with recent developments and acquisitions such as BoomTown. With a dedication to building a positive employee culture, passion for innovation leadership and an unwavering commitment to customer success, Skousen’s focus on people, not just products, continues to drive real results for his company and customers alike. To Skousen, the most rewarding part of his job is knowing that the lives of both the Inside employees and customers are impacted in a positive, collaborative and enriching way. His leadership is based on an unwavering commitment to people, those who are a part of Inside Real Estate, those whose businesses are bettered by their efforts and the community around him. The past six months have been a special testament to this dedication, as Inside Real Estate worked to join forces with the BoomTown team, merging departments and blending workforces while ramping up service offerings, innovation and delivery speeds to their customer base. With transparent communication, all-hands, ask-anything meetings and a genuine goal of improving experiences, both for employees and customers, his leadership style has inspired big moves and incredible innovation as seen both within the company culture and in the rapid release of new solutions to serve Inside Real Estate’s growing customer base.

David Smith was named head of Truist Mortgage in July 2023. He will be leading strategy and execution for all areas of mortgage including originations, fulfillment, nationwide direct channels, correspondent, warehouse lending and servicing for more than 1.2 million clients. In his new role, Smith will report to Truist chief retail and small business banking officer, Dontá Wilson.

Smith’s experience includes leading the mortgage lending, insurance and title businesses affiliated with Keller Williams, providing him with a unique view into the current, purchase-heavy real estate market. Prior to Keller Williams, he was the president and chief executive officer of CitiMortgage, a subsidiary of Citibank. Smith’s experience also includes successfully navigating key exposures for CitiMortgage during the financial downturn of 2008 and, prior to his role with CitiMortgage, serving as the chief operating officer of retail banking and mortgage with Citibank. Beyond these roles, Smith has served in a variety of leadership roles in originations, servicing, and support functions. Throughout his mortgage originations experience, Smith has focused on building product breadth and pricing strategies for clients including pricing for deepened relationships in retail and small business banking, affordable options for first-time homebuyers and creative value propositions for real estate agents and other referral sources.

67 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Joe Skousen

OCT/NOV 2023

Katie Sweeney

Founder

Chairman and CEO

Nationwide Mortgage Bankers

Association of Independent Mortgage Brokers

Richard Steinberg is the founder and chairman of the board at Nationwide Mortgage Bankers (NMB). Steinberg utilizes more than 20 years of leadership experience to ensure that NMB’s duties to shareholders are fulfilled by acting as a link between the board and upper management for the fastest-growing mortgage company in America, per Inc. 5000. Steinberg preserves a family-based feel as NMB continues to grow exponentially. The type of culture instilled is key to delivering a better experience for NMB’s employees and the borrowers they serve. Steinberg’s vision is met with a 97% employee satisfaction survey per NMB’s Great Place to Work certification. Steinberg loves working with people and impacting lives quickly. He started off as a loan officer and was very successful, but he found himself dissatisfied with working for a large company that didn’t take the opinions and voice of its workers. Steinberg’s experience drives the work he does at NMB to make home financing easier, faster and more efficient. Under Steinberg’s guidance, NMB has made strides in profitability, employee retention, and most importantly, getting first-time homebuyers through the loan process. Steinberg wants to build a different type of mortgage company; one that is relationship-based and helps people get into homes. He wants operations and sales to function as one team, by implementing best-of-breed technology while creating a workplace community that trusts each other to build top-quality loans.

Katie Sweeney is the chairman and CEO of the association that represents the largest growth segment in the industry: the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME). The metrics and scale of success have increased exponentially every year since Sweeney took the mantle as chairman and CEO in early 2021. In the last year, Sweeney’s leadership efforts have positively influenced the entire wholesale mortgage channel.

She’s negotiated high-level partnerships with top mortgage lenders, forged connections with dozens of congressional legislators on Capitol Hill, proliferated broker access to industry-leading technology and expanded mortgage brokers’ skill sets with curated educational programs. She also aunched the Broker Action Coalition focused on legislative and regulatory change to benefit both mortgage brokers and consumers and helped grow and support the wholesale channel by expanding broker awareness, and providing hundreds of small business grants to minorities, Veterans and women to open their own brokerages. Sweeney has tirelessly positioned independent mortgage brokers as the best option for homebuyers. She is an incredible representative for AIME’s community of 65,000 members, and the wholesale channel as a whole. The Broker channel has not only grown under her supervision, but it is a better place than the one she inherited. It is more diverse, better educated and better represented in the market and on Capitol Hill. In the last 12 months, AIME has thrived and mortgage brokers have grown thanks to Sweeney’s leadership. She took AIME, its services, education, advocacy campaigns and events to levels never before seen in the wholesale channel, all while raising the bar of what came before.

68 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Richard Steinberg

OCT/NOV 2023

Steve Thompson

Abbie Tidmore

President and CEO

Senior Managing Director and Chief Revenue Officer

PrimeLending

Pennymac Abbie Tidmore’s extraordinary leadership and innumerable contributions to Pennymac have been essential to the company’s success. She was named chief revenue officer in 2022. With her strong financial and analytical acumen, Tidmore oversees all revenue generation at Pennymac, including correspondent, TPO, retail and various joint ventures. Under her leadership, Pennymac became the largest volume originator in the U.S. for the first time in the company’s history. Tidmore is a quick study and works closely with her impressive leadership team to make collaborative decisions on often complex topics. She is never afraid to test a theory, try a new approach and play offense to improve the overall business. Tidmore is known for empowering those around her to be the best version of themselves. This requires two-way trust, constant communication, feedback and teamwork. Tidmore’s teammates know that her support is continuous and that they share the achievements of the company together. At Pennymac, Tidmore co-founded and chairs wEMRG (Women Empowering Mentorships, Relationships and Growth), with the mission of promoting an inclusive environment for women and allies that supports professional growth and leadership development through connections, mentorships, seminars and discussions. In 2021, wEMRG expanded into a Business Resource Group (BRG) to further bolster Pennymac’s commitment to attracting, developing and engaging an increasingly diverse workforce and began inviting all women and allies to become members. Currently, it has become the largest BRG at Pennymac.

69 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

As the president and CEO of PrimeLending, Steve Thompson leads the company’s 1,250-plus loan originators nationwide, as well as the national operations, capital markets, joint ventures and marketing organizations. Under his direction, PrimeLending has established a blueprint for what the company anticipates will result in sustained success focused on delivering consumers a superior mortgage experience. Creating an innovative ecosystem designed to support modern originators, Thompson has championed the implementation of technology-based productivity tools and cutting-edge systems, such as Blue Sage, a state-of-the-art loan origination system.

Thompson joined PrimeLending in 2011 as the regional manager for the southwest, quickly earning a promotion to western division manager and then national sales leader, becoming a highly valued member of the executive leadership team. He was named president of PrimeLending in 2017. Prior to coming to PrimeLending, Thompson held numerous leadership and production positions within the mortgage and financial services industry, including key roles at several prominent nationwide mortgage lenders.

OCT/NOV 2023

Aaron VanTrojen

Chief Growth Officer

CEO

eXp Realty

Geneva Financial Home Loans

Michael Valdes serves as eXp Realty’s chief growth officer, a role he was promoted to in August 2022. If there was one word to describe Valdes, it would be energy! With his 30 years of experience in global real estate and finance, one would be hardpressed to find an agent that hadn’t been positively impacted by his work. In his current role, he leads the eXp Realty and eXp Commercial global expansion efforts, reinforcing aligned growth strategies and leveraging the company’s scale to accelerate growth. Prior to his role at eXp, Valdes held senior-level growth positions at global residential and luxury brokerages, including senior vice president of global servicing for all Realogy Corporation brands. In his role, he oversaw the international servicing platform for all Realogy brands. Valdes passion for real estate is matched by his expertise in and knowledge of global markets and his demonstrated ability to streamline operations and drive worldwide growth. Throughout his career, Valdes has successfully introduced real estate brands in dozens of countries and is well respected for his integrity and ability to build community. Valdes is committed to giving back to the industry he loves, and he was the past chair of the Asian Real Estate Association of America Global Advisory Board, co-host of the 2020 AREAA Global Luxury Summit and a member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals Corporate Board of Governors.

Aaron VanTrojen is the CEO and founder of Geneva Financial, a direct mortgage lender with branches spanning 48 states across the country. VanTrojen knows what it takes to grow a successful company. Geneva Financial was founded in October of 2007, during the biggest financial crash in recent years, and he has been breaking the traditional molds of the industry and attracting top talent from across the nation ever since. VanTrojen believes that success can be achieved by all if you are willing to put in the work. He created Geneva with the desire to offer a platform for originators and operations alike to be recognized for their worth and be compensated accordingly. Seeing and experiencing the greed that can often overtake large corporations, he channels all his energy into supporting the hardworking folks who believe in what he is doing at Geneva. VanTrojen is passionate about changing lives and has the opportunity to do so through the employment offering at Geneva and the financial services they provide. With a culture-forward mindset, he puts the focus on mortgage loan originators and support staff first to ensure an unbeatable experience for Geneva’s customers.

In just this past year, VanTrojen has added two more states to Geneva’s licensure, achieving a coveted 48-state licensure and the opportunity to serve homeowners nearly countrywide.

70 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Michael Valdes

OCT/NOV 2023

Daniel Walters

CEO

CEO

Mortgage Champions

Robert Slack

As one of the pre-eminent thought leaders in the space, Dale Vermillion has become synonymous with his advocacy of an OthersFirst approach to sales, customer service and leadership.

He is a leading example of the what it looks like to invest in raising up future generations of mortgage leaders. Vermillion has worked tirelessly to help his clients at Mortgage Champions and the industry as a whole navigate this incredibly complex and challenging mortgage market. As both the founder and active CEO, Vermillion personally determines the corporate strategy and manages the executive team, all while protecting the unassailable reputation he and the company have earned over the past 30 years. During his 40th year in mortgage, Vermillion attracted nationally recognized clients, helped form partnerships with multinational brands and spoke at some of the industry’s most prestigious conferences. Vermillion’s dedication to his clients, partners, employees and the industry at large continues to drive his unparalleled work ethic — and the results continue to prove invaluable for his team. Without selling the rest of the team short, it’s hard to imagine retaining 90% of revenue from the previous year when many of the best companies in the space experienced 30%-60% reductions in revenue while others closed their doors altogether.

When most companies took a step back in 2022, CEO Dan Walters made the decision to send his team forward at Robert Slack. Being the No. 1 real estate team in Florida for the past five years, Walters knew it was time to expand the company’s footprint and launched their first three expansion states into Texas, Georgia and Colorado. He knew his team had what it took to not only weather the storm but to sail into it and make a nationwide footprint. Walters has been able to expand and position Robert Slack to be a household name across the United States. In the past 12 months he has secured partnerships, launched new teams and raised the bar in the company. The number of partnership’s Robert Slack has has quadrupeled in the previous 12 months. Under his vision they have secured expansion teams in three additional states. Walters took his real estate company from being a leads-driven model based on one source to providing over a dozen sources to his agents. With these partnerships, it has enabled them to expand into three new states within the first half of 2023 alone. While he has expanded the real estate company, he has matched those steps with the funding and title companies as well. Walters also remains an active board member of Slack Serves, the 501(c)(3) the company started as an Emergency Assistance Fund for the agents.

71 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Dale Vermillion

OCT/NOV 2023

Brian Webster

Chief Strategy Officer

President

Mortgage Connect

NotaryCam

Cristy Ward, chief strategy officer at Mortgage Connect, is an influential mortgage executive who has worked with most top20 lenders in her career, developing thoughtful strategies and bringing innovative solutions to the mortgage market, including the industry’s first enhanced closing model — a model which many top lenders adopted into their operational process. Ward understands firsthand the challenges facing women climbing the ladder in this male-dominated field. Her experience inspired her to establish Women Empowering Women Financial Services (WEWFS), a nonprofit that provides a place for peer-to-peer collaboration and support for women in the mortgage industry.

Ward is acutely focused on the need for transparency and options for consumers in closing costs associated with closing a home loan. Ward is passionate about reducing barriers to homeownership for low- to moderate-income borrowers who should not be burdened with excessive closing costs. In the last year, Ward has worked directly with government-sponsored entities and leading lenders to bring attention to this issue and instigate conversations about solutions that would bring greater efficiencies to the closing process. She has made it a personal mission to usher more women into the leadership ranks of the mortgage world. WEWFS strives to expand the boardroom so there are more women at the table, create an atmosphere of diversity and inclusion, and establish the building blocks for future generations of women to be empowered in the workplace. Thanks to the support WEWFS provides, 15% of the organization’s 100plus executive leadership members have taken on entrepreneurial roles within the mortgage space.

Early in his career, Brian Webster recognized the impact technology could have on the mortgage process. He has been a long-time advocate for advancements in the digital process.

Since serving as the mortgage markets originations program manager at the CFPB, which includes spearheading the CFPB’s “Know Before You Owe eClose” pilot, Webster has been a wellknown advocate in the eClose arena. In his current position as President of NotaryCam, Webster leads the company’s strategic growth and focus on expanding the company’s RON products and services, emphasizing increasing mortgage and real estate adoption, which has resulted in a 36% year-over-year growth in real estate transactions and 121% in its insurance transactions. Webster leads NotaryCam’s strategic growth and focus on expanding the company’s remote online notarization (RON) products and services, emphasizing increasing mortgage and real estate adoption. Servicing clients have reduced turn times and costs, shortened the execution timeline and reduced or even eliminated the need for overnight shipping.

Under Webster’s leadership, NotaryCam has also developed a strategic partnership with a fintech company to provide an endto-end digital solution from origination through RON. Over the past year, NotaryCam has also expanded its fraud prevention services to support credit extension clients. In addition to running NotaryCam’s day-to-day operations, Webster is tasked with the ongoing transition of NotaryCam into the Stewart family of companies.

72 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Cristy Ward

OCT/NOV 2023

Charles Williams

Founder and CEO

CEO

Total Expert

Percy

Founded in 2012 by Joe Welu, Total Expert was born to solve a challenge mortgage lenders had faced for years — the need for an industry-specific marketing and sales platform that understood the nuances and complexities of the lending industry.

Welu’s vision for a high-quality customer engagement platform has helped thousands of mortgage lenders engage and guide consumers through complex financial decisions by deploying personalized and data-driven marketing and sales strategies at scale. His masterful understanding of relationship building strategies has taken Total Expert from a startup venture to an industry-leading fintech company serving the nation’s top lenders and loan officers. Under Welu’s leadership, Total Expert has expanded its solution offerings to the insurance industry, further providing the technology to power the entire financial enterprise. Welu prides Total Expert on being a people-centric organization, leading with empathy to empower employees and customers to achieve the best possible outcomes. The “people first” value is so fundamental to Total Expert that it is named as one of the company’s five core values. This is evident through many of the volunteer programs and events the company has invested in, which includes ongoing support for local Twin Cities food banks and basic needs assistance organizations. In the last 12 months, Total Export raised nearly $4,000 in a virtual food and fund drive for Second Harvest Heartland, filled 500 backpacks with food and supplies for PRISM and volunteered on a Habitat for Humanity build.

When Charles Williams founded Percy 10 years ago, he set out on a mission to uncover what he believed to be a massive untapped asset that could be a gamechanger for Realtors and lenders alike: consumer behavioral data. Williams believed that, armed with actionable insights into a homeowner’s assets and intent, agents and loan officers could build more meaningful relationships with prospects and clients. In founding Percy, Williams created a data intelligence company that is the first buyer marketplace to collect, analyze and expose demand for a home, providing intellectual and predictive data that has helped hundreds of thousands of real estate and mortgage professionals generate more seller leads, listings and profit. Under Williams’ leadership, Percy continues to expand its reach, making a huge move this past year that enables agents and loan officers to directly access Percy’s offerings. Previously, Percy was made available to professionals through their firms and brokerages. Now, individuals can partner with Percy to access data and tools to grow their businesses. An engineer by training, Williams is a natural problem solver who is adept at creating systems designed to enhance a process. His grandfather and father both worked in real estate, and in following their footsteps, he saw an opportunity to create something that could effectuate meaningful change in an industry he knew well. A decade later, he has built a thriving company off his inspired idea, leading a growing team that continues to advance Percy’s reach through collaboration and innovation. As CEO, Williams is the anti-micromanager, believing firmly that each team member brings their own unique skills and ideas to the table and that they should feel confident in their ability to contribute and empowered to do what they do best.

73 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Joe Welu

OCT/NOV 2023

Sue Yannaccone

Chief Strategy Officer

President and CEO

Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group

Anywhere Real Estate

Creator, innovator and motivated problem-solver are just a few words to describe John Wines, Atlantic Bay’s chief strategy officer. Wines confidently stands at the forefront of our industry, bearing an incredible fervor for advancement and progression.

His actions and interests propel his company’s assurance that lending peace of mind to the home loan process is not some catchy slogan but a guarantee. Wines oversees a diverse cross-section of Atlantic Bay departments, namely marketing, IT, data governance, project management, external support and training. Wines has cultivated a keen eye for understanding, processing and implementing solutions for the ever-evolving needs of the Atlantic Bay’s sales field. And it all starts with a self-instilled mission to equip his teams with industry-leading technology, marketing and sales training opportunities, tools and resources. Why? To lend his hand in making those around him successful. In an unprecedented and sometimes unpredictable time for his industry, Wines embraced execution. Wines and his team launched several cutting-edge, companywide technologies — including Capacity, an AI chatbot created to help Atlantic Bay employees save time and work smarter. Team members can access procedures and guidelines, LOS data, as well as HR, marketing, and payroll information from anywhere.

In an uncomfortable time for many, Wines works tirelessly to make those around him comfortable.

Sue Yannaccone is an industry luminary whose influence and reach has grown exponentially over the past year. Having served as the president and CEO of Anywhere Brands, she expanded her role to include oversight of Anywhere Advisors — the company-owned brokerage operations, including Coldwell Banker Realty, at the end of 2022. She is now the leader of a vast combined organization that includes over 20,000 affiliated brokerage offices, more than 338,000 affiliated agents across six brands — Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran, ERA and Sotheby’s International Realty — and nearly 60,000 agents as part of company-owned brokerage operations. She is also the leader of one of the most impactful women’s advocacy organizations in the industry: What Moves Her. Yannaccone leads Anywhere Brands and Anywhere Advisors, providing support, guidance, technology and data insights that help to fuel the success of the affiliated brokerages within these leading real estate brands. Yannaccone is recognized for her nearly two decades of deep expertise in franchise management and real estate brokerage operations.

Before joining as president and CEO of Anywhere Brands, she served as regional executive vice president of the eastern seaboard and midwest regions of Coldwell Banker Realty. Prior to that, Yannaccone joined ERA as its chief operating officer in July 2015 before moving to its president and CEO in September 2016.

74 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

John Wines

OCT/NOV 2023

OCT/NOV 2023

75 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

OCT/NOV 2023

76 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Kim Armstrong Sheila Armstrong

Kelly Bradshaw John Cady Naveen Chakrapani Kaya Chavez Courtnie Cho Bryan Crofford Brandon Durham Steve Eagerton

Aaron Kardell Meghan Kelley Karis Koehn Blake Kolo Greg Lane Keith Lashier John Lee Rebecca Levine

Derrick Enderby Bob Fucito Tim Gaasch George Gallagher

Briana LeVoir Mae Mackey Kaitlyn Mauritz Kristin McHale-Johnson

David Garrett Amy Gorce Nelda Green David Greenwood

Diana McKeever Pat McLoughlin Hannah McManus Sue Metzger

Dana Gross Christopher Guerin John Hardesty Mike Hayward

Joni Meyerowitz Kieran Mital Jan Morris Rana Mortensen

Frankie Henderson Dave Higgins Will Holmes Gordon Hoppe

Dan Mugge Sharon Nachman Katelyn Nerbonne Laura Taccini Olson

OCT/NOV 2023

Raj Patel Preetam Purohit Amaly Quiroz Erin Reed Brandon Russell Jonathan Shafer Kamal Shaik Valerie Sheeley Mary Solon Tim Staudenmaier Katie Stewart Danielle Swiatek Tay Toliver Iris Tredway Jamie Veight Christos Viores Dan Willsie

77 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Ankur Bansal Chris Bennett Andrew Binkley Rankin Blair

Judy Huie Kyle Hunter Heather Jones Aayaam Kapoor

Paving the yellow brick road

78 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

By Lesley Collins Erin Reed, vice president of originations valuations at Kim Armstrong ServiceLink, jokingly refers to herself as “Oz Behind the Vice President of Title Automation Services Curtain” in the origination valuation side of her business.

DataTrace And her colleagues, team members and mentees would A serial entrepreneur who has created and sold two title companies, agree with that moniker. Reed prides herself on knowing Kim Armstrong now leads one of DataTrace’s major divisions, delivering a process or procedure backward and forward and then, technology, data and outsourced title production services to title clients applying all she knows to make it better, faster and stronger nationwide. She has played a major role in DataTrace’s recent geographic than when she found it. expansion of its automated search and digital title production capabilReed’s function as ServiceLink’s behind-the-scenes-doer ities. Armstrong’s automated solutions are essential to title companies — aka “Oz” — represents the true essence of the HousingWire as they move to differentiate themselves with faster decisions and match Insiders award. Each year, the Insiders honorees represent cost structures to demand. As vice president of Title Automation Services, a unique group of remarkable operations leaders who are Armstrong leads her team to produce innovative, scalable products and driving their organizations to success. However, their con- solutions that meet rapidly evolving customer needs. Over the past 12 tributions don’t always make it to the front page. months, Armstrong has played an instrumental role in DataTrace’s sigThis year’s list of honorees was made up of talented opera- nificant expansion of its automated search and digital title production tions professionals who are laying the foundation of success capabilities to include even more of the largest and most populous counfor the organizations. Through the development of improved ties across the country. and sophisticated systems, protocols and technology, these operations leaders are driving their organizations to growth and success despite the market conditions.

Through the leadership of Auction.com’s Vice President of Foreclosure Technology Operations Dan Willsie, his team has hit remarkable recent milestones, including a 315% increase in funding, a 314% growth in unique bids and a 140% expansion in approved bidders for Remote Bid, the future of foreclosure auctions. With Willsie’s innovation-driven mindset, he has helped elevate Auction.com to new levels of excellence while making a positive impact on neighborhoods and communities.

Sheila Armstrong As chief operating officer of @properties, Joni Meyerowitz First Vice President of IT Development has principal oversight of the company’s technology function LERETA including pl@tform, the firm’s proprietary brokerage-tech As first vice president of IT Development, Sheila Armstrong is a strasoftware, which enables digital management of all aspects tegic IT analyst, leader and knowledge expert. She works closely with of the client relationship and real estate transaction through LERETA’s IT team, product owners and key operations leaders across a single integrated system. Since Meyerowitz became chief the company’s tax and flood business. This collaboration contributes to operating officer, @properties has become one of the most continuously enhancing LERETA’s award-winning technology suite and tech-forward brokerage firms in the industry and Meyerowitz superior customer services. A true mortgage tax industry veteran and has played a central role in this evolution through the devel- leader, Armstrong joined LERETA over 30 years ago. She worked primaropment, deployment and ongoing management of @prop- ily on software development. Over the years, Armstrong has developed erties’ proprietary technology system. and laid the foundation for nearly every piece of LERETA’s technology.

Take a look at the full list of winners below to see even Throughout her tenure, she has led teams of developers both domestically more of their accolades and achievements that are moving and offshore and played an integral role in LERETA’s successful integrathe housing market forward. tion of several acquisitions. LERETA prides itself on maintaining a strong Congratulations to the 2023 HW Insiders!

SLA performance and high customer satisfaction, and its technology is a driving force behind that.

OCT/NOV 2023

Ankur Bansal

Managing Partner PRESTA Team Consulting

President of HomeLight Closing Services and Agent Success Ankur Bansal is leading a team of title and escrow professionals across the country. He has over a decade of experience scaling and managing businesses as a founder, investor and CEO in the technology industry. Prior to HomeLight, Bansal founded SnapSaves, which was later acquired by Groupon. He was the founding executive at SnapTravel, where he scaled the business from inception to more than $175 million in revenue in two years. An expert and entrepreneur in the proptech space, Bansal has completely transformed HomeLight’s title and escrow business to empower the real estate agent. Since joining the company in 2020, he has spearheaded the implementation of technology to transform HomeLight’s title and escrow model with innovative processes. Under his leadership, HomeLight Closing Services is an industry leader in delivering the ultimate experience to real estate agents by streamlining the closing process.

PRESTA Team Consulting’s managing partner, Chris Bennett, is a dedicated real estate executive with over 30 years of experience helping companies grow. After leaving his leadership role at CoreLogic after 21 years at the company, he was looking for ways to contribute his knowledge to the industry he loves. His work at PRESTA has helped so many MLS organizations and tech companies not only develop strategy but execute strategy as well. Bennett has helped several proptech firms build solid go-to-market plans that set them up for success, including his most recent role as an executive leader for REdistribute. He understands the value of the MLS and his leadership and guidance in helping MLSs maximize the value of their listing data through REdistribute is just one of the many great projects he has worked on. A well-respected member of the organized real estate community, Bennett believes in the strength of relationships as a fundamental requirement of good service.

Andrew Binkley

Rankin Blair

President Constellation Real Estate Group

Chief Operating Officer Lima One Capital

As the president of one of the foremost real estate technology companies in the world, Andrew Binkley always has his fingers on the pulse of the industry. His unorthodox background for a real estate industry executive, his keen eye for detail, and his people skills have allowed him to bring Constellation Real Estate Group’s many different teams and business lines together, motivate our people, and lead with transparency and tact. Binkley is continuously seeking ways to improve and optimize processes and build toward a brighter, more efficient, more technologically advanced future for the industry. He has played a pivotal role in investing in, updating and upgrading Constellation Real Estate Group’s products. In the past 12 months, he also played an integral role in driving Constellation Real Estate Group’s support for organized real estate, including by supporting Nestfully, an MLS-driven technology solution providing principled and pristine data for home buyers and sellers across the US.

As chief operating officer, Rankin Blair leads Lima One Capital’s underwriting and technology efforts that supercharge the company’s record growth. In the past year, he has spearheaded the creation and implementation of a custom-built loan origination system as well as the realignment of the company’s underwriting team in order to increase efficiency and enable continued growth. Blair’s team has also reduced loan closing times and increased borrower satisfaction, cutting cycle times by 20% while originating loans at record volumes. Blair has played a pivotal role in implementing institutional-grade policies and procedures in his decade of executive management. Blair has successfully led the on-time, on-budget implementation of a new LOS system; led the creation of a new operations department and custom web portal. He also reorganized Lima One’s 70-person underwriting team to deliver credit and property underwriting more efficiently in order to close loans with more speed and certainty.

OCT/NOV 2023

79 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Chris Bennett

President of HomeLight Closing Services and Agent Success Homelight

80 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Kelly Bradshaw

John Cady

Director of Operations MISMO

Senior Vice President of Retail Cardinal Financial

Kelly Bradshaw is the director of operations at MISMO. She is known throughout the mortgage finance industry for her operational expertise.

Bradshaw leads MISMO’s membership and engagement programs and facilitates the organization of three summits per year, which bring together hundreds of professionals from across the industry to collaborate and solve critical industry issues. This past year, Bradshaw has played an important role in enhancing engagement among MISMO members despite the challenging market conditions. Bradshaw connects members and industry participants through MISMO enabling the resolution of issues through collaboration and enhancing mortgage industry innovation and ensures that every MISMO member feels as though she is their personal MISMO membership concierge. She enhanced MISMO’s new member onboarding process and organized four full-day MISMO Boot Camp sessions to inculcate new members into MISMO’s community.

John Cady draws on over 30 years of mortgage experience, serving as not only a leader but a mentor to a nationwide team of thriving branch managers. His wisdom and influence empower those under his leadership to achieve tremendous growth and offer clients the next-level service that carries on Cardinal Financial’s continued record of success. Cady joined Cardinal Financial in 2019 as senior vice president of retail. Cady saw a challenge and an opportunity to guide and support the next generation of lending professionals, and there’s no doubt that it’s been a remarkable success. The sales teams, under his leadership, closed over $1.2 billion in loans in 2021. Anticipating a huge industry shift in 2022, Cady has steadily prepared his teams for a shift from a refinance to a purchase focus and encouraged originators to seek creative ways to connect with clients and work alongside referral partners. Thanks to Cady, technology and innovation are at the forefront of these efforts.

Naveen Chakrapani

Kaya Chavez

Vice President of Information Technology Strategy Mr. Cooper

Vice President of Credit Risk Academy Mortgage Corporation

Naveen Chakrapani has almost 20 years of combined experience across banking, financial services and the mortgage industry. Chakrapani has become an indispensable leader at Mr. Cooper, spearheading digital transformation. His deep expertise in digital and product strategy, data modernization and customer and employee experience have guided Mr. Cooper through the execution and implementation of its groundbreaking and award-winning mortgage fulfillment model, FLASH. Under his steady leadership, the company’s multi-year and multi-million-dollar program is successfully underway modernizing the entire mortgage fulfillment process. Mr. Cooper’s FLASH model delivers an optimized cost per loan and reduced loan cycle time to offer a holistic solution and endto-end platform. By the end of 2023, 100% of Mr. Cooper’s transactions will utilize the FLASH model, bringing forward the mortgage industry and fostering innovation across all mortgage technology.

With over 25 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Academy Mortgage Vice President of Credit Risk Kaya Chavez boasts a deep industry knowledge. She thrives as an instrumental asset to the organization.

Her years of experience in the industry make her a true stand-out and give her the ability to access situations and assist with finding the best possible solution. Since beginning her career with Academy in September 2017, Chavez has held several positions, excelling in each role. Her vast experience and industry knowledge allow her to approach situations from a holistic point of view. With a knack for building consensus and problem-solving in a way that allows everyone to feel like they contributed, Chavez is skilled at building and maintaining relationships with everyone she encounters. Chavez has helped Academy navigate today’s challenging market by using her wealth of knowledge and experience to help the company streamline processes and procedures.

OCT/NOV 2023

Courtnie Cho

Bryan Crofford

Executive Vice President of People Strategy and Opeartions Bright MLS

Senior Vice President of People and Talent Acquisition Servbank

Courtnie Cho is the executive vice president of people strategy and operations at Bright MLS. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and achievements. In the past 12 months, she has spearheaded transformative initiatives that have advanced Bright MLS’ executive team and people operations during industry volatility and complexity, while also contributing to the successful operations of two joint ventures. Cho’s strategic approach, talent and dedication have played a pivotal role in developing a diverse, balanced and thriving team that effectively serves the company’s 100,000+ subscribers. Cho has a track record of achievements in talent acquisition and talent development, with a particular focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and substantial contributions in succession planning. Through her expertise in talent acquisition, Cho has successfully brought in highly qualified professionals and executives who have made significant contributions to the company’s growth.

As senior vice president of people and talent acquisition, Bryan Crofford brings over 14 years of extensive HR experience to Servbank. His positivity is contagious. He is highly approachable and personable. His strengths lie in his aptitude for fostering relationships with team members across the organization. He is committed to furthering the comprehensive knowledge of the industry. Crofford’s contributions to the company have been invaluable, particularly in his recent leadership and hands-on effort to transition more than 425 team members from The Money Source to Servbank. Crofford’s expertise and dedication were instrumental in navigating the complexities of this transition, allowing the company to adapt swiftly, effectively and efficiently. He has been the driving force for soliciting feedback from Servbank’s team members and ensuring that their voices are heard and considered.

Brandon Durham Director of Learning and Development Homeowners Financial Group

Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, Sales Operations and Corporate Development Black Knight

Brandon Durham joined Homeowners Financial Group more than seven years ago to develop the company’s entire training platform. Since then, Durham has accomplished that and more as he ascended to his current role of national director of learning and development. In the past 12 months, Durham’s contributions have been vital to the organization.

He has collaborated with marketing as the architect of My Mortgage Manager, Homeowners Financial Group’s uniquely packaged free service that helps LOs offer advisory services beyond financing transactions.

Durham also worked on the “Now Is a Good Time to Buy” campaign, which offered education about wealth-building opportunities through real estate that might otherwise not have been apparent to consumers.

Durham oversaw the growth and integration of the marketing tech stack to incorporate HomeBot, Total Expert, BombBomb and more — all with the end game of adding the most value for our clients and partners.

Steve Eagerton is Black Knight’s treasurer and senior vice president of investor relations, sales operations and corporate development. Eagerton wears numerous hats for Black Knight and excels at all of his complex responsibilities. Eagerton is focused on ensuring the sales and support teams have the information they need to help Black Knight drive further efficiencies for our clients, win new customers and retain existing customers. Eagerton is a critical contributor to key areas across the Black Knight enterprise, including finance, investor relations, sales operations and corporate development to support both Black Knight’s success and the success of clients. To help build a comprehensive solutions ecosystem that would provide Black Knight clients with the capabilities and data they need from a single, trusted provider, Eagerton led the company’s corporate development efforts over the last few years to acquire 11 companies with the solutions and services clients most needed.

OCT/NOV 2023

81 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Steve Eagerton

82 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Derrick Enderby

Bob Fucito

Director of Customer Success LenderLogix

Vice President Fannie Mae

An industry veteran and crowd favorite, Derrick Enderby lives for making customers happy. He takes the time to ensure LenderLogix clientele implement and get the most out of the platform, leading to a 27% increase in pre-approvals issued from the platform, an impressive Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 84 and a booming speaker engagement calendar. He also innovated LenderLogix’s client dashboard and Customer Success Playbook. Since assuming leadership as director of customer success, Enderby has been pivotal in lenders successfully gaining loan officer adoption of LenderLogix’s product suite. Enderby also implemented automated outreach campaigns from the LenderLogix customer relationship management system, specifically targeting “light” users. By scheduling personalized one-on-one training sessions, he ensures that users are fully equipped to maximize the benefits of LenderLogix — a personal touch that is often hard to find in tech.

Bob Fucito brings more than 35 years of financial industry experience as a resiliency risk and crisis management expert, and he continues to strengthen Fannie Mae’s resiliency posture through his guidance and thought leadership. Fucito has established policy and standards, leading the development of the company’s backup data center, implementing a robust testing methodology and creating an out-of-region critical staffing capability. Fucito’s efforts have served as the foundation for protecting the company and creating a culture of resiliency-minded leadership and staff. Fucito recently created a new resiliency risk function to focus on identifying and reducing the risk that third- and fourth-party relationships may present to the company. He continues to innovate as the company’s primary point person for the regulatory resolution planning initiative by supplying critical data. Fucito established an integrated one-touch process with the business resiliency review process to gain synergies.

Tim Gaasch

George Gallagher

Head of Account Management Clever Real Estate

Senior Leader of ESG, Climate Risk, Natural Hazard and Spatial Solutions CoreLogic

In his nearly four years at Clever Real Estate, Tim Gaasch has been instrumental to the company’s growth and is a tireless behind-the-scenes operator. As head of account management, he has helped achieve record-high conversion metrics for consumer direct lenders through his work building the partnerships team. The company itself, especially its partnerships and accounts receivable teams, would not have found the success it has without Gaasch’s leadership and ability to cultivate strong relationships.

Gaasch has worked on the sales, operations, accounts receivable and partnerships teams and has helped grow every single department. He built the accounts receivable process from scratch, going from paper checks piled on a table to the digital operation Clever uses today. Gaasch wears many hats yet excels at whatever he does. In the past 12 months, Gaasch has served as Clever’s head of partnerships, account management and built the partnerships team from the ground up.

George Gallagher is the heart and soul of the climate risk tech program at CoreLogic. Gallagher’s humble and relatable nature has made him beloved by clients and employees alike. His domain knowledge and ability to engage in climate-related conversations across scientific, technical and socio-economic topics makes him an invaluable leader in this critical conversation. Gallagher’s presence as the senior leader of ESG, climate risk, natural hazard and spatial solutions is versatile. His expertise shines through as he takes the stage, captivating large audiences with informative presentations, or leading intimate panel discussions with industry leaders. Even during his travels, Gallagher prioritizes client meetings and engaging in knowledge-sharing sessions with colleagues.

In each interaction, his goal remains consistent: to educate individuals on the profound impacts of climate change on businesses and explore future solutions for combating it.

OCT/NOV 2023

David Garrett

Amy Gorce

Integration Services Manager DocMagic

CEO REdistribute

David Garrett has spent the bulk of his career dedicated to the mortgage industry with an emphasis on integration engineering and connecting disparate technology systems. He has worked for both mortgage lenders and mortgage technology vendors to design and support complex technology environments that advance the mortgage lending process.

Garrett is a team player who is never afraid to roll his sleeves up and make big things happen for DocMagic and the mortgage industry as a whole.

Garrett has made many valuable contributions to DocMagic during his eight years with the company, with the last year focusing exclusively on advancing eClosing automation. One of his key achievements has been his role in developing DocMagic’s API integration for third-party connectivity to its end-to-end Total eClose solution. In addition to his work with commercially available LOS platforms, Garrett has tackled the challenge of integrating with proprietary core banking systems.

Amy Gorce, CEO of REdistribute, is an experienced real estate technology executive with over 25 years of service to the industry. As the former CEO of Intermountain MLS and the former president of Clareity, she firmly believes in the value of the MLS and the importance of organized real estate. Gorce understands the intersection of property data and innovation for investors, mortgage servicers and service providers that need to license data to produce their products. The ability to provide clean, timely property data to serve consumers better is the hallmark of REdistribute, which aggregates and distributes data for participating MLS organizations and their broker participants. The data is sourced directly from the MLS community daily, making it the freshest property data available in the country. Thanks to Gorce’s dedication to building relationships with every MLS in the country, the organization is on track to have full coverage by the end of the year.

Nelda Green

Chief Technology and Information Security Officer Asurity

Nelda Green is the senior vice president of data analysis and vendor management for ATTOM. Green’s invaluable contributions in ensuring excellence in data fulfillment and delivery for the premium property data provider have played a key role in the company’s ability to scale into a leading provider of nationwide real estate and property data for residential and commercial properties. Following ATTOM’s recent successful string of acquisitions to further expand the company’s data footprint, Green has advanced to her current position thanks to her strengths not only in managing data assets but also in process improvement and streamlining operations. Green’s ability to minimize manual processes, while leveraging existing and new tools, has proven essential in her role at ATTOM in overseeing data quality, delivery and sourcing. With Green’s guidance, ATTOM continues to influence and drive partnerships with industry-leading companies to bring new datasets to the market power innovation.

Asurity’s chief technology and information security officer, David Greenwood, joined the company at a time when the industry was just beginning to embrace the digital future of eMortgage. Greenwood invested time in learning the business, the processes and the data, developing a deeper understanding of lenders and industry needs. These learnings informed his vision for the “doc gen” platform of the future — intuitive, interoperable, seamless and performant. For the past several years, Greenwood has been at the center of Asurity’s technology focus — cloud infrastructure, information security and software development — and has been central to the system design and development effort for Propel.

Greenwood sets a high bar for quality, and his disciplined approach, detail orientation and can-do attitude are infectious. For Greenwood, building great software and great solutions is a labor of love and he is passionate about building something of lasting value that will advance the mortgage industry.

OCT/NOV 2023

83 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

David Greenwood

Senior Vice President of Data Analysis and Vendor Management ATTOM

Christopher Guerin

Dana Gross Chief Administration Officer Consolidated Analytics

Executive Vice President of Origination and Business Development American Financial Resources

Dana Gross is an accomplished HR leader dedicated to optimizing workforce performance and driving innovative strategies that encourage employees to embrace challenges and pursue growth opportunities within the organization. Drawing from a proven history of implementing strategic talent acquisition, development and retention initiatives, Gross’sleadership has fostered a thriving, inclusive and high-performing culture that propels sustainable success. Gross’s passion for training and development has created numerous growth opportunities. Through her implementation of comprehensive employee development programs, she has significantly enhanced the capabilities and engagement of the staff.

Embracing a collaborative approach, Gross fosters a culture of learning from one another, actively identifying training needs and creating avenues for professional growth. Gross’ impactful initiatives extend beyond the confines of the organization.

Christopher Guerin, American Financial Resources’s (AFR) executive vice president of origination and business development, has shown exceptional leadership through contributions to AFR’s marketing and oversight of its origination channels. With a strategic focus on affordable housing and expanding homeownership opportunities, Guerin has successfully implemented updates to AFR’s sales verticals and marketing strategy, resulting in significant improvements and savings for veterans and qualified home applicants. Guerin leads a dedicated team to oversee AFR’s sales verticals, including wholesale, correspondent and retail.

Guerin has been instrumental in driving AFR’s resurgence in the last 12 months after several leadership changes. Under his guidance, AFR’s “Why Wait” campaign has effectively highlighted core products tied to affordable housing, with the goal of expanding homeownership options for qualified borrowers.

it

84 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

John Hardesty

Mike Hayward

General Manager of Mortgage Argyle

Vice President of Auction Sales Xome

John Hardesty is dedicating his career and professional achievement to the technological advancement of the mortgage industry. As general manager of Argyle’s mortgage division, Hardesty has more than doubled Argyle’s mortgage customers, secured partnerships and led integrations with SimpleNexus, ICE Encompass and BlackKnight among others in the past six months alone. In the process, Hardesty is helping mortgage lenders dramatically lower costs of verification of income and employment by up to 80%. And, he created a delightful borrower experience that reduces time to close by up to several days. Hardesty actively advocates for Argyle’s mortgage solution product direction, is building out a strategic partnership portfolio, strengthening GSE relationships, serving as a thought leader in Argyle’s mortgage vertical marketing and assisting customer success initiatives and client onboarding. He is the biggest advocate for Argyle’s mortgage partners and customers.

With over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry and nearly nine years at Xome, Mike Hayward is a transformative leader who built Xome’s auction platform from the ground up. He has worked alongside multiple departments within the company, providing him with well-rounded expertise to guide the most strategic and profitable decisions for the company. His understanding of complex digital and product strategies for buyers and sellers, as well as his dedication to creating an environment for innovation, have helped lead Xome to where it is today. In the past year, Hayward has spearheaded the website transformation of the Xome platform. He guided the next steps in the digital transformation of the company. Hayward has also helped lead the development of Xome’s Learning Center, which helps new users better understand the overall auction process. Hayward took on the vision for the future of the platform, which supports users through each phase of their journey.

OCT/NOV 2023

Dave Higgins Vice President of Business Innovation UMortgage

Frankie Henderson, senior vice president of secondary markets, is an asset to American Financial Resources (AFR). Henderson’s contributions have significantly enhanced AFR’s ability to set competitive pricing, respond swiftly to changes and ultimately, provide superior service to clients. Henderson is a seasoned expert and brings unparalleled skill to the organization. His expertise in backend build-out for the AFR pricing model has been invaluable, as he has not only developed and maintained it with great precision but also ensured its timeliness and flexibility.

From a simple one-page layout with limited note rates, Henderson has transformed the strategy into a comprehensive pricing system that accommodates all the diverse programs AFR offers. The dedication and diligence in building strong relationships with pricing engines, investors and agencies have resulted in successful partnerships that have further strengthened AFR’s position in the market.

Dave Higgins, vice president of business innovation, is the mastermind behind UMortgage’s approach to the market. He brings structure, accountability, communication and user adoption to life all while maintaining the platform’s industry-best NPS and operations turn times.

Higgins’ impact on UMortgage stretches across the entire organization as the processes he has designed allow the platform to continue to grow and scale without sacrificing the user experience. When designing the processes and structures that served as catalysts for UMortgage’s record growth, he carefully considered the pain points and triggers of all parties impacted. Higgins approaches projects with a unique intentionality that’s both efficient and empathetic. Across the organization, Higgins has a unique ability to bring people, processes and experiences together in a way that’s enabled UMortgage to operate more efficiently and rapidly scale against the grain of other platforms within the mortgage industry.

Will Holmes

Gordon Hoppe

Head of Partnerships OpenDoor

Chief Operating Officer and Head of Sales Corcoran Sunshine

As Opendoor’s head of partnerships, Will Holmes oversees product strategy, growth and enablement for Opendoor’s partnerships with agents, online real estate platforms and builders. Holmes enables all partners to maximize Opendoor’s tech-forward solutions so they can increase contract volume and enhance the customer experience, making it easier and more certain to move. Holmes created Opendoor Agent Access, a loyalty program that helps agents grow their earnings through repeat transactions and provides training and content to invest in their own personal development. In April, he led the expansion of Agent Access, upping the benefits agents receive, and ultimately helping more customers move with simplicity and certainty. Holmes enhanced Agent Access by expanding loyalty point offerings to agents who represent buyers purchasing Opendoor-owned homes.

Gordon Hoppe is chief operating officer and head of sales for New York City-based Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group. It is the new development marketing firm established within The Corcoran Group and the country’s premier organization for sales and marketing of luxury residential condominium developments. Hoppe has played a significant part in the company’s expansion and industry presence due to the strength of its relationships with world-renowned developers, architects, designers and top agents who sell in the luxury market. An indispensable member of Corcoran’s leadership team for almost 20 years, Hoppe is primarily responsible for developing and mentoring the industry-leading sales force at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group. Hoppe also oversees the day-to-day management of the business and drives international and domestic outreach efforts representing Corcoran Sunshine’s market-leading portfolio, managing key trade association relationships.

OCT/NOV 2023

85 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Frankie Henderson Senior Vice President of Secondary Markets American Financial Resources

86 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Judy Huie

Kyle Hunter

Vice President and DEI Busienss Officer Freddie Mac

General Manager of Franchise Lone Wolf Technologies

Judy Huie is known within Freddie Mac as someone who leads complex operational challenges, most recently across the human resources (HR) and diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) divisions. Huie helped advance strategic priorities in the company’s HR division and was tapped last year to serve as vice president, DEI business officer. In her role, Huie provides strategic oversight and management of Freddie Mac’s DEI program further embedding DEI into the enterprise’s business practices.

Huie’s commitment to operational excellence is evident throughout her tenure at Freddie Mac. In Huie’s more than 20 years of experience, she has worked in roles with increasing responsibility in internal audit, business management, HR and DEI with a focus on building teams. She helped staff the new division, create an operating model, develop a new DEI policy and redesign the DEI program for action and progress. These activities have positioned us well for this year.

Kyle Hunter, general manager of franchise at Lone Wolf Technologies, has a passion for staying ahead of industry trends and understanding the intricate dynamics of franchise operations. Hunter has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to driving success within the real estate industry. His ability to analyze market shifts, anticipate future developments and foster strong relationships with franchise partners sets him apart as a visionary leader. Hunter is unwavering in his enthusiasm for understanding the nuances of the real estate industry.

He thrives on juxtaposing different brands and franchises, seeking to unravel the intricate connections that shape the industry landscape. By comprehending how these pieces fit together, Hunter gains invaluable insights into how various decisions and shifts impact different players and the industry as a whole. He constantly stays informed about breaking news and developments.

Heather Jones

Aayaam Kapoor

Director of Strategic Solutions Factual Data

Vice President of Product and Agency Real Estate Webmasters

Throughout her tenure at Factual Data, Heather Jones, director of strategic solutions, has forged a rapport between the organization and the primary GSEs. As a galvanizing force in advancing industrywide innovation, she works directly with well-known market makers, helping to breathe life into their strategic visions with shrewd insight and unparalleled skill. Jones is highly adept in communication, project management and leadership, and she exemplifies and continually advances the mission of Factual Data: helping lenders expand homeownership. Jones has contributed unwavering positivity to all her projects in the past year.

When Factual Data faced the new challenges associated with the growth of pre-qualification reports, she led both customers and mutual partners to achieve success in the marketplace. Jones coordinated with the multiple stakeholders needed to support each individual customer and deploy the new pre-qualification process.

Aayaam Kapoor is the vice president of product and agency at Real Estate Webmasters, leading the project to relaunch Real Estate Webmasters’s company’s website, REW.com. He achieved this goal in just three months, making it the only website in the real estate industry to score 100s on WPO, SEO and accessibility. He also led the delivery of REW’s award-winning IDX-powered real estate platform, Renaissance, that ingests, processes, and loads over 1 TB of data to the front-end layer in record time.

Kapoor managed to improve customer satisfaction scores by over 20% and brought down the first touch and full resolution times from 12 hours and three days to one hour and four hours respectively. Kapoor has also led multiple teams including project management, QA, product, engineering and customer experience. In his current role, he leads the delivery of product, engineering and agency services, and is creating a culture of collaboration, cooperation and transparency at all levels.

OCT/NOV 2023

Meghan Kelley Vice President of Global Operations eXp Realty

As the vice president of product at Lone Wolf Technologies, Aaron Kardell has demonstrated a remarkable ability to drive innovation, optimize processes and create new opportunities within a larger organization. Kardell was the former CEO of Homespotter, acquired by Lone Wolf in May 2021, and helped create its three products: Connect, Boost, and Spacio. Since then, these products have continued to grow and evolve, showcasing Kardell’s strategic vision and commitment to driving the company forward. In his current role, Kardell has brought a fresh perspective to the industry. He has successfully introduced new products and enhancements, demonstrating his ability to innovate and deliver value to real estate professionals. Kardell’s dedication to creating meaningful change within the industry is evident through his thought leadership and contributions in discussing entrepreneurialism and digital advertising ecosystem changes.

Meghan Kelley is the problem-solver of the real estate industry. When eXp Realty began expanding globally, Kelley and her team opened and staffed offices in 20 new countries in her first three months with the company, without ever setting foot outside the U.S. With nearly 20 years’ experience, today Kelley serves eXp Realty as vice president of global operations. Prior to that, she was the director of operations for the CEO at Realogy Franchise Group, where she launched an automated social advertising initiative to five real estate brands in just seven weeks. She also built and set up a new department at Realogy in her role as director of agent retention and recruiting. Kelley’s talent is in making the complex simple, whether it be launching products to thousands of offices, discovering operational inefficiencies, starting new global real estate businesses or providing solutions and process-improvement measures.

Karis Koehn

Blake Kolo

Senior Vice President of Business Development Association of Independent Mortgage Experts

Chief Business Officer and Head of Investor Relations United Wholesale Mortgage

Karis Koehn’s invaluable contributions have led to her promotion from vice president of partnerships to senior vice president of business development. She came to AIME with over 10 years of mortgage industry experience, including a tenure as vice president of sales at SoftVu (later Volly). Her background in the lead generation and technology space folded seamlessly into success in the wholesale mortgage channel. She wields extensive industry knowledge and the relationship-building skills to handle all external communications and negotiations with AIME’s client base and business partners. Koehn brought enterprise-level technologies, specialized services, and advanced processes to our community.

Karis establishes new relationships and then works closely with AIME’s growing list of partners. She has been representing AIME to peers and partners in the industry, filling the roles of highlighted speaker and moderator at multiple large-scale wholesale mortgage conferences.

As chief business officer and head of investor relations, Blake Kolo has been instrumental in United Wholesale Mortgage’s (UWM) growth and financial performance. He brings an unparalleled combination of accounting, finance and sales experience to UWM’s executive team. Kolo is consistently developing plans and strategies aimed at accelerating business development. Joining UWM only four years ago, Kolo has made a significant impact on the company, playing a vital role in taking UWM public through the largest SPAC in history at the time and helping UWM achieve its ranking as the No. 1 overall lender in the nation. As the head of investor relations, Kolo serves as the primary contact between UWM, investors and market analysts, and oversees UWM’s mortgage funding operations, private label securitization and mortgage servicing rights activity, a critical business unit, especially with interest rate volatility in the last 12 months.

OCT/NOV 2023

87 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Aaron Kardell Vice President of Product Lone Wolf Technologies

88 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Greg Lane

Keith Lashier

Director of Finance Sagent

Head Originator Nectar

In close partnership with product, customer success and sales teams, Greg Lane serves and empowers the $13 trillion servicing market — and Sagent partners holding a total of over $1 trillion of unpaid balances in 2022-2023 alone. With deep servicing expertise and mastery of the financial metrics that make it tick, Lane monitors, analyzes and anticipates key product decisions and partnership opportunities with a range of stakeholders in mind. Lane understands that in a complex, highly regulated environment like mortgage servicing, product experts, engineering leaders and mortgage veterans need their finance teams to drive, not hinder, successful business outcomes — and that’s why Lane’s acumen, foresight and rapid, proactive decision-making is so impactful to Sagent’s success. Lane drastically exceeded expectations at Sagent as a pricing and forecasting specialist, financial modeling master and trusted financial guide for some of America’s largest servicers.

Keith Lashier, the operations lead at Nectar, has unmatched expertise in securing unique financing for real estate owners and operators. His proven track record of driving revenue, establishing high-level partnerships, and providing innovative financing solutions makes him an invaluable asset to Nectar. Lashier has consistently exceeded expectations in his role, driving revenue and surpassing origination goals. His sales and negotiation skills have been instrumental in securing financing for rental owners and operators, contributing to the growth and success of the organization. Lashier’s ability to establish and nurture high-level partnerships has been instrumental in driving long-term success. Lashier’s contributions have been instrumental in driving Nectar’s growth, establishing key partnerships and providing unique financing solutions.

His outstanding performance, origination expertise and dedication to continuous improvement make him an invaluable asset to the team.

John Lee

Rebecca Levine

Chief Operating Officer Divvy Homes

Chief Financial Officer Curbio

As chief operating officer at Divvy Homes, John Lee leads all operational functions of the business and provides strategic vision to the organization, a leader in rent-to-own. Divvy seeks to ease access to U.S. homeownership, out of reach to many due to strict underwriting by mortgage providers and rising house prices. Under Lee’s focused leadership, Divvy has grown to 19 markets across nine states and has served more than 7,000 customers. Lee leads the teams at Divvy that focus on serving the needs of its growing base of customers and portfolio of thousands of homes.

Lee directly oversees the teams that manage home acquisition and asset management strategies, and manages the operational implementation of pricing, negotiations, offers, closings and vacancies. Lee has built a resident success program that ensures that each of Divvy’s customers is on a path to a successful outcome — homeownership. Divvy’s customer satisfaction scores have risen to 4.5 out of 5.

Rebecca Levine has been instrumental in facilitating Curbio’s growth, taking the company to $80 million in revenue in just five short years. She is an impeccable leader, overseeing Curbio’s finance, legal and HR functions with an impressive blend of strategic and tactical acumen. Thanks to her contributions and leadership, Curbio has become the single largest provider of pay-at-closing home improvements in the country. Levine has been a direct contributor to Curbio’s growth in revenue and profitability.

Thanks to Levine and her team, Curbio has consistently been recognized for its growth — growing 135% year-over-year in 2022 as noted in reputable publications such as the Inc. 5000 and Deloitte Fast 500. Levine has been the primary executive responsible for Curbio’s development as an employer, growing the company from 25 employees to over 200 employees and earning consistent recognition as a top workplace.

OCT/NOV 2023

Mae Mackey Senior Vice President of Production Management Sun West Mortgage Company

Briana LeVoir is truly PropStream’s insider champion. As one of PropStream’s first hires, LeVoir’s years of experience have helped her develop an advanced understanding of the systems, platforms and processes that have led to fluidity and cohesiveness within the customer support team. LeVoir’s leadership has resulted in daily operations that delight customers and enrich internal team members. LeVoir’s diligence has helped the organization reach key milestones in retention and engagement in its customer base. Her gift of approaching all team members with the utmost empathy and compassion has contributed to a heart-centered culture within the organization which has heavily contributed to PropStream’s success. This triumph has translated into the successful sale to Stewart Title and favorable reviews and loyalty from PropStream customers who value the support and problem-solving approach to their specific real estate data needs.

As senior vice president of production management, Mae Mackey is a hardworking and caring leader at Sun West. Mackey manages hundreds of loan officers, underwriters, processors and loans per month, all while traveling around the country educating real estate professionals on Sun West’s new AI program, Angel AI. She ensures that Angel AI delivers 100% accurate responses every single time. Mackey is affectionately known as “the loan whisperer” because she is able to do anything possible to get a loan closed. Mackey is always available to loan officers with their loan issues, ensuring that every loan can close on time. She is known as the person in the company to figure out how to get even the most complex loan closed by researching laws and regulations and using Angel Ai. Her positivity for loan solutions brings hope to borrowers when they begin to lose hope for their loan. Mackey goes above and beyond for every customer and works with them to find the best solution.

Kaitlyn Mauritz

Kristin McHale-Johnson

Head of Investor Relations Redwood Trust

Senior Vice President and Head of Product Freedom Mortgage Corporation

Kaitlyn Mauritz is critical to the success of Redwood Trust by leading the investor relations function through some challenging times for the housing and mortgage industry. She has a finger on the pulse of Redwood’s external messaging — expanding the role of investor relations to span investor relations, public relations, environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and capital markets. Her ability to connect with stakeholders in a way that resonates with all constituents and highlights the core value of Redwood has helped increase engagement and interest, and grow the company’s shareholder base and analyst coverage. Mauritz spearheaded the growth of Redwood’s investor relations and ESG efforts and led the company in issuing its inaugural ESG report in 2022. She boosted shareholder engagement efforts and expanded engagement with both new and existing investors, having engaged with over 250 public stakeholders and analysts within one year.

Kristin McHale-Johnson is the head of product at Freedom Mortgage Corporation, overseeing a team of more than 55 people, focused on building products for customers and employees. Since joining the company, she has been meticulous in identifying enhancements to existing systems to increase efficiencies and usability. These enhancements McHale-Johnson implemented have helped in cost reduction and increases in productivity.

Over the past year, McHale-Johnson and her team have enhanced the customer portal, mobile app, Salesforce and its integration into Freedom Mortgage’s systems, Service Now, Business Process Management software, Confluence and JIRA for employees and FreedomMortgage.com to name a few. The recently improved customer portal has streamlined borrowers’ experiences across the mobile and desktop app and increased digital engagement and marketing opportunities including an overall increased mobile app adoption by 45%.

OCT/NOV 2023

89 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Briana LeVoir Director of Customer Service PropStream

90 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Diana McKeever

Pat McLoughlin

Senior Vice President and Technology Product Manager PrimeLending

Director of Product Management and Founder of Digs OJO

Diana McKeever has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry. She serves as senior vice president and technology product manager at PrimeLending and has continuously demonstrated an unwavering dedication to developing technology solutions that enhance the home loan experience. McKeever has exceptional leadership skills in implementing award-winning application processes and managing complex projects. She has a compassionate approach and significant industry contributions as well. Throughout her career in the mortgage industry, McKeever has displayed an unmatched passion for process improvement and operational efficiency. Guiding a team of talented product analysts, McKeever effectively identifies the needs of the business and skillfully navigates changing requirements. Her role encompasses managing all aspects of PrimeLending’s loan origination system, making her contributions vital to the growth and success of the organization.

Pat McLoughlin has been one of OJO’s best-kept secrets since he joined the organization through the acquisition of the company he founded, Digs, in 2020. As a founder and licensed real estate agent, he brings a wealth of industry and business knowledge to OJO and demonstrates exceptional leadership, driving product innovation and strategy. McLoughlin has revolutionized the Android and iOS app experience by introducing unique features and expanding OJO’s consumer lifecycle by focusing on attracting homeowners and sellers to the platform. His passion for real estate, innovative product strategy and his founder’s mentality have resulted in increased user engagement and strengthened agent relationships. McLoughlin’s dedication to delivering unparalleled consumer experiences and commitment to the real estate industry set him apart.

McLoughlin’s exceptional leadership and product management skills have propelled OJO to previously untapped markets.

Hannah McManus

Sue Metzger

Group Director of Branded Family of Companies Atlantic Bay Mortgage

Director of Operations Supreme Lending

Hannah McManus is a leader who believes “a rising tide lifts all boats,” which you will see expounded below. Since July of 2021, McManus has served as Atlantic Bay’s director of branded family of companies. Playing an integral role in the organization’s offerings and partnerships, she oversees operations and marketing for Atlantic Bay’s company partnerships and additional services to provide borrowers with the complete homebuying experience with industry-leading insurance and home warranty products. McManus and her team created a hub of resources and assets to help educate and support consumers, employees and communities on affordable housing programs. Internally, McManus’ work on the marketing success plan helps new hires integrate into the company and establish their stakeholder team in three stages — learning, building and growing — instead of an unforgiving trial-by-fire approach.

Sue Metzger has gracefully risen to the top of the mortgage industry leadership not only through hard work and dedication but due to honest talent, genuine likeability and passion for innovation. With more than 30 years of mortgage experience, Metzger has improved the quality of lending in countless positions, beginning as a regional underwriting manager and then meeting the challenges of director of national underwriting and chief compliance officer. At Supreme Lending, Metzger serves as director of operations and has facilitated significant improvements in the company’s operational loan processes through innovative technology, and she continuously enriches the company’s culture. Metzger is passionate and driven by the ability to put families in homes first and foremost, but she also values being involved in technological developments to improve the process of getting those families into their homes — making it quicker and more cost-effective.

OCT/NOV 2023

Kieran Mital Head of Brand Marketing and Strategy Tavant

Joni Meyerowitz is chief operating officer of @properties, the Chicagobased parent company of the @properties and Christie’s International Real Estate affiliate networks. Meyerowitz has principal oversight of @properties’ technology function including pl@tform, the firm’s proprietary brokerage-tech software, which enables digital management of all aspects of the client relationship and real estate transaction through a single integrated system. She directed the launch and expansion of @properties’ in-house software engineering team and works alongside @properties’ co-founders, Thad Wong and Mike Golden, to oversee the development of all products that make up the integrated system. These include the @properties Deal Management System, CRM, digital comparative market analysis, digital listing presentation, e-campaign and marketing tools, @opens, the @agent app internal communications tool and much more.

Kieran Mital is growth-focused and a dynamic problem solver. Mital is a dominant force, driving brand strategy and execution for Tavant’s rapidly growing products as head of brand marketing and strategy. As an accomplished executive, Mital has a proven history of creating marketing campaigns that boost brand recognition, increase revenue and solidify Tavant’s competitive position. Through his direct marketing efforts, Tavant’s Touchless Lending platform has seen significant traction and growth this past year. Mital strategically works to further position Tavant and its solutions as the leaders in AI, fintech and proptech. Mital aims to bring to every initiative the ability to see more and consider new practical options. Driven by Mital and his team’s aggressive brand awareness and marketing campaigns, Tavant’s growth has been exponential, powering more than 32 million mortgage-related transactions in 2022. Building on its brand awareness, Tavant increased revenues by more than 40%.

Jan Morris

Rana Mortensen

Senior Prinicpal and Associate General Counsel CoreLogic

Executive Director NEXA Mortgage

Jan Morris is a solution-oriented leader who is constantly seeking winwin outcomes for complex issues. She is always willing to take on new challenges, expand her knowledge and has the benefit of being a quick study who rapidly understands and communicates risks and rewards and proposes solutions. Morris is the senior principal and associate general counsel leading mergers and acquisitions. In addition to playing an instrumental role in managing the recent acquisition by Stone Point Advisors and Insight Partners and acting as assistant secretary to the board during this acquisition process, Morris has overseen six acquisitions since joining CoreLogic in 2020. Morris also plays a key role in CoreLogic’s corporate governance, capital markets, executive compensation and compliance. She has proactively spearheaded entity rationalization of CoreLogic’s subsidiaries, simplifying its organizational structure, creating efficiencies and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

As executive director of NEXA Mortgage, Rana Mortensen is a force multiplier, who is always willing to take on any task from any department.

Mortensen is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, working directly with the owners, company managers and directors to ensure everything is running efficiently and effectively. Working hand-in-hand with the visions of Mike Kortas, CEO, and Mat Grella, president, she helps create and execute the implementation of future plans.

Mortensen created a group called “Women of NEXA” to bring recognition and support to all the women within the organization. The motto she created for this group is “stepping together as WON” aiming to inspire and empower women to achieve more within the mortgage industry. As a leader, Mortensen exudes honesty, integrity and the desire to serve others. She consistently puts the needs of others above her own to achieve success for the larger good of the company.

OCT/NOV 2023

91 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Joni Meyerowitz Chief Operating Officer @properties

92 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Dan Mugge

Sharon Nachman

Chief Operating Officer Calque

Director of Business Development Bayport Funding

Dan Mugge is an expert in business technology with an extensive resume of senior leadership roles and a master’s degree in instructional technology. As chief operating officer of Calque, Mugge combines his skills in product management and strategic planning with his stellar tech acumen to help Calque advance its mission to develop partnerships and reach more homebuyers. As a seasoned executive who has honed his expertise in strategy and development in the real estate and mortgage industries while working for companies like First American, CoreLogic, Black Knight and ClosingCorp, Mugge has extensive skills to bring to the table. His proficiency in scaling profitably by streamlining operations using cloud-native strategies has made a massive impact on both Calque’s employees and customers. He has successfully built efficiencies that have positively affected employee satisfaction at Calque by putting systems in place that have eliminated workflow obstacles and reduced stress.

Sharon Nachman serves as Bayport Funding’s director of business development. She is an integral part of the firm’s ongoing expansion strategy along the eastern seaboard and in the capital beltway regions. Nachman is able to identify multiple opportunities for revenue generation in both the multifamily and single-family sectors, making her a formidable force in the company’s growth. Nachman’s leadership and inspiring work ethic continue to make her an invaluable asset to the Bayport Funding team.

In the past year, she has undertaken the challenging responsibility of overseeing the company’s $300 million loan volume from start to finish, the execution of which lies at the heart of Bayport’s ability to maintain and expand upon its national growth. While spearheading these efforts, Nachman dedicated tremendous time to onboarding and mentoring the firm’s incoming loan originators, further demonstrating her commitment to doing all in her power to guarantee Bayport’s success.

Katelyn Nerbonne

Laura Taccini Olson

Vice President of Business Operations Stavvy

Chief Insurance Officer Obie

Vice president of business operations at Stavvy, Katelyn Nerbonne has the exceptional ability to persist, remain calm and solve problems effectively. Her success in early-stage startups stems from her talent for gathering information, working cross-functionally and executing projects swiftly. With disciplined execution, attention to detail and strong communication skills, Nerbonne ensures her team at Stavvy focuses on high-impact initiatives and remains aware of opportunities to provide support across all levels of the organization. Nerbonne exemplifies leadership and excellence by actively embodying Stavvy’s company values.

She contributes to the company culture through her exceptional performance, serving as a role model for others. Nerbonne’s relentless pursuit of improvement is evident as she consistently evaluates past outcomes to drive future iterations, demonstrating her commitment to excellence and learning from experience.

As a seasoned insurance industry veteran with experience leading business development and operations at leading companies like Esurance, Munich RE and Homesite Insurance, Laura Taccini Olson is no stranger to unleashing the full potential of insurance. In her time with Obie as chief insurance officer, Olson has championed the insurance process and expansion of Obie insurance products. Her efforts have led to not only massive product offering and process improvements, but have cultivated a spirit of curiosity, learning and camaraderie on her team. Olson not only drives value through her work for Obie but in how she works too. To start, she has been the driving force behind expanding Obie insurance products and optimizing existing insurance products for the organization. Her perseverance and confidence in her team have helped drive many product launches so far in 2023. Olson has cultivated a unique environment for her risk team and other smaller departments under it.

OCT/NOV 2023

Preetam Purohit Head of Hedging and Analytics Embrace Home Loans

Raj Patel serves as senior vice president of corporate finance at Freedom Mortgage Corporation. He has over 18 years of experience in all facets of corporate finance including mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, FP&A, operational finance and capital raising. Since joining Freedom in 2015, Patel has helped grow the company’s origination channels and servicing business to record levels and profitability by always focusing on operational excellence and bottom-line results. Patel is instrumental in formulating Freedom Mortgage’s overall financial plan and strategy. Over the past eight years, he has held positions of increasing responsibility due to his exceptional performance. With his extensive operational finance background, Patel analyzed Freedom Mortgage’s cost to originate at such a granular level he was able to identify efficiencies and cost savings that allowed for more precise marketing and resulted in originations that previously were not thought possible.

As head of hedging and analytics, Preetam Purohit protects the lender’s mortgage pipeline by trading in the derivatives markets. He hedges and prices mortgage servicing rights for sale to the secondary market, in part based on a model he developed and implemented. Since joining Embrace Home Loans in 2015 as a capital markets trader, Purohit has made his mark. He was promoted to his current position in 2019 and plays an instrumental role in managing the company’s interest rate risk and its exposure to market fluctuations for both its origination pipeline and mortgage servicing portfolio. Purohit developed, managed and recalibrated a dynamic loan pull-through model using machine learning based on loan and borrower characteristics to predict the propensity of a loan to close as interest rates change. By effectively managing the company’s interest rate risk, Purohit protects Embrace’s profitability and helps ensure its financial stability.

Amaly Quiroz

Erin Reed

Vice President of Transaction Operations eXp Realty

Vice President of Origination Valuations ServiceLink

With more than 17 years of experience in real estate compliance and operations, Amaly Quiroz is an expert in running a brokerage with an emphasis on agent transactional flow. Since joining eXp Realty as vice president of transaction processing in 2019, she has transformed the department so that agents and staff have the support they need to scale and grow the worldwide brokerage. At eXp, Quiroz oversees a team of 300 people that is responsible for processing all agent transactions across the nation. She has more than doubled transaction counts, processing more than 25,000 files each month. Quiroz has grown her department from about 100 people in 2019 to 300 in 2021 to help support eXp’s unprecedented growth from about 22,000 agents to more than 56,000 agents in 14 countries. She has added additional layers of support for both staff and agents. This includes key director and manager roles that have proven vital to the department’s success.

Driven by a deep commitment to continuous improvement and an innate sense of curiosity in the valuation landscape, Erin Reed has become an invaluable member of the ServiceLink organization. She is flexible and adaptable to business and industry needs and holds influence over most strategic valuation projects within the business line — from trainee engagement and appraisal modernization readiness to desktop product expansions and technology enhancements. Her never-ending quest for knowledge, and desire to share that knowledge with others, leave a lasting impact on all those she interfaces with and cement her influence within the ServiceLink organization. Reed has earned her team’s respect and admiration with her employee-first approach and dedication to fostering a strong team culture, both hallmarks of her leadership style. She spends much of her time coaching, mentoring and making sure her team has what they need to be successful.

OCT/NOV 2023

93 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Raj Patel Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance Freedom Mortgage

94 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Brandon Russell

Jonathan Shafer

Product Manager FirstClose

Operations Senior Manager of Partnerships Docutech

Brandon Russell is a product manager with FirstClose, a leading fintech provider of digital HELOC solutions for banks, credit unions and lenders nationwide. He is responsible for leading new and existing client initiatives. In his role, Russell works closely with vendors and the FirstClose product, technology and operations teams to drive implementation of the company’s technology suite. Russell is not someone who looks at the surface to solve problems but digs deep into problems and complex questions for solutions. He has quickly established himself as an expert in how to make high-complexity projects a great success. Russell consistently brings ideas and concepts to fruition, while focusing on the company’s goals. He applies an intense amount of precision to his work and has an unwavering commitment to customer success working with individual customers during implementation and rollout, while he is working on building the next-generation settlement services ordering module.

Jonathan Shafer is a critical asset to the Docutech organization, known for his exceptional problem-solving skills, proactive approach to innovation and extensive knowledge of third-party integrations. With an optimistic and upbeat demeanor, Shafer effectively interacts with internal and external stakeholders at all levels, including executives and frontline employees. His recent completion of the Emerging Leaders program and immediate invitation to join the program with a role as a trainer further exemplify his leadership qualities and dedication to personal growth. Shafer demonstrates his client-centric approach daily and his contributions have impacted Docutech’s operations and overall success.

In 2023, he successfully rebuilt one of the company’s platforms to cater to a unique client requirement, showcasing his dedication to meeting individual customer needs. His achievements highlight his commitment to innovation, customer success and the overall growth of the organization.

Kamal Shaik

Valerie Sheeley

Chief Data Officer REAL Messenger

Chief Operations Officer Aslan Home Lending Corporation

Kamal Shaik’s 15 years of experience in the data industry, including his time as director of data products and programs at Meta, makes him a natural fit to lead a new era of data sourcing in the real estate industry through his role as chief data officer at REAL Messenger. Shaik’s work developing the Customer 360 recommendation engine through a mix of dynamic and proprietary data sources has captivated nearly half a million global users since the app launched last August. Shaik has become an incubator for innovation in transforming how real estate is viewed and consumed online. Shaik is responsible for leading and executing a scalable AI/ML-centric data strategy and solutions for REAL and creating a technical roadmap to implement data products. Among his successes, Shaik is credited for many of REAL’s data product offerings, including its Customer 360 engine, recommendation system, sentiment analysis, predictive modeling and decision support systems.

Valerie Sheeley’s visionary leadership and exceptional contributions have propelled her to the forefront of the industry. She is setting new standards and inspiring positive change that reverberates throughout the housing sector. Through her groundbreaking innovations, remarkable industry impact and unwavering commitment, Sheeley has helped transform the housing landscape. Sheeley serves as chief operating officer and has been instrumental in streamlining Aslan Home Lending Corporation’s processes and procedures over the past 12 months, making her an invaluable asset to the organization. Her expertise in optimizing workflows and project management has resulted in increased productivity, cost savings and improved customer satisfaction. Her involvement in trade organizations further showcases the company’s commitment to driving industrywide advancements. Sheeley consistently demonstrates excellence and upholds the values of the company.

OCT/NOV 2023

Tim Staudenmaier Chief Digital Officer Class Valuation

As vice president and executive account leader at ICE Mortgage Technology, Mary Solon is responsible for supporting the innovation and growth of our customers. Her unparalleled expertise in the mortgage space has been instrumental in helping her clients achieve a new level of performance and realize profitable results. Beyond her role at ICE, Solon has served on various MBA committees throughout her career and has played a critical role in moving the industry forward. Solon has helped some of the top companies in the industry enable efficient automation for complex business challenges. Throughout her 30-year career, Solon has built a deep understanding of every step in the mortgage process and is always up to date on market trends and new legislation. She uses this knowledge to advocate for her clients and help them navigate their digital mortgage journey in an incredibly collaborative and responsive way.

As chief digital officer of Class Valuation, Tim Staudenmaier owns and drives forward all aspects of property data collection. He has worked alongside the GSEs and lender partners to help prove the use of advanced technologies and property data collection in support of various GSE programs. In short, he plays a large part in shaping the future of the appraisal landscape. In the past year, Staudenmaier has propelled the appraisal industry forward with his focus on digital property data collection. His approach to leveraging advanced technologies brings standardization, repeatability and transparency to the valuation process. These key attributes create a better experience for all parties involved in an appraisal.

Recently, Staudenmaier has seen his efforts from the last five years come to fruition. He has worked closely with the GSEs through test-and-learn programs of digital appraisal products and programs and has helped usher in the latest policies from the GSEs.

Katie Stewart

Danielle Swiatek

Vice President of Customer Success CertifID

National Director of Sales Experience and Engagement Homeowners Financial Group

Katie Stewart is central to CertifID’s ability to deliver on its mission — to help keep customers’ money out of the hands of criminals. Preventing wire fraud doesn’t happen without the right team to support customers.

Stewart leads an award-winning team that consistently achieves 80% customer satisfaction scores due to their ability to deliver delightful onboarding experiences, respond to support questions in minutes and ultimately prevent fraud for customers. Stewart started as CertifID’s first customer success manager four years ago and has grown the function into a team that now spans customer success, onboarding, operations and support. Her team enabled customers to safely process 340,000 real estate payment transactions last year, which meant billions of dollars that were protected against fraud. That included $16 million in payoff fraud cases that were caught and prevented — demonstrating her mindset to raise the bar of experience for her customers daily.

Danielle Swiatek has worked her way up the ranks to the essential, influential role she occupies today as national director of sales experience and engagement. Swiatek has worn many hats at the company. As an employee of the year award winner, Swiatek has made invaluable contributions to her organization’s sales and operations departments over the years, from starting as a loan officer assistant to assisting with onboarding and overseeing our multistate lending and out-of-state referral programs.

This past year, she created an internal concierge program as part of the ongoing initiative to make it easier for our LOs and LOAs to communicate their needs. Swiatek ensures the sales force receives the same impeccable service and assistance that they give to their clients and referral partners.

She’s also been instrumental in working with the point-of-sale provider of the HFG Go digital mortgage product to maximize the customer’s online and mobile experience.

OCT/NOV 2023

95 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Mary Solon Vice President and Executive Account Leader ICE Mortgage Technology

Iris Tredway

96 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Tay Toliver Director of Community Advancement Thrive Mortgage

Vice President and Manager of Special Loans and Commercial Servicing Dovenmuehle Mortgage

Tay Toliver is the epitome of an industry insider due to his invaluable operational impact, bridging the gap between extensive sales experience and operational understanding. Through his community-focused initiatives and strategic partnerships, Toliver has revolutionized how Thrive Mortgage builds relationships, expands product offerings and extends the brand nationwide while empowering the sales and operations teams with greater opportunities to serve more communities. Toliver has been an invaluable asset to Thrive Mortgage, demonstrating exceptional leadership, drive and a genuine commitment to underserved communities.

His involvement with trade associations has amplified his ability to make a positive impact. Toliver serves as the director of community advancement, and he has spearheaded Thrive Mortgage’s Thrive4Home initiative, a groundbreaking program aimed at assisting borrowers who initially do not qualify for a mortgage loan.

Iris Tredway is a propeller for growth at Dovenmuehle Mortgage, managing more than 150 employees as the vice president and manager of special loans and commercial servicing. She spearheaded the implementation of quality assurance programs and the automation of 200 steps in various processes, resulting in enhanced efficiency and mitigated risks and operations. Tredway’s commitment to customer service is evident in her sustained 20-year client relationship in commercial services and proactive creation of a customer service call center. With a 22-year tenure, Tredway has been instrumental in Dovenmuehle’s growth. With her powerful team, the success and achievements reached in the last year are difficult to boil down to a few paragraphs. To accommodate Dovenmuehle’s growing workload, Tredway successfully organized her department into five different units ­— HELOC, ARM, modification, special products and quality assurance units.

Jamie Veight

Christos Viores

Senior Vice President of Operations Xactus

Co-Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer Ligris and Associates PC

An instrumental part of the Xactus team since joining the company more than 18 years ago, Jamie Veight is a people-first leader with an expansive understanding of the mortgage sector as she has held positions within every part of the Xactus organization. She pursued growth opportunities and eventually landed as the senior vice president of operations.

In addition to her career in the mortgage industry, Veight has been a volunteer through the Medical Reserve Corps since 2012, where she offers her expertise in administration and strategy. She also spends time volunteering with an organization called Kids Against Hunger, which is a non-profit organization that provides nutritious food to underserved children and families. Veight has a natural ability to lead through difficult situations, whether they involve her direct team, a client or both. Her leadership was a key enabler to the successful merger of five companies that make up Xactus.

Christos Viores, co-managing partner and chief operating officer of Ligris and Associates, is a true innovator in law firm management and operations. Through the continuous improvement and development of sophisticated systems, protocols and technology, Viores has simplified a complex, laborious and multi-step process into one that maximizes efficiency and promotes transparent accountability for everyone at the firm.

Viores’ leadership has revolutionized Ligris’ productivity and quality of service, positioning the firm as an industry leader. Viores’ operational philosophies and bespoke processes have transformed Ligris into a real estate law firm capable of managing a volume of clientele typical of larger organizations. Viores prioritizes investing in high-quality technology and software to manage workflow, track files, manage and forecast revenue, all while monitoring transactions firm-wide to ensure efficient and seamless transactions.

OCT/NOV 2023

Dan Willsie Vice President of Foreclosure Technology Operations Auction.com

97 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

With over 12 years of experience, Dan Willsie, vice president of foreclosure technology operations at Auction.com, has helped revolutionize the foreclosure industry. He spearheaded the development of AuctionSync, a groundbreaking proprietary product that digitizes the auction experience and captures real-time bidding data. Under Willsie’s leadership, his team has achieved remarkable recent milestones, including a 315% increase in funding, a 314% growth in unique bids and a 140% expansion in approved bidders for Remote Bid, the future of foreclosure auctions.

With Willsie’s exceptional leadership, innovation-driven mindset and empowerment of his team, he continues to elevate Auction.com to new levels of excellence while making a positive impact on neighborhoods and communities. His team also oversees the development of Remote Bid, where users can browse, bid, and win select foreclosure properties from anywhere quickly and conveniently on a mobile phone.

OCT/NOV 2023

98 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

eClosing Solutions Special Report

OCT/NOV 2023

In today’s market, borrowers expect a digital experience and lenders are under scrutiny by regulators and investors to avoid any errors. At the same time, the fragmented nature of the closing process makes collaboration between the different stakeholders involved time-consuming and complex. The right digital solutions can help simplify the closing process so lenders can ensure compliance and enhance the borrower experience.

Technology is a key part of any successful eClosing strategy. These two companies offer eClosing solutions that help lenders streamline the closing process and ramp up to a fully digital closing process at their own pace.

99 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Snapdocs.....100 Wolters Kluwer...101

OCT/NOV 2023

SPONSORED SPONSOREDCONTENT CONTENT

PRODUCT PRODUCT GUIDE GUIDE

WOLTERS KLUWER https://www.wolterskluwer. com/en/solutions/eoriginal/ SNAPDOCS digital-mortgage WWW.SNAPDOCS.COM Benefits - Productof portfolio the Snapdocs ranges eClose fromplatform: doc gen to •eClosing $400+ to industry-leading average gross savings compliance per loan •solutions 80% reduction in closing package errors •- eNote98% andsettlement eVault pioneer: adoption 89% of all eNotes •registered 10-day on the reduction MERS eRegistry in dwell time were originated using Wolters Kluwer technology as of January 1, 2023

PRODUCT SUMMARY - Solutions can be flexibly implemented The eitherSnapdocs as individual eClose components platform or as is part an award-winning of an end-to-end digital strategy closing to enhance solutionclient that enables satisfaction lenders and to liftprovide productivity fast, convenient and error-free closings at scale. Snapdocs helps lenders achieve referral-worthy closings with AI-powered automation, document preview, eSign, eNote, RON and access to the industry’s PRODUCT largestSUMMARY settlement network.

100 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Wolters Kluwer’s ClosingCenter is an open, scalable solution delivering a simple and intuitive closing experience for lenders, borrowers and settlement agents. Paired with Wolters Kluwer’s best-in-class portfolio of digital mortgage solutions, the company’s solutions provide a streamlined, compliant mortgage process from doc gen to hybrid and fully digital eClosings to secondary market execution.

The Snapdocs eClose platform provides visibility for each participant in the closing process THE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY IS highly fragmented and complex. Closings in particular involve multiple stakeholders, each of whom has different requirements, processes and technologies that make collaboration between parties a time-consuming and error-prone exercise.

Snapdocs solves this complexity by providing digital solutions that simplify the closing process, increase cost-savings, improve borrower experience and enhance data security.

The Snapdocs eClose platform connects every participant in the closing process through one easy-to-use interface.

With Snapdocs, lenders achieve quality, error-free transactions while automating, standardizing and driving visibility into the entire closing process.

Snapdocs built its eClose platform with four core outcomes in mind: • To provide a single, streamlined process to accommodate every closing type, loan type and edge case • Create visibility across the entire closing process for every participant • Eliminate all time-intensive, error-prone activities through the use of AI-powered automation • Ensure complete platform security that minimizes risk and compliance issues.

However, a lender’s ability to digitize requires more than access to technology alone. It’s the combination of industry expertise, strategic guidance, world-class customer support and powerful technology that makes Snapdocs a unique eClosing provider. In fact, the majority of Snapdocs lenders achieve over 75% eClose adoption within 12 months of implementation.

“A one-size-fits-all eClosing vendor is not an effective long-term solution for most lenders,” said Sasha Stair, senior director of customer success at Snapdocs. “We believe in being the partner that stands in the trenches with our customers, making sure they achieve their eClosing goals in support of their greater business strategies. Our team has helped to develop and implement custom eClose strategies for lenders of every size. Ultimately, this long-term partnership is what has helped so many of our customers reach full eClose adoption.”

While the industry continues to make tremendous strides in embracing digital processes, inherent fragmentation between lender and settlement still results in inefficiencies that impede the industry’s ability to achieve full digital adoption.

Snapdocs aims to drive deeper lender and settlement collaboration, starting with a first-of-its-kind integration between the Snapdocs eClose and Notary Scheduling platforms.

“When I talk with our customers, I often hear a recurring sentiment: alignment (or lack thereof) between lender and settlement is an issue the industry has yet to completely overcome, stemming from decades of tedious paper-based closings and manual coordination between parties,” Snapdocs CEO Michael Sachdev said.

“Snapdocs is uniquely positioned to solve this challenge thanks to our team’s deep knowledge of the industry and our unwavering dedication to providing solutions that meet the specific needs of our customers.”

“A lender’s ability to digitize requires more than access to technology alone.”

OCT/NOV 2023

SPONSORED CONTENT

PRODUCT GUIDE

MORTGAGE LENDERS ARE FACING multiple challenges in today’s market. Borrowers expect a more digital, convenient experience, particularly at closings, and if one lender doesn’t provide it, a competitor will.

At the same time, lenders are under intense scrutiny by regulators and investors with the slightest misstep or error resulting in fines or buyback demands. Finally, many lenders are losing money, or at best breaking even on every loan and need to invest in new technology to turn this around. But how can you balance these challenges in the current low-volume environment?

Based on your business strategy, the Wolters Kluwer portfolio of industry-leading mortgage solutions can be implemented either as discrete components or as an end-to-end strategy. In either case, these solutions help drive productivity, ensure compliance and enhance customer experience.

Having the right technology is central to a successful eClosing strategy.

Wolters Kluwer provides options at every step of the way to implement solutions as a piece of the process, and these pieces can later be used together to ramp up to a fully digital closing process at your pace depending on your specific strategy for eClosings.

These solutions give users the ability to add different functionalities to meet specific needs as business evolves. Wolters Kluwer meets its customers where they are in their digital adoption strategy, whether fully paper, fully digital or at any level of a hybrid process.

ClosingCenter is Wolters Kluwer’s open eClosing solution that connects and integrates with any doc prep provider, RON provider, title company or settlement services provider.

OmniVault allows for visibility into all of the different eVaults a lender uses in a single platform, regardless of asset type, making it easy to expand digital adoption to other asset classes within their organization.

Wiz provides advanced portfolio analytics to identify regulatory risk and demonstrate CRA, HMDA and Fair Lending Compliance.

SmartSign Plus is purpose-built for simple, intuitive and compliant document eSignature across the lending lifecycle. iLienRED helps you complete, record and track mortgage related documents for lien perfection.

Finally, Wolters Kluwer’s several doc gen solutions offer highly configurable document generation and loan processing depending on your needs.

Moving from paper-based to digital processes is the key for reducing costs.

Industry ROI studies routinely show improvements in the $300 to $400 per-loan range for fully digital processes that produce eNotes, rather than paper assets. Wolters Kluwer has an unmatched history of compliance in the mortgage industry and is the recognized leader in eNote creation and eVaulting.

“Having the right technology is central to a successful eClosing strategy.”

OCT/NOV 2023

WOLTERS KLUWER https://www.wolterskluwer. com/en/solutions/eoriginal/ digital-mortgage - Product portfolio ranges from doc gen to eClosing to industry-leading compliance solutions - eNote and eVault pioneer: 89% of all eNotes registered on the MERS eRegistry were originated using Wolters Kluwer technology as of January 1, 2023 - Solutions can be flexibly implemented either as individual components or as part of an end-to-end strategy to enhance client satisfaction and lift productivity

PRODUCT SUMMARY

Wolters Kluwer’s ClosingCenter is an open, scalable solution delivering a simple and intuitive closing experience for lenders, borrowers and settlement agents. Paired with Wolters Kluwer’s best-in-class portfolio of digital mortgage solutions, the company’s solutions provide a streamlined, compliant mortgage process from doc gen to hybrid and fully digital eClosings to secondary market execution.

101 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Wolters Kluwer helps lenders ramp up to a full digital closing at their own pace

TRADE DESK

Trade associations from across the housing industry are on the front lines of issues that lenders, real estate agents and everyone in between face every day. In these letters, they give their members an inside look at what they are working on, and the most important issues facing each

102 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

industry today.

OCT/NOV 2023

TRADE DESK

Katie Sweeney

Chairman and CEO Association of Independent Mortgage Experts

AIME members, As we step into the final quarter of the year, we are keeping a close eye on three important things: the market, our progress toward this year’s goals and what’s coming in 2024.

This is a critical time of year, as many of us are focused on forecasting and planning for the fiscal year ahead. The burning question on everyone’s mind is: when will the market bounce back?

While that answer remains elusive, I can shed light on what our organization and its members need to achieve success in any market — support. We are laser-focused on how we can help wholesale professionals from all across the country grow their bottom line despite the challenges of the market. How are we doing this? By taking an honest look at two key things: what we “won” this year and evaluating what we need to improve.

One advantage of being a young organization is our willingness to embrace something legacy companies often struggle with — a culture of constant testing. We adopt a “test, test and test some more” approach, experimenting with various initiatives, event ideas and streamlining concepts for our online platforms. These tests serve a dual purpose: refining our offerings to members and continuously learning from each new experiment.

As we evolve, we hold steadfast in our commitment to supporting wholesale professionals across the nation, offering them the tools they need to thrive in any market conditions. Through continuous testing and learning, we aspire to lead the industry in embracing change and fostering a culture of progress for years to come. Together, let us take on the challenges ahead, confident in the knowledge that our united efforts will forge a brighter future for us all.

Association of Independent Mortgage Experts Jones, co-founder of Amerifirst Home Mortgage and current president of Union Home Mortgage, has been an active leader and MBA advocate for years. Escobar, president of Lennar Mortgage, is a tireless advocate for mortgage lenders and their customers. And, Chandler, executive vice president, chief credit officer and chief operating officer with M&T Realty Capital Corporation, will offer fervent dedication and practical business experience in commercial real estate markets that will be crucial as businesses and consumers adapt to today’s market.

It has been a challenging year for most of us, but it’s time to focus on the year ahead. I am confident that our leaders and passionate staff will guide our association and the industry to the highest level of success.

Mortgage Bankers Association

Robert Broeksmit President and CEO Mortgage Bankers Association

OCT/NOV 2023

103 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

MBA members, Can you believe it’s already October? Thousands of industry professionals will be gathering this month for MBA’s Annual Convention and Expo.

To kick off this year’s conference, we will swear in the volunteer leaders who will guide MBA over the next year.

First, let me thank our 2023 chairman, Matt Rocco, who has been a tenacious leader over the past 12 months. Rocco launched MBA’s Expanding Affordable Rental Housing Opportunities, which through advocacy, partnerships and connections within the industry addresses the barriers to sustainable rental housing for persons and communities of color. We are grateful for his leadership and commitment to consumer education, supporting minority professionals in our industry and working with community leaders to develop policies that address increasing affordable housing.

The same passion and results-oriented approach can be expected from MBA’s incoming 2024 officers: chairman, Mark Jones, chair-elect, Laura Escobar and vice chair, Christine Chandler.

Alicia Huey

National Association of Homebuilders

TRADE DESK

President and CEO National Association of Homebuilders

NAHB members, A lack of skilled construction labor is a key limiting factor for improving housing inventory and housing affordability, according to the Home Builders Institute’s (HBI) latest edition of the Construction Labor Market Report.

The report is based in part on an analysis by the Economics Group at the National Home Builders Association (NAHB). NAHB economists estimate that the home building industry will need to add roughly 723,000 workers per year over the next three years to keep pace with demand and a rising count of worker retirements.

The report notes that the construction industry continues to struggle to attract younger workers. While workers under the age of 25 comprised 13.6% of the U.S. labor force, their share in the construction industry reached only 10.0% in 2021. Meanwhile, the share of older construction workers — ages 55+ — increased from less than 19.3% in 2015 to almost 22.3% in 2021.

Demand for residential construction labor has softened, temporarily, as the number of homes under construction has declined in 2023 because of higher interest rates and

104 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

NAR members, We have been tracking median existing home sales prices in the U.S. since 1999. Back in June, the median cost of $410,200 was the second-highest figure NAR ever recorded and represented just the third time America’s monthly median sales price eclipsed $400,000.

Lawrence Yun, the chief economist at NAR, noted that the “presence of multiple offers implies demand [was] not being satisfied by supply.”

Throughout the summer, prices remained elevated as a result of Americans’ continued appetite for homeownership, but also because of the persistent lack of inventory that has plagued U.S. markets in recent years.

In response, NAR’s advocacy team stresses the importance of policies designed to close supply gaps on Capitol Hill.

As U.S. senators and representatives left Washington, D.C., and returned home for the annual August congressional recess period,

weakened demand for housing. But NAHB economists anticipate this downturn will be followed by an upswing in housing production in 2024, increasing the demand for construction labor.

Despite the slowdown in the housing market this year, wages in construction continue to rise, often outpacing and exceeding typical earnings in other industries. According to the latest Current Employment Statistics report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average hourly earnings in construction increased 5.4% since a year ago and approached the $36 mark in March 2023. At the same time, seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings in manufacturing were $31.80, and $27.67 in trade, transportation and utilities. The overall U.S. private sector average hourly earnings were $33.20.

While higher interest rates are having an impact on the demand side of the economy, the ultimate solution for the labor shortage will not be found by slowing worker demand, but by recruiting, training and retaining skilled workers.

NAR took a number of priorities directly to lawmakers in their respective states and districts.

NAR has been encouraging federal lawmakers to support the bipartisan More Homes on the Market Act, which incentivizes owners to sell their homes by increasing the maximum amount of capital gains a homeowner can exclude on the sale of a principal residence and annually adjusting it for inflation. The nation’s largest trade association also continued to push for the bipartisan Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which attracts private investment for building and rehabilitating owner-occupied homes by offering tax credits that create a pathway to neighborhood stability through sustainable homeownership.

Given conditions apparent in markets across the country today, NAR and its 1.5 million members nationwide remain focused on securing practical policies and innovative solutions to help make homeownership possible for more people.

Tracy Kasper

President National Association of Realtors

National Association of Realtors OCT/NOV 2023

TRADE DESK

NRMLA members, Reverse mortgages offer an exciting opportunity to expand your product offerings and your client base.

There’s no better way to get started than by attending the reverse mortgage industry’s largest annual event, the 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo hosted by NRMLA in Nashville, Tennessee, October 23-25.

This conference includes two and a half days of engaging content, dynamic speakers, networking, and professional development. Full access to all conference sessions including general sessions and breakouts. Admission to the exhibit hall where you can meet with us and many industry vendors. A beautiful location with networking during the opening reception. And, expert insight on industry trends and new opportunities in the business.

Older homeowners hold $11.62 trillion in home

equity, according to the latest quarterly NRMLA and Riskspan Reverse Mortgage Market Index.

A growing percentage of these households are using their home equity as a strategic asset when developing a retirement plan, which makes reverse mortgages a critical program for you to learn about.

While the Federal Housing Administration insures most reverse mortgages made in the United States, there is a growing market for private-label reverse mortgages with lower age restrictions and upfront costs and the ability to draw down more money that you may also find appealing.

NRMLA’s upcoming conference will introduce you to these mortgage products and to the growing importance of reverse mortgages as a retirement planning option.

Steve Irwin

National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association

President and CEO National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association

HousingWire stories delivered to your inbox every day.

Find the right fit for you.

GET ON THE LIST:

105 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

www.housingwire.com/newsletter

OCT/NOV 2023

106 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

MORTGAGE

OCT/NOV 2023

MORTGAGE

Surviving non-QM lenders are gaining business now

N

are exiting the space has been pretty significant,” Lind said. “Our pipeline is a lot bigger than it was at this time last year, and rates have doubled, so we’re definitely getting market share.”

Lind points to Finance of America Mortgage, First Guarantee Mortgage Corp., Athas Capital and Sprout Mortgage, among others, as examples of non-QM lenders who have exited the market.

Secondly, the other major tailwind for the non-QM lending market has been the turmoil in the banking sector, including a spate of bank failures earlier this year; upward pressure on deposit rates, set against low-return portfolio assets, such as legacy residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS); and increased regulatory-capital pressures.

“I think we’re seeing more business today because of what’s going on with the regional banks, the PacWests of the world, who we’re competing with for loans on a daily basis, just as an example,” Lind said. “They have tightened their belts. They’re not doing the lending that they were, and I think that is a tailwind for us.

“We’re gaining that business. And we’re going

Non-QM lender Acra Lending is projecting mortgage originations will increase in 2023 to about $2.6 billion, up from $2.1 billion last year, says CEO Keith Lind, “and we’ve been profitable every month this year, and every quarter.”

Lind says Acra’s success in a punishing operating environment that has caused a number of non-QM mortgage lenders to exit the market is due to its efficiency as well as its foresight in keeping its rates on pace with the spate of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

He also said two other major factors have created tailwinds for the lender.

First, the consolidation in the non-QM lending space, which has allowed Acra to expand its market share. “So, the number of non-QM originators that

OCT/NOV 2023

107 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

BY BILL CONROY

MORTGAGE

to continue to gain market share from regional banks that are stepping out of the business.”

T

108 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

The uncertainty in the banking industry — sparked, in part, by the mismatch between fixed legacy RMBS portfolio earnings and rising deposit costs — and the resulting regional bank pullback from the mortgage origination market may be good for non-QM and other nonbank mortgage lenders.

At the same time, however, that volatility and the banks’ resulting reduced role as buyers of loans and RMBS is sparking pricing woes for non-QM lenders in the secondary market.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Lind explained. “We’re getting more loans because of it. That’s the tailwind.

“The headwind is we’re not getting the [loan-sale] prices that we should be getting because of the volatility from the banking crisis.”

That secondar y-market pricing pressure, in turn, is compounded by the liquidity woes created for non-QM lenders due to the rising financing costs for the warehouse lines used to fund originations. Consequently, only the most efficient lenders are able to eke out modest profits in this environment, industry experts told HousingWire.

T

The non-QM sector accounted for half of the estimated $25 billion in total nonagency RMBS issuance over the first half of 2023, according to a recent report from Deutsche Bank. That share, however, is set against the backdrop of overall nonagency originations and RMBS issuance being down considerably over the first six months of this year, compared to 2022 levels.

A recent report from Morgan Stanley shows that year to date through the end of July this year, total nonagency loan originations finished at an estimated $44 billion, down 58% from the same period last year. Similarly, RMBS issuance in the secondary market overall in the first half of 2023 was down significantly — by some 73% from the same period last year, according to the Deutsche Bank report.

A major reason for the depressed originations and securitizations is that there are simply far fewer loans being made in the current high-rate environment, where a good share of potential housing inventory is locked in at much lower rates, industry experts explained.

“We think non-QM [RMBS] issuance volume will remain light in H2 2023 but should still be the sector leader in issuance as other RMBS sectors are expected to be down more,” said Namit Sinha, managing director and chief investment officer at Angel Oak Capital Advisors, the investment management arm of non-QM lender Angel Oak Cos. “Rates remain the single biggest driver in loan-origination volume and hence [securitization] issuance volume.

“It is just difficult to project, but if the Federal Reserve starts to cut rates in Q1 or Q2 2024, as futures are implying, we may see production pick up more in H2 2024.”

Capital markets experts who spoke with HousingWire pointed out that the direction of interest rates is never a sure

OCT/NOV 2023

bet, however, despite hopeful signs in the futures market.

The mortgages backing non-QM securitizations include loans for owneroccupied properties, investor-owned rentals and second-home properties that don’t qualify for sale to government agencies, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The investor-owned property segment now accounts for about half of all non-QM originations as well as half of the loans backing nonQM securitizations, according to industry experts.

“We’re about 50% owner-occupied bank-statement loans, and about 50% DSCR [debt-service coverage ratio] or investor [rental-property] loans,” Lind said. “That investor percentage is absolutely up from previous years. “ There’s more [rental-proper t y] investors definitely taking out non-QM loans.”

The other major components of the nonagency RMBS market, according to the Deutsche Bank report, include transactions backed by jumbo loans as well as reperforming and nonperforming loans; institutional single -family securitizations; credit-risk transfer deals and “other” — such as deals backed by home-equity loans.

L

Lind said despite the tailwinds from the consolidation in the non-QM lending world and the accompanying pull-back in the regional bank sector, a major headwind still confronting the non-QM lending sector is the “choppiness and the volatility in the capital markets.”

He said that disruption is largely attributable to the uncertainty around interest rates, inflation as well as the concern over the fate of the huge volume of low-rate mortgage-backed securities

now stranded on bank balance sheets as their cost of deposits skyrockets.

“A lot of the traditional buyers [investors] or the people that you think would be flooding into the space, they’re waiting [on the sidelines],” Lind added. “So, you still have that fear over the capital market side of what happened in the banking industry, and we’re not out of that yet.

“And I think that’s made it a little more difficult for us on the execution side of selling our loans and getting a better premium because there is still a sense of volatility in the markets with the overhang of what’s happening to all these regional banks.”

Alan Qureshi is managing partner of Blue Water Financial Technologies, a technology-solutions provider for the secondary mortgage market offering mortgage-servicing rights (MSR) and whole-loan pricing, trading and riskmanagement services. He said pricing in the secondary market for loan originators is not likely to get better in the near future if the banks pull out as buyers of whole loans and mortgage-backed securities.

Having fewer buyers also negatively affects what aggregators will pay for whole loans bound for securitization.

“If I’m substituting a bank investor who can borrow at the federal funds rate for a private capital participant who has to borrow at [a much higher rate], they’re going to do what’s best for them, and so spreads are going to have to be wider because private capital demands more [return],” Qureshi explained.

Alexander Suslov, head of capital markets at A&D Mortgage LLC, said whole loans in the current mortgage market, on a weighted average, are selling in the range of 102 or 103 — with par being 100.

“When mortgage originators get 102 [for a whole-loan sale] and their cost to originate is around 102 as well, those who have less efficient production ... they tend to [exit] the market, while those who can get as efficient as possible survive and thus acquire larger market share,” he said.

Ben Hunsaker, a portfolio manager focused on securitized credit for Beach Point Capital Management, said the challenge now is that if a lender is selling loans to the secondary market, “at 103 servicing released, that’s an incremental

profit margin versus your cost structure, but it is not what it was in 2021 or Q1 2022 when prices were at 107, 108 or 109.”

“But it ’s [103 is] enough to keep the lights on if your cost structure is reasonable,” Hunsaker stressed.

Hunsaker added, however, that he doesn’t think there is a shortage of buyers on the RMBS side of the market now, but he sees it being more a problem of supply.

“I don’t think there’s a lot [of RMBS investors] waiting in the wings,” he said. “You’ve seen more of the nonQM originators selling into insurance companies, or via alternative channels, so the securitization pull-through rate is down, even though bond buyers would like to see more of this coming to market.

“I think bond buyers have gotten excited to add the risk, but there just aren’t enough deals lining up to fill that demand.”

Lind said insurance companies, who work with unleveraged funds, have become much more active in the nonQM whole loan market, adding that “those loans don’t get securitized.” Still, if leveraged investors are paying in the 103 range, insurers don’t have an incentive to pay much more for mortgage loans, given they can now make 5% or more by just keeping money in nearly risk-free money market accounts, several industry experts point out.

OCT/NOV 2023

Lind said rates for non-QM loans tend to run about 1.5 points above prevailing 30-year mortgage rates — putting them in the 8.5% range today.

“It’s a tougher market for lenders today because of the tougher market [higher interest rates] for investors to finance the loans,” said Ryan Craft, founder and CEO of Saluda Grade, a real estate advisory and asset-management firm specializing in alternative lending products in the nonbank sector. “Investors can only pay a premium to a certain degree for loan and debt volume based off of their financing.

“So, you’re seeing insurance companies and other types of real money buyers step inside of where levered, or financed, purchasers are buying today.”

Michael Warden, senior managing director and CEO of Invictus Capital Partners, one of the largest players in the non-QM securitization space, is quite bullish on the future of private capital in the mortgage market. He said of the estimated $14 trillion in outstanding mortgage volume, about 75% is in the agency space, while historically some 20% resides on bank balance sheets, with private capital accounting for the balance.

“What we’ve seen is that the bank balance sheet is shrinking as their lending standards have tightened, and there’s no debate about that,” Warden said. “They’ve now discovered that a 30year asset [a mortgage] funded with daily deposits may not be a great idea.

“The bank participation is shrinking, and private capital is the beneficiary [and] I think the biggest sea change that’s going to occur over the next several years is private capital becoming a standard in the U.S. residential mortgage market. For those that are prepared for it and have the infrastructure, they’ll be the biggest beneficiaries.”

109 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

MORTGAGE

110 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

REAL ESTATE

OCT/NOV 2023

REAL ESTATE

Four ways real estate agents can leverage artificial intelligence

BY ZACH GORMAN

OCT/NOV 2023

is having the greatest impact for real estate agents, brokers and the innovative companies leading the charge.

I

In the fast-paced and competitive market we’re experiencing today, effective lead generation can be the make or break of a brokerage. Maintaining a consistent pipeline of potential buyers and sellers ensures the business’s sustainability and growth, but it requires an immense amount of work and marketing expertise, which is often outside an agent’s core competencies. One example of a company looking to crack the lead gen code is Addressable.

Their all-in-one platform allows agents to send out mailers to leads at scale, with personalized copy developed by AI and handwritten notes produced

111 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

T

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has been sending "Unfortunately, shockwaves across the hype and nearly every industry, frenzy and real estate is no surrounding exception. While our the AI explosion industry is notorious for has spurred a its lethargic adoption of deluge of new technologies, it is gimmicks inevitable that AI will reshape many of the traditional f rom c ompaand archaic processes that exist today. Those nies looking unwilling to embrace and adopt these cutting-edge to get tools will likely be left behind. eyeballs on Unfortunately, the hype and frenzy surrounding their brand." the AI explosion has spurred a deluge of gimmicks from companies looking to get eyeballs on their brand, with little to no value being created. At the same time, there are numerous examples of groundbreaking implementations of this transformative technology that are already being used today. This piece will explore some of the key domains where AI

REAL ESTATE

a deeper connection with clients. So far, Verse has reported conversion multiples of nearly three times that of normal human nurturing efforts, a clear indicator that AI’s role in lead engagement may be here to stay.

by robots. The result is a highly efficient, optimized outreach campaign that never loses the valuable “human” touch. Since 2020, Addressable has facilitated nearly $2 billion in home sales across 44 states.

As this space continues to evolve, real estate agents utilizing technologies like Addressable’s will be able to gain a significant strategic advantage in capturing potential leads at a scale and converting them into clients.

112 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

L

Lead engagement is another crucial element of any real estate business.

It’s imperative that agents and brokers nurture their leads in order to build trust, stay top of mind, and demonstrate their expertise, which ultimately increases the likelihood of conversion from prospect to client. However, “it takes between six to eight touch points to get in contact with a potential client,” says David Tal, CEO of AI proptech startup, Verse. “The vast majority of real estate agents do not make it past the first touch point before they drop off, leaving an immense amount of opportunity on the table.”

Acting as a virtual assistant, Verse’s AI system takes charge of interacting with, qualifying, and following up on consumer inquiries at any time of the day via SMS. In a fast-paced industry like real estate, time is of the essence and the vast majority of unrepresented buyers and sellers will work with the first agent that reaches out. Therefore, an agent’s ability to respond promptly can often mean the difference between winning and losing a potential client. On top of closing the gap on “speed-to-lead,” Verse’s AI learns and evolves with every interaction, refining its approach, and delivering increasingly personalized responses, thus fostering

T "Real estate data remains highly fragmented, expensive and time consuming to collect. Enter RealReports, like a supercharged Carfax for homes which harnesses the power of AI to simplify and expedite the entire research and diligence proc ess from days to seconds."

OCT/NOV 2023

Throughout the home buying journey, the sheer volume of property information that needs to be accessed and analyzed is immense. However, real estate data remains extremely fragmented, expensive, and time consuming to collect.

Enter RealReports, like a supercharged Carfax for homes which harnesses the power of AI to simplify and expedite the entire research and diligence process from days into seconds. By aggregating a wide array of data from dozens of bestin-class providers, RealReports provides comprehensive property reports with deep insights for every home in the U.S., including permits, zoning, climate risk, rental potential, crime, demographics, financial history and much more.

Central to each report is an AI copilot named Aiden, which analyzes tens of thousands of data points from within each RealReport to answer any property question in real time.

Whether at a showing, open house, or putting together an offer, agents or their clients can ask any question they have about a property and Aiden will deliver an immediate and sophisticated answer in seconds. Aiden can tell you whether a property has a better short- or long-term rental potential, if you can build an ADU in the backyard, what permits are open, the various climate risks and environmental hazards, whether the home is in a good area to raise your kids — anything you can imagine. It can even write you an original poem about the property to flex

REAL ESTATE

significantly impact their recruitment strategies and, ultimately, their business success.

its creative prowess and data-crunching might. This breakthrough considerably shortens the time spent on research, reduces liability exposure, increases transparency, and allows agents to provide immense value for their clients throughout the most important purchase of their lives.

T

R

"The rise of AI in the real estate industry represents an exciting new frontier for agents and brokers."

113 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

Recruiting and retaining top-tier talent is critical for a brokerage to survive. By expanding their workforce, a brokerage increases their capacity to manage more clients and listings, which directly translates to business growth.

Additionally, recruiting high-performing agents brings in diverse skill sets and market knowledge, enhancing the brokerage’s reputation and competitive advantage in the market. Realcruit AI offers a compelling evolution for recruitment by providing a centralized solution that consolidates the disparate work flow silos, while harnessing advanced AI to optimize every step of the process.

The platform sifts through mountains of MLS data such as the velocity between listings and sales to identify potential hires at the optimal time, taking much of the guesswork out of recruiting. Realcruit AI’s enables recruiters to, “hunt with a rifle, not a shotgun,” says CTO Ryan Rexroad, “which has tripled our team’s hiring success rate.” Additionally, the platform helps foster agent retention and prevent churn by equipping managers with actionable insights related to agents who may be primed for poaching by other brokers or firms. By tapping into AI’s ability to discern patterns and trends that may go unnoticed in manual analysis, Realcruit AI allows managers to make data-driven decisions that can

The rise of AI in the real estate industry represents an exciting new frontier for agents and brokers. By capitalizing on the technology’s vast potential, they can streamline, augment, and optimize some of the most critical processes across the home-buying journey and lifecycle.

Innovative solutions like Addressable, Verse, RealReports, and Realcruit AI stand as testaments to the revolutionary power of AI in the industry.

As the landscape of real estate continues to evolve, embracing AI is no longer just an option but a necessity to stay competitive and achieve long-term success. The future of real estate will be shaped by the dynamic capabilities of artificial intelligence, and those who seize the opportunity to integrate AI into their operations today will undoubtedly lead the field in the years to come.

OCT/NOV 2023

114 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

CFPB WATCH

OCT/NOV 2023

CFPB WATCH

Joint ventures are under the microscope

Are title joint ventures violating RESPA?

I

Mike LaRosa, the chief operation officer of Florida Agency Network, also follows the JV playbook.

“I know the one-stop-shop thing is cliché, but if you do it right, that can be a major benefit not only to the Realtor and the title company as ancillary income, but to the consumer who it is benefiting from efficiencies and better pricing through economies of scale,” LaRosa said.

While all title and real estate joint ventures are essentially a partnership between a title firm and a real estate entity, they can exist in a variety of permutations. Most traditional title joint ventures were created between title firms and real estate brokerages, but in today’s age of teamerages and mega-agents, team leaders and high performing agents are also getting in on the joint venture action.

But the joint venture model may soon be on the way out.

In February 2023, law firm McGuireWoods released a white paper claiming that the joint venture business model between title insurance firms and real estate brokerages “drives up costs,

In 1983 Jim C a m p b e l l launched what is believed to be the first j o int ve nt ure experiment between a real estate brokerage and a title and settlement firm.

It was the genesis of several things, Campbell said, but primarily that real estate brokers and lenders in Pennsylvania were looking for a more effective way to control the process of buying and selling homes. Things went wrong more often when using unfamiliar title and escrow companies, Campbell and his business partners reasoned. Why not create one entity to ensure a smoother process?

Campbell is now something of a JV guru, having completed over 80 joint ventures with real estate or lending firms. In fact, it’s all his Pennsylvania-based company Title Alliance does.

OCT/NOV 2023

115 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

BY BROOKLEE HAN

116 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

CFPB WATCH

stifles competition” and violates the 1974 Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and the 2010 Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).

The paper’s authors, which include Jeff Ehrlich, the former deputy enforcement director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), urged the CFPB and state regulators to look into title and real estate joint ventures for potential RESPA, CFPA, and state regulation violations. According to Ehrlich, the concerns in the paper specifically refer to agent or team leader-owned joint ventures.

“To qualify for the safe harbor, an affiliated-business arrangement must meet three statutory conditions,” the authors argue. “First, certain disclosures must be made to the consumers who are being referred. Second, consumers must not be required to use any particular settlement-services provider. And third, the only thing of value that the referring party may receive is a return on an ownership interest. The JVs do not qualify for the safe harbor because they fail to satisfy (at least) this third condition.”

According to the paper, when a joint venture is set up the real estate agents or team involved “contribute nominal or even no capital in exchange for their ownership interests in the JV,” and the title company “makes almost no investment, either, leaving the JV grossly undercapitalized for the amount of settlement services that it purports to provide.”

The authors also claim that the profit dividends received by the title company and the real estate agents or team are “wildly disproportionate” to their respective investments.

Frances Riley, an attorney who focuses on RESPA issues at Saul Ewing LLP, says these claims are true for only a minority of title joint ventures.

“They are asking how an investor only invested $2,000, but is getting a $5,000 dividend last quarter, and you could say the same thing about the early investors in Microsoft or Facebook who bought shares for $100 that are now worth thousands of dollars,” Riley said. “I think it is being pushed by competitors who don’t like the business model of going out and getting investors who are your

referral sources.”

Riley added: “They’ve made these allegations about how it is terrible and they are not compliant. What the investigators are finding — not in every case, but in a majority of the cases — is that the investment is proper and they are paying fair market value for the investment.”

T

The stakes are high for title insurance firms that have joint ventures operating in the gray areas of the law.

“The environment we are in right now is probably the most enforcement heavy that I’ve seen in probably 20 years, certainly on the state side,” Marx Sterbcow, a RESPA attorney at Sterbcow Law Group, said in an interview with HousingWire. “There are companies that really do things by the book — they are uber compliant. They don’t want to have any misconceptions that their company is doing, and they want everything to be straight and narrow. But then you have a competitor in the marketplace that is doing everything completely illegal.”

Besides RESPA, the McGuireWoods paper also claims the JVs violate the CFPA, which prohibits abusive acts and practices between “covered persons” and “service providers.”

“A joint-venture partner is a ‘related person,’ and thus deemed to be a ‘covered person,’ when they ‘materially participate in the conduct of the affairs” of a covered person,” the paper reads.

“Here, the real-estate agents are ‘related persons’ because they materially participate, by referring their customers to the JV for title services, in the affairs of the JV, which is itself a ‘covered person’ because it offers real- estate-settlement services. Accordingly, the real-estate agents could be deemed to be ‘covered persons,’ subject to the CFPA.” Ehrlich said that in some states the potential violations don’t end there.

“Many states have their own laws that prohibit kickbacks for referrals, like RESPA does. Most of those state laws, like RESPA, make an exception for lawful joint ventures. But a handful of jurisdictions ban kickbacks without exception,”

OCT/NOV 2023

Ehrlich said. “Section 31-5031.15 of the D.C. Code, for example, makes it illegal for any person to ‘give or receive, directly or indirectly, any consideration for the referral of title insurance business or escrow or other service provided by a title insurer.’ And it makes no exception for JVs—even those that would be okay under RESPA. This provision basically outlaws all title-company JVs in D.C.” Ehrlich attributes the increased scrutiny of joint ventures to a proliferation of JVs over the past few years and the rising home affordability challenges “Prices are up; rates are up; and closing costs are up. Sham JVs distort competition and cause consumers to pay more for settlement services,” Ehrlich wrote in an email. “So, to the extent that the CFPB or a state attorney general wants to address this housing problem, one place to start would be dealing with sham JVs.” While Sterbcow acknowledges that housing affordability is a challenge for many, he sees some additional factors at play. Sterbcow believes the lull in CFPB RESPA enforcement action between 2017 and 2023 gave real estate and title professionals the impression that RESPA was no longer a priority. That, combined with the housing market slowdown, created a perfect storm for some questionable business practices to arise, piquing the interest of regulators.

“What happens, is when the market state is declining and revenues start decreasing, you start seeing people becoming very panicked and they start putting together all sorts of crazy, cockamamie schemes to facilitate business coming in and that delegitimizes and impacts the market in which those companies are operating in,” Sterbcow said.

Arizona in par ticular has been scrutinizing joint ventures between title insurers and real estate brokerages.

“We are looking at how those are structured and that they are bona fide joint ventures and also that they are not just sham organizations created to give kickbacks to agents,” James Knupp, the deputy director of the Arizona Department of Real Estate, said. “We want to ensure that our agents, as well as title companies, are operating within the

CFPB WATCH

According to Riley, local regulators in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington, D.C., have also begun looking into title JVs. (None of the local regulators returned requests for an interview.)

Despite Ehrlich’s assertions and the suspicions of state regulators, industry professionals maintain that joint ventures are consumer friendly.

“Having these joint ventures or affiliated businesses creates more of a closed loop,” Aaron Davis, the CEO of Florida Agency Network, said. “Any time a buyer exits the loop there is an opportunity for poor service. If I am a buyer and I go to a real estate office that has a joint venture title company, the businesses are tied together and the brokerage has more of an ability to better control the overall experience for the buyer.”

LaRosa added: “When you create that closed loop environment, you have a better ability to integrate systems and allow the transaction to flow much more naturally and it is less clunky from order entry to close.”

Gretchen Pearson, the broker-owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties, is part of an affiliated business agreement with Orange Coast Title, which also has similar deals with

two of her largest brokerage competitors in the area.

“The main core of why you would set up a JV is to create a better experience for the consumer,” Pearson said. “It is awful when something does come up on title and you are trying to complete the transaction with the buyer and it is taking forever, but if the title company is your business partner, they might be willing to issue the title policy early while still undergoing curative action so your buyer can close.”

In addition to increased interest from state regulators, the CFPB issued its first RESPA enforcement action in six years earlier this year, making it clear to the real estate industry that RESPA is coming more into focus. But, for LaRosa, at least for the moment, this isn’t too much of a concern.

“I welcome the scrutiny,” LaRosa said.

“I think anybody who operates the way that we do welcomes it because we are not out there looking to tattletale on anybody, but there are bad actors and I’ve been waiting for more enforcement.

I don’t think they are necessarily looking to bust people. I think they are looking to provide some guidance and make sure that there is a level playing field.”

117 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

statutory confines of what they are able to do, and it all comes back to consumer protection and affordable housing.”

Knupp said they are also looking into the neutrality of the escrow agent and the disclosures real estate agents are making to their clients about the nature of their relationship with the title joint venture.

To conduct the investigation, Knupp’s department is teaming up with the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI).

“We want consumers to be fully aware of the choices they are making — buying a house may be the biggest transaction that a consumer makes in their entire life — and we don’t want these joint ventures working together to diminish that choice for consumers,” said James McGuffin, a spokesperson for Arizona DIFI. It’s not known how many joint ventures between real estate brokerages and title insurance companies exist across the United States. No single authority tracks such entities, experts told HousingWire.

OCT/NOV 2023

KUDOS

Housing Forward serves as a model for reducing homelessness By Audrey Lee

kud

Housing Forward was founded in 2002 with the mission of ending homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties. Since its inception, Housing Forward has developed an effective homeless response system, worked alongside the All Neighbors Coalition and created a data-driven approach to making homelessness a rare, non-recurring event.

This year, HW Media has partnered with Housing Forward to further its mission in our shared home base of Dallas, Texas. In a recent HousingWire.com article, the reporters found that, “In its 2023 point-in-time (PIT) count of people who are unsheltered, Housing Forward and a team of 850 volunteers counted 4,244 homeless individuals in Dallas and Collin counties on one night. Of those, 28% were unsheltered and 72% were sheltered.

This total represents a 3.7% decrease from the 2022 count and a 7.1% decrease since 2021. Even more significant, it represents a 14% decline in unsheltered homelessness and a 32% decrease in chronic homelessness.”

These statistics and trends cannot be ignored, so HW Media is proud to shine a spotlight on this organization and the goal of ending homelessness.

Below, David Gruber, senior director of development and communications at Housing Forward, spoke with HousingWire about the organization’s mission and the impact it has made in the Dallas metro area.

HousingWire: What was the inspiration for founding Housing Forward?

David Gruber: Housing Forward, formerly Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA), was founded in 2002 to serve as a collective voice for homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties.

HW: What are you most proud of the organization for accomplishing this year? What are you most looking forward to in the next year?

118 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

DG: In October 2021, Housing Forward kicked off the Dallas R.E.A.L. Time Rapid Rehousing initiative, aiming to rehouse 2,700 people by the end of September 2023.

We have so far housed about 2,500. Earlier this year, Housing Forward announced that this initiative would be transformed into R.E.A.L. Time Rehousing with a goal of housing a total of 6,000 people by the end of 2025.

HW: Recently, HW Media has partnered with Housing Forward to continue the mission of ending homelessness in the Dallas metro area.

Why is this partnership so important?

OCT/NOV 2023

DG: There are many misconceptions about homelessness and how to solve it. This is why public education, including but not limited to through the press, is paramount to the success of Housing Forward’s mission.

HW: How can other housing industry professionals get involved? Locally as well as nationally.

DG: The main thing we need is housing units.

There are simply not enough housing units in properties that take housing vouchers. If you own or manage a rental property, let’s talk today!

HW: What challenges has the organization overcome in a post-COVID-19 pandemic environment?

DG: The main challenge we have overcome is the prevention of a large rise in homelessness.

Economists predicted and research since has shown that in the absence of federal assistance and local action, our country should have seen a catastrophic rise in homelessness. Not only did this not happen, but in Dallas and Collin counties homelessness dropped.

dos

119 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

KUDOS

OCT/NOV 2023

CHECKLIST

5 leading indicators for the housing market Every week, Altos Research tracks every home for sale in the country, all the pricing, supply, demand and changes in that data to answer the question, “How’s the market?” for anywhere in the country, local, regional or national. Several leading indicators, including those below, help real estate professionals communicate what’s happening in the market to their clients. Below, founder Mike Simonsen shares his insights into the top five leading indicators of the housing market, and how to use them to communicate with clients effectively.

✔ Median List Price

At Altos, we track the active housing market: if I walk into the market today, what is the price of the homes that I can buy?

Traditional housing data focuses on the lagging closed sales prices. When helping your clients understand the market right now, it’s best to focus on the homes that are for sale right now. The median list price is available now, then these listings get offers in the next month and the sales close a month after that. Then, three or four months down the road, we start hearing about the close sale price.

✔ Inventory

Inventory is not just how many homes are for sale — it’s also answering clients' questions like, “Is that a lot?” “Not enough?” “Is more supply coming?” If the active inventory of unsold homes is climbing, that’s more selection for buyers.

If inventory is falling, that means more competition for buyers and an easier opportunity for sellers.

✔ Pending Sales

Pending sales data (both volume and price) is the best indicator of future completed sales. By looking at the pending sales data, you can forecast what the completed sales will look like one to two months into the future. Homes that go under contract in October, will likely close in November or December. This also means the headlines you see today about home sale prices are discussing homes that went into contract a couple of months ago.

✔ Price Reductions

When home sellers don’t get the offers they were expecting, often the first step is to reduce the price on the listing. When demand for homes weakens, more sellers need to cut their prices. By tracking the proportion of listings that take a price reduction, we can assess immediately whether housing demand is increasing or decreasing. There are always some price cuts in the market — usually around 30% of listings take a price cut before they sell.

✔ Median Days on Market

120 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

The time to sell a property tells us much about current levels of supply and demand. As a home buyer, I know an area is more competitive when homes sell in 13 days compared to an area where homes take 70 days to sell. Often, different price points of homes in the same ZIP code will have notably different "Days on Market" – indicating where the consumer demand is the most robust. Showing these market time differences to buyers and sellers can be eye-opening.

Mike Simonsen is the founder of Altos Research.

OCT/NOV 2023

History of Housing 2010 AVERAGE HOME PRICE: $173,000 MORTGAGE RATE: 4.69% AVERAGE INCOME OF HOMEOWNER: $70,256 AVERAGE MONTHLY MORTGAGE PAYMENT: $1,496 AVERAGE SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,600

In the wake of the Great Recession, the housing market of 2010 was challenging for a host of reasons. Many consumers were still digging their way out of the Great Recession, which saw unemployment peak at 10% in October 2009.

Foreclosures rose to 2.9 million in 2010 and even with home prices back at 2003 levels, the homeownership rate declined to 65.4%. For lenders, 2010 is memorable as the year the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act went into effect, changing the mortgage industry forever.

121 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

*Sources: Census Bureau, HUD

OCT/NOV 2023

parting shot

❱ MOVING MARKETS FORWARD

122 ❱ HOUSINGWIRE

From the HousingWire team to you, thank you for being a loyal reader of the magazine. In our final issue, we’ve celebrated the biggest movers and shakers of the housing industry and we’ll continue to recognize top players in our digital spaces. Whether it’s through our flagship conference, The Gathering by HousingWire, our virtual events or through comments on our top news stories, there are plenty of ways to still engage with the HousingWire team and read content.

We are excited to continue to move markets forward with you.

OCT/NOV 2023

CoreLogic Congratulates

Patrick Dodd President and CEO

HousingWire Vanguard Award

These leaders help make the property industry faster, smarter and more people-centric.

Jan Morris

George Gallagher

Executive, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Development

Senior LeaderClimate Risk, Natural Hazard & Spatial Solutions

HousingWire Insiders Award

HousingWire Insiders Award

Power comes from your core.

It takes inner strength to reach your full potential. DocMagic’s 100% paperless workflow integrates with your entire organization to make your business agile.

Generate documents with just a few clicks. Use built-in compliance tools to ensure everything you serve remains in bounds. Avoid volleying emails and meeting dates back and forth. Close faster with online notarizations and instant notifications. And keep it all securely stored in eVault.

Play to win. Accelerate the pace of your mortgage closings.

info.DocMagic.com/fasterclosings | sales@docmagic.com | 800-649-1362