Homeownership is one of the most powerful wealth-building tools this country offers, and my path into the mortgage lending industry is an unlikely story that I could not be prouder to tell. In 2006, I was a methamphetamine addict living in an abandoned house, likely due for demolition, in Akron, Ohio. I had burned practically […]
From addiction to advocacy: How the mortgage industry gave me a second chance Read More »
People can sense when unedited AI is being used as content. Let me show you what I mean. Here’s what happens when someone plugs “write about mortgage marketing trends” into one popular AI tool without a second thought: In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, mortgage pros struggle to stand out. Old-school marketing isn’t enough anymore.
Your AI-generated content is showing. (And not in a good way.) Read More »
Two transactions. One structural shift. Compass’s acquisition of Anywhere and Real’s $880 million deal for REMAX are not simply the largest brokerage transactions in recent memory. And, now add to that eXp’s acquisition of NextHome and together, they represent something the residential real estate industry has not seen before: the emergence of vertically integrated platform companies operating at
Brokerage consolidation shifts lead flow and retention models Read More »
Remember when Netflix felt like the answer to everything? One price, one app, watch whatever you want. People were ditching cable because the math was obvious. Why pay for 200 channels when $12 a month got you everything you wanted to watch. Simple, cheap, done. Then Disney launched their own thing. Then HBO. Then Paramount,
Real estate tech started like streaming and ended as a bundle Read More »
If you want to understand where the mortgage industry is headed, spend a few days listening to lenders at gatherings like ICE Experience, HousingWire’s The Gathering or Texas MBA’s annual convention when they are not presenting, not pitching and not on panels. Spend time in the hallways. At the booths. In the quiet conversations between
What lenders are really saying about efficiency in 2026 Read More »
There is a word being used right now to scare real estate professionals into surrendering their judgment and independence. That word is private. It’s being used like magicians use abracadabra, hoping nobody notices what the other hand is doing. We’re told private listings will harm consumers and undermine fair housing. That they are the “dark
Are private listings a consumer risk or a power grab? Read More »
For years, multifamily underwriting has treated population growth as a constant factor. However, that assumption has masked an important distinction: not all demand is created equal. Workforce housing demand and Class A housing demand are increasingly being driven by different forces. This divergence is becoming more visible in current data. First-quarter data point to a
A benchmark study tracking 8.2 million real estate conversations in AI search models finds that buyer behavior has changed faster than any channel in real estate marketing history. And portals are losing ground because of it. For the first time since AI search tracking began in 2024, Zillow‘s share of agent-discovery traffic declined year over
Mortgage lenders are rushing to adopt AI, but many are repeating a familiar mistake: using new technology to accelerate old processes. Faster paper-pushing isn’t transformation. AI presents an opportunity to go further—but only if lenders approach it correctly. In mortgage lending, intelligent AI means removing the paper, moving beyond simple automation, orienting technology around measurable
Generic AI won’t fix mortgage lending. Intelligent AI will. Read More »
Nearly all veterans who have used a VA home loan, 98%, say they’re satisfied with the experience. Almost half say they couldn’t have purchased a home without it. And more than two-thirds of veterans and service members who don’t yet own a home call homeownership a major life milestone. The motivation is there. The benefit
Veterans cite upfront costs as top VA loan barrier in 2026 Read More »