2nd Half Outlook for 2026

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Tom Finnegan, Principal, STRATMOR Group. Key Highlights: AI must deliver measurable results; loan officer compensation needs reexamining; stop accepting poor sales execution; and product strategy must reflect changing customer needs.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Mike Cush, VP of Purchase Strategy, AmeriSave Mortgage. Key Highlights: AI agents will change how consumers select lenders; profitability requires a more efficient organization; data will become a major competitive advantage and start with the future customer experience and work backward.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Jon Overfelt, Director of Sales, ASMC. Key Highlights: develop and retain LOs instead of constantly recruiting; develop 90-day execution plans; protect profitability and the balance sheet; and make faster decisions about underperformers.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Scott Johnson, Divisional Executive, CMG Home Loans. Key Highlights: growth is non-negotiable; junior LO model; AI should increase capacity, not simply eliminate people; and profitability has to become the discipline behind growth.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Steve Capen, Director Strategic Growth, First United Bank. Key Highlights: recruiting is prospecting—not waiting for candidates; leadership problems create recruiting opportunities; recruiting requires speed and accountability; and production alone doesn’t make someone a good hire.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Malcolm Hollensteiner, Director Home Loan Strategic Sales, Atlantic Union Bank. Key highlights include: stop waiting for the market to improve; banks have an underused competitive advantage; home-equity management could be a major overlooked 2027 opportunity and industry needs product innovation.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Joe Camerieri, Lenders One, discussed the Outlook for 2027. Key highlights: lenders need to look inside for untapped production; profitability and efficiency matter more than volume; HELOC boom may have limits; and lenders need to answer question, “Why are we in the mortgage business.”

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Dustin Gray, Founder & CEO, Homeowners.ai. Key Highlights: 80% of borrowers forget their loan officer within 3-6 months-Why?; birthday cards and drip emails are not retention; your database is bigger than closed loans; and loyalty is earned through repeated value, not one -time transactions.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Joe Camerieri, SVP, Sales & Strategy, Lenders One. Key Highlights: AI isn’t the magic bullet---lenders are aiming at the wrong target; the real cost savings live behind the scenes; real estate ecosystems are shifting fast; consumer-direct is coming for everyone; and rate volatility isn’t a surprise.

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Dustin Owen, Creator & Host of The Loan Officer Podcast (TLOP). Key Highlights: mortgage industry lacks true business management discipline; developing new talent is underutilized; broker channel is gaining energy because it attracts younger, entrepreneurial originators; and training and development must be intentional, cultural and led by experts.