Power House

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego sits down with Allan Merrill, the CEO of Beazer Homes, for an inside look at how they are rethinking mortgage lending and energy-efficient living. Beazer is a NYSE-listed builder that operates in 16 markets across the U.S. and aims to blend traditional homebuilding with innovative ideas. Alan explains their Mortgage Choice program and how this model empowers buyers with real choice and transparency when choosing a lender. He also talks about building with energy efficiency in mind, their commitment to smart customization, and their focus on making homes more attainable in today’s market. Here’s what you’ll learn: Beazer’s Mortgage Choice program lets buyers choose from multiple competing lenders for better service and rates. The company leads in energy-efficient homebuilding and offers customizable options at no extra cost. Beazer takes no marketing fees from lenders, ensuring unbiased competition. Its growth strategy is focused and cautious, targeting specific geographic markets. Real estate agents are key partners in guiding the homebuying journey. Beazer is committed to improving housing affordability through smart design and financing solutions. Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Beazer Homes Allan Merrill | LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Power House, we have a crossover episode with the RealTrending podcast. Host Tracey Velt sits down with Sarah Reynolds, CEO of EmpowerHome with Keller Williams. Sarah and Tracey talk about how to keep real estate fun, why focusing on controllable factors fuels success more than anything else, and the strategies that EmpowerHome uses to stay ahead of trends She also talks about how agent gratitude is at the heart of her leadership and how EmpowerHome is evolving to serve over 100 families a month. Here’s what you’ll learn: Focus on what you can control, not market conditions. Making real estate fun again boosts individual and team morale. Hiring with a growth mindset is key to innovation. We’ll start to see new, emerging agents in response to market changes. Client needs should always be the true north when driving industry policy changes. Empower Home aims to serve 100 families a month. Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Sarah Reynolds | EmpowerHome⁠ ⁠EmpowerHome Team⁠ ⁠Sarah Reynolds | LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego sits down with Marietta Rodriguez, President and CEO of NeighborWorks America, to talk about their mission to expand affordable housing across the nation. NeighborWorks America is a congressionally chartered nonprofit that supports a network of community organizations that develop rental and homeownership opportunities for low-income households. Marietta shares how the organization ranks among the top 100 homebuilders across the US, talks about the dynamics of urban vs. rural housing, and why solutions like modular construction should be popularized. She also talks about building community trust to overcome NIMBY challenges and how NeighborWorks maintains bipartisan support in a politically divided landscape. Here’s what you’ll learn: NeighborWorks America was created to combat urban disinvestment. The organization supports a network of nonprofits focused on housing and community development. They provide grants, training, and technical assistance to local organizations. NeighborWorks is a significant player in the affordable housing market. Community trust helps overcome NIMBY challenges in housing development. Rural housing issues require different strategies compared to urban challenges. Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ NeighborWorks America How a housing nonprofit survives the age of DOGE | HousingWire Marietta Rodriguez | LinkedIn Marietta Rodriguez | FDIC.gov ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego sits down with Patty Arvielo, the co-founder and CEO of New American Funding to talk about what it takes to thrive in a challenging housing market. New American Funding has grown 60% organically over the last year, has had significant market expansion over the past two years — all white maintaining a 98% profit retention rate over the past two decades. She walks through her 44-year leadership journey, from teenage data entry clerk to CEO, and how her partnership with co-CEO (and husband) Rick Arvielo drives their strategic edge. They also dive into the importance of company authenticity over flashy sign-on bonuses, and how Patty is paving the way for more women to step confidently into leadership roles in mortgage. Patty will be joining us on stage this year at The Gathering. Dont miss out — register ⁠here⁠! Here’s what you’ll learn: Anticipating market cycles will always be key to growth. Steady, consistent organic growth beats out acquisitions. Genuine culture, not quick incentives, will attract top talent. Empathetic leadership matters more than you think. End-to-end platforms should be seen as opportunities, not threats. Women should be open to taking career risks. Strong relationships are the foundation of strong companies. Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠ Agenda | 2025 HousingWire: The Gathering Registration | 2025 HousingWire: The Gathering Patty Arvielo | New American Funding New American Funding ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego sits down with two big names in housing: Varun Krishna, the CEO of Rocket Companies, and Jay Bray, the CEO of Mr. Cooper. They discuss combining powerful brands and redefining what it means to own a home in the U.S. Varun shares how the “Own the Dream” campaign has been a complete marketing revolution for Rocket. He also breaks down the strategy behind acquiring both Redfin and Mr. Cooper, and how they’re building a fully integrated experience across the entire homeownership journey. Jay dives into the shared vision that drove the Mr. Cooper deal and discusses how Rocket’s AI-driven platforms will transform mortgage servicing and broker partnerships.  Varun and Jay will be joining us on stage this year at The Gathering, alongside Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman. Dont miss out — register here! Here’s what you’ll learn: Own the Dream is a revolutionary marketing strategy for Rocket. Mergers and acquisitions are key to achieving growth. Homeownership is the core focus of Rocket's strategy. AI will play a significant role in optimizing the mortgage process. The future of servicing is about growth and integration. Related to this episode:⁠ Agenda | 2025 HousingWire: The Gathering BREAKING: Rocket CEO Varun Krishna Returns to The Gathering for Keynote Fireside Chat | HousingWire Rocket Companies to acquire Mr. Cooper in bombshell $9.4B deal | HousingWire Rocket’s 'Apple of homeownership' flywheel is getting more complex | HousingWire Varun Krishna shares Rocket’s plan to “become the Apple of homeownership” | HousingWire Rocket Companies announces deal to acquire Redfin for $1.75 billion | HousingWire Rocket Companies Mr. Cooper Jay Bray | LinkedIn Varun Krishna| LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Power House, we have a crossover episode with the RealTrending podcast. Host Tracey Velt talks to Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage. Tamir and Tracey talk about using AI to optimize daily operations, including the automation of thousands of inquiries with an AI assistant. He also talks about how Real scales without losing its culture, the shifting dynamics between agents and clients, and why brokerages must shift to a consumer-first mindset. Here’s what you’ll learn: Real is both a technology and a real estate company. AI enhances operational efficiency and client service. A strong company culture attracts like-minded agents. Leadership will always involve taking responsibility for failures. Automation can replace many tasks traditionally done by agents. AI will play a significant role in decision-making for real estate transactions. Related to this episode: The Real Brokerage Tamir Poleg - The Real Brokerage Inc | LinkedIn Real Brokerage leverages agent count growth for soaring revenue | HousingWire Best Real Estate Brokerages in United States | RealTrends Verified ⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego chats with Vikas Enti, the CEO of Reframe Systems, about how micro factories can reshape the future of home building in America. After a decade at Amazon Robotics, where he helped deploy over half a million robots, Vikas is now using his engineering background to create climate-resilient, affordable housing with Reframe’s localized micro-factories.  Vikas talks about how local-focused construction and zoning reform can make homebuilding faster and cheaper. He also discusses how Reframe plans to partner with developers and what the next 12 months have in store for the company’s growth. Here’s what you’ll learn: Reframe aims to build climate-resilient homes efficiently. The home building industry has not significantly changed in 100 years. Construction is fundamentally a logistics problem. Reframe is developing micro factories to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Local customization is key to meeting regional housing needs. Affordable housing is a critical issue in the current market. Related to this episode: Vikas Enti | LinkedIn Reframe Systems ⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego chats with Seth Gellis, the president of Community Preservation Partners, about the critical role that affordable housing plays in the US housing market. Having built over 16,000 units across 19 states, Seth shares CPP’s mission of preserving and developing affordable multi-family housing. They plan to do that by advocating for pro-housing policies, providing support to low-income populations, and getting involved in communities in need. Seth also talks about housing demographics, CPP’s future initiatives and where we go from here. Here’s what you’ll learn: CPP focuses on affordable multifamily housing. 75% of Americans can't afford the median price of a home. Accessible, affordable housing is essential for upward mobility. CPP uses low-income housing tax credits for financing. It’s important that community members get the chance to live where they work. CPP is involved in multifront policy advocacy for affordable housing. Related to this episode: Community Preservation Partners Seth Gellis | LinkedIn ⁠HousingWire | YouTube⁠ Enjoy the episode! The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s sponsored episode of Power House, Diego Sanchez sits down with Jesse Decker, the newly appointed Chief Customer Officer at Polly, for a conversation all about innovation and customer success strategies in mortgage tech.Jesse shares her journey from consulting to leading customer experience at Polly, how new tech is sweeping the mortgage landscape, and how Polly is constantly innovating to meet the needs of their customer partners. They also talk about some exciting new developments happening in Polly’s roadmap and what it really means — and takes — to listen to customers.Here’s what you’ll learn: The mortgage industry, as a whole, is on the brink of a technology shift. Understanding customer needs is crucial for product development. Polly's technology is highly configurable and innovative. Artificial intelligence integration is a key focus for Polly's future. Building partnerships with customers is essential for success. Polly wants to transform the vendor-lender relationship model. Related to this episode: Connect with Jesse Decker on LinkedIn Follow Polly on LinkedIn Connect with Polly's team at #MBASecondary25 Mortgage Tech Insights with Adam Carmel HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Power House, we have a fantastic conversation between Diego and Melinda Wilner, the COO of United Wholesale Mortgage. Today’s episode is all about what it really takes to thrive in today’s market. Melinda talks about her journey from mortgage broker to UWM executive and how her leadership has supported UWM’s position as the top mortgage originator since 2022. They also talk about company initiatives like their TRAC Lite program and All-In Agreement, and how these are central to their mission of protecting the wholesale channel.Here’s what you’ll learn: UWM focuses on growing the wholesale channel to enhance broker experiences. In-house technology and innovation are key to UWM's competitive edge. The All-In Agreement protects the wholesale broker channel. The TRAC Lite program significantly reduces title costs for consumers. The wholesale channel is gaining market share in the mortgage industry. UWM aims to create a community among mortgage brokers. Related to this episode: UWM.com Melinda Wilner | LinkedIn United Wholesale Mortgage | HousingWire HousingWire | YouTube Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast brings the biggest names in housing to answer hard-hitting questions about industry trends, operational and growth strategy, and leadership. Join HousingWire president Diego Sanchez every Thursday morning for candid conversations with industry leaders to learn how they’re differentiating themselves from the competition. Hosted and produced by the HousingWire Content Studio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices