Power House

In this sponsored episode of Power House, Diego chats with Elizabeth Emmons, the Chief Marketing Officer of Radian, to give a behind-the-scenes look into Radian’s vision for affordable and sustainable homeownership.  Elizabeth tackles the challenges and misconceptions around the home-buying process and explains how Radian's wide range of products, from mortgage insurance to real estate services, all work together to support home buyers. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why private mortgage insurance is a game-changer for first-time buyers How Radian's diverse offerings support a holistic approach to homeownership The role of trust and collaboration in building lasting customer relationships Why breaking down homeownership barriers is more urgent than ever Radian's vision for the future is all about creating possibilities for a place to call home Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Radian Elizabeth Emmons | 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

This week on Power House, Diego chats with Jonathan Wolf, the CEO of Wendover Housing Partners, about affordable housing — specifically in their local Florida market — and how they’re working to combat pervasive NIMBYism.  Jonathan also dives into Wendover’s recent legislative victories on the affordable housing front and the role of major employers like Universal and Comcast in tackling NIMBYism. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why collaboration with employers is essential to overcoming NIMBY challenges How Wendover Housing Partners plans to double its community management in the next two years The importance of integrating services like healthcare and education into affordable housing communities The potential for replicating Wendover's successful model nationwide Jonathan's insights on engaging mortgage and real estate executives in affordable housing initiatives Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jonathan Wolf | LinkedIn Wendover Housing Partners ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

This week on Power House we have a special interview that we recorded live at the G13 Assembly back in May, between HousingWire’s Senior Director of the Content Studio, Zeb Lowe and Matt Weaver, the nation's top loan originator in 2023.  Matt answers some of the top questions from lenders and originators across the nation, including how to avoid complacency, how to properly script yourself, how to handle buyer objections and much more! Here’s what you’ll learn: How Matt maintains his top ranking in a competitive market The role of a scripted process in delivering consistent results Strategies for training agents to handle buyer objections effectively The importance of creating "wow" moments to boost referrals Insights into the future of AI in the mortgage industry and the value of mentorship Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Matt Weaver | LinkedIn CrossCountry Mortgage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

In this sponsored episode of Power House, Diego sits down with Ryan Young, the CEO and Co-Founder of Fello. Ryan shares his transition from a professional chef to leading the number one real estate team in Ohio, and how trying to solve the pain points of that team led him to create Fello.  Ryan talks about how Fello is revolutionizing real estate and mortgage sectors by turning stagnant databases into usable, dynamic assets using AI-driven automated processes. This approach not only enriches CRM data but also identifies valuable prospects, sets appointments, and much more. Tune in to learn how to harness the full potential of your data and stay ahead in the digital age. Here’s what you’ll learn: How Ryan Young transitioned from a professional chef to leading Ohio's top real estate team Why solving his team's challenges led Ryan to create Fello How Fello revolutionizes real estate and mortgage sectors by transforming stagnant databases into dynamic assets What sets Fello apart with its AI-driven automated processes that enrich CRM data and identify valuable prospects Inside Fello’s approach to setting appointments and maximizing data potential in the digital age Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fello Ryan Young | LinkedIn Marketing automation is the future — and Fello wants to help | 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

This week on Power House, Diego sits down with Mike McNamara, the co-founder and CEO of Samara, a company that focuses on building pre-fab housing products and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Originally born inside the Airbnb space, Samara is trying to revolutionize housing by providing flexible living spaces that serve a diverse set of needs, from generating rental income to accommodating multi-generational families. Mike talks about how ADUs might be an unexpected solution to some of our housing shortage problems, especially in dense areas like California. He also talks about what the future looks like for diverse households and the community work that they’re doing to help wildfire victims in Southern California. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why backyard ADUs are becoming the go-to option for housing flexibility and supplemental rental income How Samara handles the entire ADU process in as little as 7 months What sets Samara apart from other traditional prefab builders Why California’s zoning laws have helped ADUs take off, and what other states can learn from that Inside Samara’s $15M initiative to donate homes to wildfire survivors Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Samara Getting Smart on ADUs with Samara’s Mike McNamara Samara | 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, Diego sits down with Justin Bailey, the CEO of Realty Executives Associates. Founded in 1977, the firm quickly grew in the East Tennessee market and now has over 1,000 agents. As a fourth-generation realtor, Justin shares how his time in the nonprofit world helped shape his leadership style and why relational leadership remains central to his approach even as REA continues to scale.  Justin walks through his journey to brokerage CEO, highlighting the challenges of scaling from 50 to 1,000 agents and the systems necessary to support sustainable growth. He also shares his views on Clear Cooperation, the role of the MLS, and what he sees as a turning point for NAR under its new CEO, Nykia Wright. Here’s what you’ll learn: How nonprofit values shaped Justin’s leadership in real estate What it takes to scale a brokerage while preserving culture and connection Why creating a strong core leadership team is critical in large firms How identity and self-awareness impact leadership effectiveness Why Justin is optimistic about NAR’s direction under Nykia Wright Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nykia Wright looks to lead NAR into the future Justin Bailey | LinkedIn Realty Executives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 are bringing you another fantastic conversation recorded last month at The Gathering. This one is between Diego and Randell Gillespie, the President of LeaderOne Financial. Founded in 1992 and now with over 300 loan officers nationwide, LeaderOne is still forging its path forward through an interesting collaborative ownership model. Randell shares his growth philosophy, which includes prioritizing organic expansion and cultural alignment over M&A, and how flexibility, transparency, and tech are shaping the next generation of mortgage leadership. He also talks about how top producers create their own verticals and the growing importance of servicing in client retention. Here’s what you’ll learn: How the Four C’s of capital, care, creativity, and collaboration guide LeaderOne’s strategic vision Why collaboration beats M&A in today’s lending landscape The role of referral relationships in market resilience How technology is used to deepen—not replace—client engagement Why flexibility and local leadership matter more than ever Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Home | The Gathering 2026 LeaderOne Financial Randell Gillespie | 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 are bringing you a fantastic conversation between HousingWire’s Senior Director of the Content Studio, Zeb Lowe, and Jennifer Beeston, the EVP of National Sales at Rate and a veteran loan originator. Jennifer took the stage last month at The Gathering to talk about reviving the American Dream, and we caught her right after to dive a bit deeper into her work in the VA space. Jennifer and Zeb talk about the moment that led her to specialize in VA lending and the why behind her mission to educate people about the product’s true value. They also talk about the misconceptions around VA loans, why social media alone won’t build a lasting business, and how AI is reshaping the mortgage space, including where it falls short. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why VA loans are still misunderstood and how Jennifer is changing that Why originators should focus on clients, not just real estate agents How Jennifer built a personal brand through social media Social media is a fantastic tool, but not a strategy in and of itself AI can streamline tasks, but it can’t replace trust and human connection Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Rate's Jennifer Beeston urges LOs to 'protect the American dream' | HousingWire Jennifer Beeston  | LinkedIn Home | The Gathering 2026 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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 Mark Wai, EVP and Group CTO at Radian, to talk about the innovation that Radian is doing in mortgage. Mark shares how generative AI is reshaping operations, why digital transformation takes more than just a quick fix, and what’s at stake for companies that don’t adapt to new market trends. He also talks about how Radian is using tech to make homeownership more affordable, accessible and sustainable. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why innovation means reinventing people, processes, and technology — not just new tools How generative AI is transforming mortgage operations and decision-making There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to digital transformation Customer expectations must evolve alongside technology Companies that resist innovation risk falling behind or disappearing entirely Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Mark Wai | LinkedIn Radian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

Last week, Guild Mortgage made headlines with its $1.3 billion acquisition by Bayview Asset Management. This week, Diego welcomes Terry Schmidt, the CEO of Guild Mortgage, to talk about how Guild plans to innovate, scale and deepen customer loyalty, without losing its retail identity. Terry and Diego dive into the synergy between Guild’s distributed retail model and Bayview’s $700 billion servicing portfolio. They also talk about Guild’s investment in AI and tech, ongoing M&A ambitions, and how cultural alignment and local relationships will still be their secret weapon. Here’s what you’ll learn: Why Bayview’s acquisition of Guild was a strategic move, not just financial. Guild’s "customers for life" strategy delivers strong recapture performance. How Bayview’s capital unlocks new proprietary loan products for Guild. Cultural alignment is central to Guild’s M&A and growth strategy. AI and tech will play a major role in Guild’s next chapter. Related to this episode:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guild Mortgage Bayview to buy Guild for $1.3B in cash, taking lender private | HousingWire Terry Schmidt  | 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