

Power House
HousingWire
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 19, 2024 • 27min
When to compete and when to complement with Marc Trachtenberg
In this episode, HousingWire president Diego Sanchez interviews Marc Trachtenberg, CEO of Silk Title Co. They explore the dominance of the "Big Four" in the title market and how Silk Title's model complements rather than competes with them. Marc also shares insights from the recent RealEdge conference and discusses adapting to new technologies, fostering collaboration, and educating consumers about the title process.Don't miss Marc at the upcoming IMB Summit on October 1 in Dallas, where he'll delve into Silk Title's vision for the future of the title industry. Here's what you'll learn:
Collaboration, rather than competition within the industry can lead to better outcomes for everyone.
Diverse perspectives and consumer education are crucial for the industry's success.
There is a significant lack of consumer education regarding the title process and its costs, and that needs to change.
The title industry needs to redefine its approach to remain relevant in a changing market.
Understanding risk and title alternatives is essential for both consumers and industry professionals.
Related to this episode:
HousingWire IMB Summit
Silk Title Co.
Silk Title Co. | LinkedIn
Marc Trachtenberg | LinkedIn
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Sep 12, 2024 • 40min
Sharpening the axe with mortgage education expert Nathan Knottingham
Today we are bringing to your feed a great conversation with an even greater guest: Nathan Knottingham. Nathan wears many hats within the mortgage space, including being the co-founder and CEO of the newly launched mortgage education company, MLO Force, the COO of Vetted VA, and the COO of Be My Neighbor Mortgage.Clayton and Nathan originally scheduled this podcast to talk about MLO Force and the exciting things they’re doing in mortgage education and C.E. but Nathan had a surprise in store this past Monday when he posted a picture of him and his partners on the floor of the NASDAQ. Be My Neighbor and real estate software firm reAlpha are joining forces in the hopes to bring the mortgage industry a step forward in an end-to-end homebuying process.Nathan offers great insights into MLO Force’s goal for continuing education across the larger workforce. He also shares what makes intellectual curiosity so special, even for those who consider themselves subject matter experts.Here's what you'll learn:
Be My Neighbor Mortgage’s acquisition by Realpha highlights the importance of technology in the real estate transaction.
Continued education and always being a willing learner is crucial for mortgage professionals to stay up to date on industry regulations and best practices.
MLO Force offers mortgage education courses for individuals and enterprise-level clients, providing a flexible and comprehensive learning experience.
Related to this episode:
reAlpha gets into the mortgage brokerage biz, acquires Be My Neighbor | HousingWire
Nathan Knottingham | LinkedIn
MLO Force
Be My Neighbor Mortgage
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Aug 29, 2024 • 13min
Mortgage banking strategies and insights with Sarah Wheeler
If you are a mortgage banking executive or leader, you will want to listen to this episode to hear what Sarah Wheeler has to share. In this episode of Power House, HousingWire Editor-in-Chief Sarah Wheeler joins HW Media CEO Clayton Collins to discuss critical themes and knowledge for mortgage banking leaders.Sarah discusses major stories related to LO compensation, servicing, and refi dynamics and her recent interview with Barry Habib. She also shares how HousingWire communicates this type of knowledge to readers via articles, podcasts, and events.These topics and a group of amazing executive speakers will be front and center at the HousingWire IMB Summit on October 1st in Dallas, Texas. Register for the event today and take advantage of Labor Day Weekend prices promotions: Register here: https://events.housingwire.com/IMB-summit Code: LABORDAY (expires 8/30/24 on Labor Day) Act now, this will be the lowest available price for tickets to the 2024 event!Related to this episode:HousingWire | YouTubeEnjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Aug 22, 2024 • 56min
Austin Allison: Cracking the co-ownership code
This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins sits down with Austin Allison, the CEO and co-founder of Pacaso, a co-ownership marketplace for luxury vacation homes with over a billion dollars in transactions across 40 destination markets. In this episode, Austin shares the lessons from building and scaling successful real estate businesses. Clayton and Austin also discuss the hard-to-sell mortgage model behind co-ownership and how, even in a complicated macro environment, Pacaso is addressing the growing affordability problem by offering fractional ownership of high-end vacation homes.Here's what you'll learn:
How surrounding yourself with the right people drives success
Why understanding your Total Addressable Market (TAM) and a strong monetization strategy are crucial to survive and thrive
How the co-ownership model addresses affordability challenges in real estate
How Pacaso is working to make the American dream accessible to more people
Related to this episode:
Austin Allison | Linkedin
Pacaso | LinkedIn
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Aug 15, 2024 • 47min
Randell Gillespie: The Future of Lower and Rise of Authentic Leadership
This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins speaks with Randell Gillespie, the chief production officer at Lower.With over 30 years of mortgage lending and leadership experience, Randell was named chief production officer in March of this year upon the completion of Lower’s acquisition of Thrive Mortgage. Praised for his leadership style, Randell received the 2023 HousingWire Vanguard Award.In this episode, they discuss culture, leadership, technology, margins, recruiting, and even hamburgers. Randell shares how he’s navigating this transition to Lower and his plans for the future of mortgage lending at Lower. Lower boasts an executive team with diverse expertise and a strong commitment to supporting LOs. The recent recruitment of The Loan Officer Podcast host Dustin Owen as their SVP of Growth is a key part of that strategy. Randell also highlights how technology is redefining the mortgage experience and how Lower adapts to the current rate environment to maintain strong margins.Related to this episode:
Randell Gillespie | LinkedIn
Lower
Thrive Mortgage and Lower strike merger deal | HousingWire
2023 HW Vanguard: Randell Gillespie | HousingWire
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Aug 8, 2024 • 41min
Jason Mitchell: Relentless focus on mortgage partnerships that drive value for agents
Jason Mitchell, founder of a top real estate team, shares insights from his journey with impressive annual transaction volumes. He reveals that success doesn't require thousands of agents—just focused partnerships with mortgage lenders. Jason discusses innovative B2B strategies to generate leads, emphasizing the importance of trust and communication in nurturing relationships. He highlights the balance between agent satisfaction and performance, and the role of strong leadership in navigating growth challenges within the competitive market.

Aug 1, 2024 • 47min
Joe Tyrrell: Leadership and market innovation and Optimal Blue
This week on the Power House podcast, Clayton Collins sits down with Joe Tyrrell, the CEO of Optimal Blue. With over 25 years in mortgage, finance, and technology, Joe shares his wealth of experience about value-driven leadership, innovation, and the mortgage tech space.In their discussion, Joe talks about the significance of capital markets for mortgage lenders and how secondary market executions can drive profitability in 2024 and beyond. He also delves into Optimal Blue’s autonomy and technological advancements as part of Constellation Software, referencing a previous conversation with Bonnie Wilhelm of the Andromeda Group and Perseus.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
How Optimal Blue focuses on delivering value to lenders and maximizing profitability.
Trust and operationalizing technology as keys to driving efficiency and overcoming resistance to change.
AI’s crucial role in providing real-time data and insights to help lenders make informed decisions and improve profitability.
Optimal Blue’s plans to deliver value to customers without additional costs, accelerate innovation, and foster partnerships within the mortgage ecosystem.
Related to this episode:
Joe Tyrrell | LinkedIn
Optimal Blue
Mortgage veteran Joe Tyrrell named CEO of Optimal Blue | HousingWire
Optimal Blue's new CEO Joe Tyrrell on moving technology's finish line | HousingWire
Optimal Blue releases new data license product for mortgage pricing | HousingWire
Constellation’s Bonnie Wilhelm on their “buy and hold forever” strategy | HousingWire
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Jul 25, 2024 • 42min
Buyer advocacy and beyond with Realtor.com CMO Mickey Neuberger
This week on the Power House Podcast, we are bringing you a sponsored interview between Clayton and Mickey Neuberger, the Chief Marketing Officer at Realtor.com. Before joining Realtor.com, Mickey was VP of Global Marketing at eBay for 9 years, where he built the company’s CRM platform from the ground up. He also has extensive experience in marketing, CRM, product and technology from previous roles at Travelocity, Loyalty Lab, and 24 Hour Fitness. Clayton and Mickey start by discussing Mickey's career journey, his expertise in data management, and how he got into the marketing landscape. But, the real meat of this conversation is about one of Realtor.com’s biggest current initiatives: their buyer advocacy campaign. The campaign spans several advocacy initiatives, including the development of a self-serve tool kit for buyer’s agents. This kit features tools and assets that can be customized and shared with one’s network to highlight everything agents do for consumers before, during and after the home-buying process. They’re also working on highlighting and empowering underserved and underrepresented buyers to ensure equitable opportunities in the housing market. Clayton and Mickey dive deep into this campaign and its vital importance in today’s industry, Realtor.com’s efforts to bring together housing professionals, home buyers and policymakers to understand the power that housing and real estate hold in the larger American economy.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
How Mickey's career path from computer science to marketing has helped his experience in driving results at scale,
The importance of brand presence and the use of strategic data and analytics in marketing.
The why behind their buyer agency advocacy campaign, the Buyer's Agent Tool Kit and the efforts to educate consumers and policymakers.
Where the future of Realtor.com is headed and their marketing objectives for the second half of 2024.
Related to this episode:
Mickey Neuberger | LinkedIn
Realtor.com | LinkedIn
Realtor.com
Buyer's Agent Toolkit
America's Housing Problem: The Dream of Homeownership Is Further Fading for Underserved Buyers—but Here's How To Navigate the Market | Realtor.com
Realtor.com announces update to buyer’s agency ad campaign
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Jul 18, 2024 • 33min
Craig Montgomery on Lower’s journey to becoming a top-five lender
On today’s episode of Power House, we had the pleasure of speaking with Craig Montgomery, the Chief Strategy Officer at Lower. Craig joined Lower this past June with plans to drive the company towards the goal of becoming a top five national mortgage lender.Today’s conversation is all about Craig’s vision for building Lower’s ambitious plans for growth, including a focus on an originator-first mindset and platform, as well as finding real value in strategic partnerships. Lower is also ramping up mergers and acquisitions to help achieve this goal with two different acquisitions within the past year. He shares their unique growth plan for today’s higher-rate, low volume environment. Enjoy this episode with Craig Montgomery, Chief Strategy Officer at Lower!Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
Providing originators with the tools, resources, and support they need is crucial for their success.
Listen to originators to truly understand their needs and shortcomings.
Transparency and communication are key in successful M&A integrations.
A coaching program can be a game changer in elevating originator performance.
Becoming a top-five lender requires aggressive recruiting and a focus on providing a platform for originator success.
Related to this episode:
Lower hires Craig Montgomery as chief strategy officer | HousingWire
Craig Montgomery | Linkedin
Lower | Linkedin
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.

Jul 11, 2024 • 46min
Anthony Lamacchia: Entrepreneurial leadership pumping through his veins
Anthony Lamacchia shares his journey from working in his father’s landscaping business to building Lamacchia Realty. He discusses the importance of marketing, branding, and consistent content creation in attracting clients and media attention. Lamacchia emphasizes delegating responsibilities and hiring experienced professionals for growth. He delves into his M&A strategy, market expansion, and his approach to marketing and recruiting agents using billboards and other methods. He addresses industry challenges, like the commission lawsuit and changing market conditions, and shares how he prepares his agents for success, concluding with his optimistic outlook for the future of real estate.Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:•The importance of marketing, branding, and consistent content creation for attracting clients and media attention.•Strategies for delegating responsibilities, hiring experienced professionals, and executing a successful M&A strategy for business growth and market expansion.•Effective marketing and recruiting techniques, such as the use of billboards and other advertising methods.•Insights into industry challenges like the commission lawsuit, changing market conditions, and how to prepare agents for success, along with Anthony’s optimistic outlook for the future of real estate.Related to this episode:
2024 RealTrends GameChangers saw tremendous growth over last five years
RealTrends Verified: Lamacchia Realty
Anywhere senior executive makes the move to Lamacchia Realty
Commission lawsuits: The actions to take right now from brokers who are doing it
HousingWire | YouTube
Enjoy the episode!The Power House podcast is a show about leadership, markets and entrepreneurship in the housing industry. Each Thursday, Clayton Collins speaks with CEOs and founders from the mortgage and real estate sector to reveal how housing executives think about business growth, operational strategy, and leadership. The Power House podcast reveals the full picture through the stories of the industry’s most impactful leaders. Clayton Collins is the CEO of HousingWire, and the Power House podcast is produced by HousingWire’s Content Studio. Initially launched in 2019 as the Housing News podcast, the show was relaunched as Power House in 2024.


