During a recent trip overseas, I spoke to a banker who stated, “Technology doesn’t stop at the border.” True. The days of writing out this Commentary or taking an app on a yellow pad of paper are long gone. Today has the STRATMOR Group’s Advisory Angle at 11AM PT. STRATMOR Senior Partners Garth Graham and Nicole Yung explore the latest findings from STRATMOR's Technology Insight Digital Innovations study. The conversation examines where lenders are seeing the greatest return on digital investments, the barriers slowing adoption, and the technologies shaping the next phase of innovation in mortgage. The industry is abuzz about the CrossCountry/Two Harbor deal, but harken back… Think about the Redfin/Rocket deal, playing for the “top of the funnel” and obtaining information about consumers. Rocket’s contests are meant to obtain that information, but can Rocket and other companies convert information into loans? Consumers are increasingly empowered by technology forcing lenders and real estate agents to spell out their advantages in this era of consolidation. MLOs and agents do offer value, namely quarterbacking the transaction! (Today’s podcast can be found here… this week’s ‘casts are sponsored by FICO. As the industry's most predictive credit score, FICO Score 10T combines proven performance with deeper insight into borrower behavior to help support a stronger and more resilient housing finance system. Today’s has an interview with American Pacific’s Jason Ponsonby on how top-performing mortgage originators distinguish themselves through discipline, adaptability, strong relationship-building, and operational efficiency, while long-term success depends on fostering the right culture, and leveraging technology to enhance human connection.)
Modest Pressure, Light Data
From summertime Monday to summertime Tuesday… Yesterday’s modest strength is now erased by today’s modest weakness. In both cases, the movement is too small to worry about obvious catalysts, though some may assume that there’s an oil price component …