Power House HousingWire

On today’s episode, we have an exclusive, behind-the-scenes conversation with a guest who has an amazing perspective and depth of knowledge in investing and business operation strategy, Bonnie Wilhelm. Bonnie is the CEO of the Andromeda Group and COO of Perseus inside of Constellation Software. Constellation acquires and operates Vertical Market Software (VMS) throughout a broad target of industries, including housing.
In 2023, Constellation acquired two of the most important technology assets in housing: Optimal Blue and Dark Matter, which was formerly Black Knight. Their influence spans far and wide across many facets of the housing and mortgage ecosystem, even if the name isn’t one that you may recognize at first glance.
Bonnie’s conversation with Clayton gives us a glimpse into the intricate investing and operating strategy at Constellation, where they strongly believe in holding acquired businesses into perpetuity. She also talks about decentralizing operations down to day-to-day minutia and how they’re leveraging artificial intelligence to do things such as reduce loan origination time.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Constellation follows a buy and hold forever strategy, investing in businesses for the long term and understanding customer needs.

The company focuses on acquiring businesses in vertical markets and adjacencies, allowing management teams to run autonomously.

The company is particularly interested in the mortgage space and is investing in AI to reduce loan origination time.

Constellation emphasizes the importance of patience, being prepared for different scenarios, and making rational decisions in cyclical businesses.


Related to this episode:

Bonnie Wilhelm | LinkedIn

Perseus Group | LinkedIn

HousingWire's AI Summit

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.
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Today, we welcome two wonderful guests to the Power House podcast: Rick Roque and Andrew Maas. Rick is the EVP of Retail Growth and Strategy at Sierra Pacific Mortgage with 20+ years in retail mortgage banking, acquiring, managing and growing production volume & market share in companies across the US. Andrew is the Co-Founder & CEO of Pointable, focusing on large-scale deep learning for spoken and written language tasks and has previously worked on data-centric deep learning approaches at Apple.
Both Rick and Andrew are going to be joining us as speakers in July for HousingWire’s AI Summit.
Clayton’s conversation with Rick and Andrew focuses on the adoption and use cases of artificial intelligence in the mortgage space. According to Rick, current mortgage boardroom sentiment toward AI is “complete confusion” and full of worry about how it will affect the bottom line. They want to demystify that. Strategic AI adoption will split lenders into two groups: those who leverage efficiency tools and those who don’t.
They also discuss practical use cases for AI in lending spaces, including streamlining lending workflows, time spent coaching and training, and even how consumers can benefit in discovering and understanding their loan options and application processes.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

AI's impact on the mortgage industry is significant, offering opportunities for efficiency and profitability.

The confusion of implementing AI in mortgage is rooted in confusion and a lack of focus on future demands.

AI has the potential to revolutionize the mortgage industry by addressing systematic inefficiencies and streamlining processes.

There is a need for a shift in executive mentality and budgeting to incorporate AI into critical business needs.


Related to this episode:

Rick Roque | LinkedIn

Andrew Maas | LinkedIn

Sierra Pacific Mortgage

Pointable

HousingWire's AI Summit

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.
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Today we are chatting with Phil DeFronzo, the founder, president and CEO of mortgage wholesaler TPO Go. Phil, who has been in the mortgage business since 1989, was the former CEO of Norcom Mortgage before he sold the retail business to CMG Financial and pursued the wholesale business.
Phil and Clayton talk about his career journey over the past three decades, how he got to where he was today, and the interesting people he met and learned from along the way — including the mentorship of the late Dave Stevens. They also talk about TPO Go’s strategy to differentiate itself and where he sees growth for the industry in the coming years in spaces like renovation loans and automation processes.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Opportunities for growth often arise in challenging times.

Focusing on profitability is key to weathering market changes.

Renovation loans offer significant market potential, especially in aging housing stock.

Brokers with strong product knowledge have a competitive advantage.

Automation can improve turn times and enhance the customer experience.


Related to this episode:

CMG acquires Norcom Mortgage’s retail assets - HousingWire

Phil DeFronzo | LinkedIn

TPO Go | Linkedin

TPO GO

HousingWire | YouTube

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.
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On today's episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with an extraordinary guest you might already know. Since 2014, he has consistently been ranked as the number one real estate educator by the Swanepoel Power 200. Tom is not only a prolific author, but also the Founder and CEO of Ferry International. With a massive following on YouTube and social media, and over 30,000 hours of one-on-one coaching with agents and industry experts under his belt, we are thrilled to welcome Tom Ferry to the Power House podcast.
Tom and Clayton’s chat is all about entrepreneurship, personal branding and marketing, and building a strategic approach to business growth in a changing market. He has had a lot of successes — and just as many failures. Now, Tom has a strong focus on building a client-first approach to sales and also has some really interesting thoughts to share about AI, the rise of artisan agents, and scaling a new business through personalized team-building.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

A client-first sales and marketing approach is crucial.

Coaching involves understanding the psychology of clients and helping them overcome barriers and mindset shifts.

AI can play a significant role in the real estate industry, from coach-client selection to improving customer success and providing valuable insights.

There is a rise of artisan agents who focus on providing a high-quality experience for clients, even if they don't do a high volume of transactions.

Continuous learning and staying relevant are crucial in the industry, and technology adoption done right can be a game-changer.


Related to this episode:

Tom Ferry | Linkedin

Ferry International | Linkedin

Tom Ferry | Instagram

Tom Ferry

HousingWire | YouTube

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.
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In this week’s episode, Clayton got the chance to sit down with the president & CEO of UMortgage, Anthony Casa, who joined us in person last month in Scottsdale for The Gathering.
During their conversation, Anthony talks about how he went from dropping out of school at only 13 to being the president and CEO of UMortgage, and how his experience during the financial crisis carefully shapes how he approaches his business today. They also talk about finding growth in a shrinking market and the craft of walking a fine line between competition and a consumer-first approach.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

Building relationships and providing a great customer experience are key in the mortgage industry.

The housing crisis taught Casa the importance of focusing on relationships rather than transactions.

Transitioning from one business to another requires developing a strong team and passing on the reins.

Casa believes in putting the consumer first and creating a personalized experience.

Competition and balance are important for the mortgage industry to thrive.


Related to this episode:

Anthony Casa | LinkedIn

UMortgage | LinkedIn

UMortgage

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.
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This week we are sharing an exclusive conversation recorded live at The Gathering in Scottsdale, this time with the esteemed Chris Heller, current president at OJO and former CEO of Keller Williams. Chris has worn many hats with over 35 years of experience in the real estate industry in multiple leadership and advisory roles under his belt. 
In today’s conversation with Clayton, they talk about OJO’s consumer-facing rebrand to Movoto and their recent acquisition of The LEAD Syndicate to launch Lever, a platform delivering an all-in solution suite for agents. They also talk about anticipated changes on the horion as the commission changes take effect, such as an industry-wide shift of fewer, more experienced agents and a downward trend in commissions.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

The Lead Syndicate acquisition aims to enhance services for solo agents and provide support in areas such as database management, marketing, and transactions.

The upcoming changes in the real estate industry will require agents and brokerages to focus on higher-value services and adapt to new market dynamics.

The industry is likely to see opportunities for consolidation and M&A as companies look to combine resources to navigate the changing landscape.

The Department of Justice's ongoing scrutiny of the industry and potential consumer impacts should be closely monitored.


Related to this episode:

Chris Heller | LinkedIn

OJO acquires The LEAD Syndicate, launches Lever by Movoto | HousingWire

Movoto

OJO Labs

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices