The Mortgage Game

Ryan Wiley

Welcome to "The Mortgage Game", my name is Ryan Wiley. I truly believe that building a successful mortgage business is like playing a game. There's winners, but mostly, there's losers. I've not only built my own successful mortgage business, but I've also coached and mentored hundreds of mortgage brokers. These days, I run my own mortgage team, Team Wiley. Now, through coaching, events, and this podcast, I want to distill everything I've learned, and bring it directly to you.

  1. Jul 16

    308: How 1 DM Can Change Your Business

    WATCH ▶️ ⁠Watch this episode on YouTube⁠ ***   EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I'm joined by Kendra Bartels.   Kendra is a mortgage agent on Team Wiley from Ontario, who became licensed in February of 2025 while also juggling being a mom of 2 toddlers.   Shortly after becoming an agent, she sent me an unpolished cold video open via Instagram asking for advice, and it's authenticity was something I could not ignore. I set her up with a mentor connection and which eventually led to a spot on Team Wiley once she was ready, proving that genuine, unfiltered approaches open doors that polished presentations simply cannot.   Kendra's success has come from keeping her business basic and realizing she doesn't have to chase shiny objects, boring is what works. With most of her files coming from social media and referral partners, she uses the simple fundamentals like email reach-outs and personalized video DMs to build authentic connections.   A firm believer in work-life integration over work-life balance, Kendra strategically uses daycare two days a week to carve out dedicated work time, while also hiring fulfillment very early to give her more time with her kids. She blissfully leans into life's chaos, knowing that nothing is perfect, but you show up for yourself every day.   While the business can be challenging, especially in the first year, Kendra credits her faith as her foundation for resilience, influencing everything from being able to quiet her self-doubts to her mindset on growing her business to pay success forward to others.   Kendra is here to discuss:   → Why she reached out to Ryan so early, the emotional rollercoaster of her first year, and her turning point.   → How she achieves work-life integration of being a mom while doing mortgages and her advice for all parents to lean into life's chaos.   → Where her file's are coming from, how she got her key referral partners, and the power of personalized video opens.   → The importance of having a mentor and why she hired fulfilment so early in her career.   → Her current business focus of her client journey and where she wants her business to go in the future with young real estate investors.   → The principles that keep her business on track - keep it simple, boring is what works, and if you don't just do it, when are you going to do it?   → What shiny objects she's tried that have a been a waste of time for her business.   → How her faith drives her business and life goals. ***   🌎 Kendra Bartels' Website: www.kendrabartels.ca 📧 Kendra Bartels' Email: kendra@kendrabartels.ca 📸 Kendra Bartels' Instagram: @mortgagewithkendra 🎵 Kendra Bartels' TikTok: @kendrayourmortgagegal 📺 Kendra Bartels' YouTube: @mortgagewithkendra ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  2. Jul 9

    307: The Three Things Keeping You Average

    EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I break down three core obstacles holding mortgage brokers back - distraction, lack of discipline, and giving away your power to other people and worrying about things you can't control - and how you can overcome them to build the business you've always wanted. ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  3. Jul 2

    306: $100 Million Broker Burnout

    WATCH ▶️ ⁠Watch this episode on YouTube⁠ ***   EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I'm joined by Jewels Ferris   Jewels is a top producing mortgage broker from Kelowna, BC, who's not only helped over 1,000 families since becoming a broker in 2014, but also broke the $100M in yearly mortgage volume barrier. In her 12 years as a broker, she has earned industry accolades like the DLC Master Award and the CME Titan Award with DLC, the Chairperson's Club Award with Verico, and been named one of the top mortgage brokers in Kelowna five years in a row by Best of Kelowna.   Jewels was working at a restaurant in 2014 when broker Daryl French spotted her potential and brought her into his brokerage. By volunteering as an underwriter for a top producer, she compressed years of learning into months, eventually inheriting Scott Peckford's $40 million book of business just two and a half years in. After hiring key team members, she then grew to over $100M in annual mortgage volume.   On the surface, building a $100M book of business looks like a dream, but the reality included severe burnout, intense stress, and lost personal passion. Four years ago, Jewels hit her breaking point. She packed up her house, put it in storage, and took off on vacation.   Today, Jewels defines success by peace and client fulfillment rather than just raw volume, and learned how to rebuild her business, her boundaries, and herself.   Jewels is here to discuss:   → How she got started in the industry, underwriting for other brokers, and taking over Scott Peckford's book.   → What happened when she hit $100M, the final straw, and dealing with burn out.   → What she has changed in the past 4 years - saying "no", setting boundaries, and not chasing files.   → Redefining purpose and success, releasing control and allowing yourself to be human, and building good karma.   → How Jewels handles files that go sideways and advice for these challenging times in our industry. ***   🌎 Jewels Ferris' Website: www.jewelsferris.com 📸 Jewels Ferris' Instagram: @jewelsferrismortgages 🔗 Jewels Ferris' LinkedIn: @JewelsFerris 📺 Jewels Ferris' YouTube: @JewelsFerrisMortgages ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  4. Jun 25

    305: If We're All Selling the Same Thing, Why Do Top Broker's Win More?

    EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I share how mortgage brokers can stand out by mastering storytelling, asking the right questions, and building custom proposals that truly address client needs. Elevating your client interactions will build trust and differentiate yourself in a competitive market. ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  5. Jun 18

    304: Most Mortgage Brokers Are Slowing Down. She's Heading to $70M+. Why?

    WATCH ▶️ ⁠Watch this episode on YouTube⁠ ***   EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I'm joined by Jennine Yool.   Jennine is a mortgage agent on Team Wiley from Burlington, Ontario, who's helped over 2,000 clients over her near 2 decades in the industry, totalling $800M+ in funded volume.   In a market where most broker's business is declining, and maintain past volume is a win, Jennine is growing. She's funded 53 deals in the first four months of this year, putting her on track for a total of $70-$80 million in 2026. What exactly is she doing to be trending up when most others are trending down?   Strategically, a lot of it comes down to building a boring mortgage while avoiding the traps of shiny objects. Jennine does the basics, like preserving her pipeline with proactive, fully underwritten rate holds, developing her skills on underserved clients like stated income files, and putting time and money into expanding her social media presence and building a brand. While she does outsource her social media to professionals, everything else runs with only one full time assistant, allowing her to focus on the high-value activities like creating long-term client relationships and complex deal structuring.   Even though Jennine has been very successful, the mortgage industry can be extremely difficult. There have been times she considered quitting entirely, but found her ultimate motivator in not wanting to let down her 4 kids. Jennine still battles imposter syndrome, but her 2026 mantra of "choose your heart" and getting to help her clients inspires her every day to just keep going.   Jennine is here to discuss:   → How her team is structured, what they do in the business, and where speed is slipping with clients as they've gotten busy.   → The breakdown of where all of her files come from, why she asks every client where they've came from, and if she will eventually go into a niche.   → If she is losing more deals and renewals this year compared to years past, and how she uses rate holds for pipeline preservation.   → Tips for dealing with stated income files and why you should be collecting as much data as possible from your clients.   → The right and wrong ways to manage client expectations and stress which can only be learned through experience.   → Why she decided to focus on growing her social media at the end of 2025, why she hired an agency to help her, and the benefits she has been seeing in the first 8 months with this framework.   → Overcoming daily mindset challenges by using her 2026 motto, "choose your heart", finding her ultimate motivator, and the constant battle with imposter syndrome. ***   🌲 Jennine Yool's Linktree: @mortgagesbyjennine 📸 Jennine Yool's Instagram: @mortgagesbyjennine 🔗 Jennine Yool's LinkedIn: @JennineYool ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  6. Jun 11

    303: Building a Lead Machine, One Channel at a Time

    EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I share the best way for a mortgage broker to build a lead machine, breaking down how you can create an omnipresence across multiple channels with a framework that highlights actionable, repeatable steps.   Most brokers are focused on the wrong things. They obsess over product knowledge while ignoring the skill that actually generates their income, marketing. Marketing effectiveness matters far more than technical mortgage knowledge, and 75% of your time should go toward sales and storytelling across multiple channels to create omnipresence, so you have actual leads flowing to your business and files to fund.   Now, I understand how all of this can seem overwhelming, as most don't know where to start, or have the skills to make this happen. This simple framework breaks it all down into manageable steps that any broker can do, all they need is consistency.   Rather than tackling every channel at once - social media, email, referrals, direct outreach - concentrate on building one lead generation channel per month, dedicating the time to learn each channel properly. Mastering any new skill takes approximately 20 hours of concentrated effort, yet most people quit after 3 to 4, and this is why they fail. Once you've built your first channel, stack another channel next month, repeating the same process. Eventually, you'll be visible everywhere your clients look, and this omnipresence will drive your business as leads flow from multiple sources naturally.   The trap in all of this is generic AI content. The industry is overrun by it because it's easy, and people are lazy, but shortcuts never lead to long-term success. Instead, stand out by embracing authenticity, even if it's not shiny and perfect. Write your own emails in your own voice. Record yourself with s****y lighting and a grainy camera. Share real stories about your failures and your wins. Being yourself outperforms the AI slop in every channel, every time. ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  7. Jun 4

    302: From Firefighter to $346k Mortgage Broker: The Exact Strategy!

    WATCH ▶️ ⁠Watch this episode on YouTube⁠ ***   EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I'm joined by Scott Sarai.   Scott is a Mortgage Broker at SGS Mortgages from Maple Ridge, BC, who's a part of Team Wiley at Tango while also still being a full-time firefighter.   After spending time as a broker, Scott started a fulfillment business working for other brokers, which ended up eroding his passion for mortgages. With plans to exit the industry entirely, a game-changing conversation with Ryan led to giving his business 6 more months of life. Now with a renewed mindset, mentorship, and an innovative approach, Scott's revenue jumped from $25,000 in 2024, to over $350,000 in 2025, while also revitalizing his passion for brokering and positioning himself for success in the future.   What makes Scott's story genuinely compelling is how deeply human it feels. He battled imposter syndrome, rebuilt his Instagram from scratch after Meta restricted his original account, and learned to delegate so he could focus exclusively on high-value work instead of low-level tasks. He tracked over 86,000 outreach interactions and logged 48,714 checkmarks in a daily Google Sheet, because consistent tracked activity directly correlates to revenue.   Done is better than perfect runs through everything Scott shares here, from launching email campaigns quickly to batch-recording fifteen to thirty-five reels in under two hours monthly. His story is a reminder that sustainable success is built, not stumbled into.   Scott is here to discuss:   → How he 13x his revenue from $25,000 in 2024, to over $346,000 in 2025, by having over 85,000 touch points with clients.   → The 4 things that make him a successful broker - speed, execution, who not how, and being a student of the game.   → What a broker should do in the next 30 days to be successful.   → His daily social media outreach strategy, why he started a YouTube channel, and why he created a new Instagram account.   → Investing in coaching, outsourcing early, and how action beats perfection.   → Overcoming jealousy in the industry and if he finally feels like he belongs.   → Why it's ok to be bored in your business and his vision for the next 2 years. ***   Scott's 1st Appearance on The Mortgage Game in Episode 271: https://www.iamryanwiley.com/271-how-he-10xd-his-business-the-27m-to-40m-broker/ ***   📸 Scott Sarai's Instagram: @mortgagefreewithme 📺 Scott Sarai's YouTube: @sgsmortgages 🎧 Listen to the First Responder to Riches REMO Podcast here. ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

  8. May 28

    301: The First 18 Months: The Hard Truths of Building Team Wiley

    EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I share my journey from mortgage broker to coach to building a transparent, hands-on mortgage team that industry insiders said could never scale, never mind ever work at all. I cover industry challenges, innovative strategies, and my vision for creating a supportive, long-term community for mortgage professionals.   If my brokers win, then I win. In an industry obsessed with growth at any cost, my philosophy is different, investing in people over profit, and sustainable volume and culture fit over aggressive growth. I've turned down over a hundred agents and some top producers, because they didn't align with team values.   But it hasn't been easy, and I've ruffled feathers along the way. By rejecting hidden compensation structures, restrictive contracts, and the traditional models that benefit broker-owners at the expense of agents, I've unintentionally shone a light on those that do. They want me to stop being honest, but I won't.  ***   Visit www.iamryanwiley.com to stay up to date on all things Mortgage Game, learn more about Team Wiley, PLUS sign up for coaching, events, our newsletter, & more! ***   CONNECT WITH ME ON SOCIAL 📸 Ryan Wiley's Instagram: @iamryanwiley 🎵 Ryan Wiley's TikTok: @iamryanwiley 🔗 Ryan Wiley's LinkedIn: @RyanWiley 👤 Ryan Wiley's Facebook: @RyanWiley ***

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to "The Mortgage Game", my name is Ryan Wiley. I truly believe that building a successful mortgage business is like playing a game. There's winners, but mostly, there's losers. I've not only built my own successful mortgage business, but I've also coached and mentored hundreds of mortgage brokers. These days, I run my own mortgage team, Team Wiley. Now, through coaching, events, and this podcast, I want to distill everything I've learned, and bring it directly to you.

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Wiley
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    308
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Mortgage Game

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