The Way with Dino Katsiametis

Dino Katsiametis
  • 4.8 (22)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Daily

Mortgage strategy and mindset for advisors building something that lasts. The Way with Dino Katsiametis goes inside the businesses of the mortgage industry's top producers and operators — how they originate, how they retain clients, how they lead teams, and how they build companies worth owning. Guests have included Heather Lovier, COO of Rocket Companies; Dave Savage, founder of Mortgage Coach; Josh Mettle of NEO Home Loans; Wade Betz of Mpire Financial; and Anthony Casa. Every episode is a working session, not a highlight reel. Real systems, named tools, and the specific plays behind them — the gifting system that produces repeat closings, the referral partnerships that actually hold, the retention habits most advisors skip. Hosted by Dino Katsiametis, Founder & CEO of Ethos Lending. New episodes weekly. Free playbooks at DinoKatsiametis.com. #WhoCanWeServeToday

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    Referral Gravity: How Loan Officers Get Chosen Without Chasing with Brady Thomas

    Send us Fan Mail Brady Thomas moved 3,000 miles away from his business, and it grew. His personal production went from $124 million to $179 million, up 45% in a year, while he worked out of a basement in Boston and his clients and agents were in Oakland. He calls the system referral gravity: the right agents send you the right loans without you asking. In this episode he walks Dino through all three pillars. Transactional clarity, which is naming the one problem you want to be known for. Authority, which is being trusted before you are needed: a point of view, two email lists on two clocks, and a thousand five-star reviews earned by asking at every closing. And operational excellence, which is delivering every time as volume grows. Along the way: why a niche is a sign and not a fence, the $250 charity donation that replaced every closing gift, the Times Square test for your inbox, and the second conversation he added after rates jumped. Then in The Round: the one question he asks every borrower, the AI tool he cannot live without, and what he says to the client who has talked to seven lenders. He also answers the Million Dollar Drop: new state, no clients, no agents. He would run the same playbook. Brady Thomas is a producing Branch Manager at LaSalle Mortgage in Oakland, California, and has ranked among the top 100 originators in the country over a 16-year career. Comment GRAVITY on any clip and we will send you the playbook. Books mentioned: Key Person of Influence — Daniel Priestley The Way with Dino Katsiametis https://DinoKatsiametis.com/podcast/s2e09-brady-thomas/ #WhoCanWeServeToday 00:00 Meet Brady Thomas 02:34 Sixteen years in Oakland, and a move to Boston 06:08 What is referral gravity? 10:49 Pillar one: clarity and the Two Home Tango 14:37 A sign, not a fence 17:14 Pillar two: authority and a point of view 19:13 Two newsletters on two clocks 22:25 How he got 1,000 five-star reviews 23:50 $250 to charity at every closing 26:01 Where the business comes from 30:27 Inside a team of eight 33:04 Your office is in Times Square 34:20 Pillar three: operational excellence 41:43 Staying with the client after closing 47:03 "I couldn't cold call either" 48:54 The Round: lightning questions 54:22 The AI tool that changed how he works 59:13 "I can get a better rate somewhere else" 1:05:03 Favorite book, his ethos, and the Million Dollar Drop 1:12:12 Consistency: 700 posts later Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  2. Sep 21 ·  Video

    The Consultation That Makes Loan Officers Unshoppable with Sosi Avila

    Send us Fan Mail Most loan officers try to win a client in the first three minutes. Sosi Avila runs a 30-minute first meeting, and he says it is the reason he closes almost everyone he talks to. In this episode Sosi opens his consultation slide by slide and walks Dino through what he says, in what order, and why. He explains the one question he asks before anything else, why the phrase "walking into equity" is a myth, how a VIP pre-approval makes a financed offer read like cash and closes in 15 to 17 days, and the doorbell camera trick that gets an offer in the seller's inbox before the buyer gets home. Then in The Round: why he gives every consultation on video, why he says relationship is last place, and what the right answer is when a client asks for a better rate. He also answers the Million Dollar Drop: no database, no network, one unfamiliar city. His plan has three targets and one of them is a CPA. Sosi Avila is a $100 million producer and the President of Mamba Capital Lending. This is his second time on The Way. Comment CONSULT on any clip and we will send you the playbook. Books mentioned: $100M Offers — Alex Hormozi The Way with Dino Katsiametis https://DinoKatsiametis.com/podcast/s2e08-sosi-avila/ #WhoCanWeServeToday 00:00 Cold open  01:37 Welcome back, Sosi Avila  03:50 The one thing he does differently 05:33 Eight planning meetings, one consultation  09:38 Three parts: engage, options, decide  12:48 Setting the objective of the call  15:23 What's your learning style?  16:56 Handing the client the scoreboard  18:44 The market as a story with dates  28:32 Building one scenario live  30:43 The walking into equity myth  33:50 Temporary buydowns  37:20 Regular pre-approval or VIP  39:50 The Ferrari and the doorbell camera  46:19 Slow down so you can speed up  48:36 The Round  01:05:32 Favorite book  01:07:10 The Million Dollar Drop  01:13:36 People sleep on stories 01:17:00 Close Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  3. Sep 14 ·  Video

    The 5 Rituals That Keep Loan Officers From Burning Out with Michael Decker

    Send us Fan Mail Michael Decker thinks burnout in this business is misdiagnosed. Not a talent problem. Not a volume problem. A rhythm problem. Michael is EVP & Director of Sales at Great Plains Bank Home Lending and hosts the podcast Winning Publicly, Losing Privately. In this episode he lays out the five rituals he runs every week — morning, pre-work, pre-leave, nightly, and Sunday night. None of them cost anything. His phrase for it: fancy fails, simple scales. Also in this episode: why Sunday night decides the week, the referral move that beats any follow-up text, and The Round — fifteen questions, no prep, the first time we have run it. Free playbook: https://DinoKatsiametis.com/five-rituals/ Michael: linkedin.com/in/michaeldeckerstw Views expressed are the individual's own and do not represent their employer. 00:00 | Cold open 00:20 | Meet Michael Decker 04:20 | $500 million a year — and a billion with 30 loan officers 05:30 | The industry rewards sales when it should reward leadership 09:25 | Winning publicly, losing privately 17:45 | Burnout isn't a talent problem. It's a rhythm problem. 20:54 | The five rituals, named 22:00 | Ritual 1 — The morning ritual 27:05 | Ritual 2 — The pre-work ritual 29:15 | Ritual 3 — The pre-leave ritual, and the boots at the back door 37:20 | Ritual 4 — The nightly ritual 40:30 | Ritual 5 — The Sunday night ritual 44:50 | JAM sessions — just another million 46:55 | THE ROUND — 15 questions, no prep 1:03:20 | The Million Dollar Drop Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  4. Sep 7 ·  Video

    Loan Officers: Why Best Known Beats Best with Arjun Dhingra

    Send us Fan Mail Grey Goose is not the best vodka. It is not even close. But it is the one people name, and it is the one that wins. That is Arjun Dhingra's whole argument, and he has been making it for eight years: best known beats best, ten out of ten times. In this episode Arjun breaks down why loan officers who are genuinely good at the job keep losing business to people who are simply easier to remember. Opportunity is visibility multiplied by value, and a zero on either side zeroes the whole thing. He covers what to post and how often, why marketing to everyone connects with no one, the hundred-dollar camera setup that looks like five thousand, and why he thinks the phrase "loan officer" is costing the industry its respect. He also answers the Million Dollar Drop: no database, no network, no name recognition, one unfamiliar city. What he does on day one is not what most people would guess. Arjun is the founder of LFG Society and LFG Energy, and hosts the LFG Energy Podcast, which debuted at number 12 on Apple's Careers list. He is also a two-time TaeKwon-Do world champion. Get the free playbook, Best Known Beats Best: https://dinokatsiametis.com/best-known-beats-best/ #WhoCanWeServeToday 00:00 Visibility times value — the whole idea in one line 00:12 Dino's intro, recorded after the conversation 05:02 A family business, San Francisco, and a jumbo market 11:00 Selling to agents who do not like you yet 15:33 "I forgot you're in loans" — the worst thing a friend can say 19:40 Three a week, and violently consistent 24:11 You will suck. It will be cringe. 28:20 Market to everyone, connect with no one — pick a tribe 32:30 Where the audience actually is 34:41 The $100 setup that looks like $5,000 38:40 Best known beats best — the Grey Goose story 41:00 You control 100% of your visibility 47:22 Stop calling yourself a loan officer — the three proficiencies 52:23 Split my Zillow leads — what the asks reveal 57:02 Be the person your clients call first 1:04:41 Favorite book: The Alchemist 1:05:43 The Million Dollar Drop 1:07:22 The digital mayor of Columbus 1:10:21 Take your jacket off — twenty comments a day 1:19:00 Where to find Arjun Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  5. Aug 31

    Six Channels Loan Officers Need When AI Answers First — Alec Hanson

    Send us Fan Mail Alec Hanson has a colleague who just got his first client referral from ChatGPT — a stranger in another state, sent by a machine. That's the shift this episode is about. When consumers stop calling their loan officer to ask what rates are doing and start asking AI instead, the relationship doesn't disappear. It just has to already exist before the question gets asked. Alec, SVP of Production for the West Division at loanDepot and the author of Bypassed, walks Dino through his complete playbook for staying relevant: quarterly calls, quarterly texts, a monthly email you actually wrote yourself, physical mail, a community event every ninety days, and showing up online every single day. The surprise is how little of it is new. As Alec puts it, the game we're playing hasn't changed — the places we're playing it have. Also in this episode: why drip campaigns are actively hurting you, the loan officer who was terrified of public speaking and hosts a "think and drink" instead, the piece of mail that produced Alec's biggest month ever, and why your referral partner has no idea you were working all weekend. Get the free playbook, Known Before Needed: https://dinokatsiametis.com/known-before-needed/ #WhoCanWeServeToday 00:00 Relevancy in a world about to be run by AI 04:03 Empower, Equip, Educate — and the way lending should be done 08:01 Why a mortgage is still the most emotional transaction there is 13:29 AI is becoming a referral source — and that is disruptive 20:22 What the machine already knows about you 24:01 Record everything — transcripts on every conversation 29:22 Lunch and learn, think and drink, or a charity event 31:58 Client events twice a year, and why cost is not the objection 36:02 Posting little Timmy's soccer goal — showing up in their life 40:06 The digital strategy: care about others, then show up every day 44:29 Put yourself out there and you attract your tribe 51:40 Thank-you cards and broker previews 56:06 Be yourself — everybody chameleons and everybody can tell 1:02:39 The big dogs in their forties who could not adapt 1:04:16 The Million Dollar Drop 1:07:59 Content, content, content — then hit the streets Saturday and Sunday Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  6. Aug 24

    The Open House You Never Attend — Sean Herrero

    Send us Fan Mail Sean Herrero is the first returning guest in the history of The Way — and he earned it. Episode 13 in Season 1, back for Season 2, Episode 4 with a 30-unit month at more than $30 million behind him and a team of exactly two people. This one is a masterclass in intentionality. Sean breaks down the open house engagement kit — the system that captures buyer relationships at open houses he never attends. Why the standard flyer offers nothing and therefore earns nothing. Why contact information is a transaction, and what you have to trade for it. And the reframe that runs underneath his whole business: it's not what the house costs, it's what the house costs you. We also get into why "the market is bad" is an excuse wearing a costume, the difference between reasons and excuses, what a Navy SEAL taught him about decisive action, applying deliberate pressure with non-refundable deposits, why he caps his training events at eight people, and how "I wonder if" became his entire AI strategy. Sean answers the Million Dollar Drop — and he's the first guest who could answer it from memory, because he already lived it in 2017. Sean Herrero is a Regional Vice President at CrossCountry Mortgage. Find him on Instagram at @adventurelender. Get the free playbook with Sean's complete open house system at dinokatsiametis.com/open-house-you-never-attend The Way with Dino Katsiametis — Empower. Equip. Educate. The way lending should be done. #WhoCanWeServeToday Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  7. Aug 17

    How AI, Branding & Relentless Execution Built One of Mortgage's Fastest-Growing Teams with Abdel "The Gorilla" Khawatmi

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to stand out in today's mortgage industry? In this episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino welcomes back mortgage leader and  Abdel "The Gorilla" Khawatmi for an in-depth conversation on branding, artificial intelligence, client experience, leadership, and building systems that consistently outperform the competition.  Abdel explains why today's mortgage professionals must stop thinking like loan officers and start acting like trusted advisors. From mastering KPIs and tracking every stage of the sales process to creating an unforgettable personal brand and using AI as a productivity multiplier, this conversation is packed with practical strategies that can immediately improve your business.  Whether you're a mortgage advisor, real estate professional, sales leader, or entrepreneur, you'll walk away with actionable ideas on creating systems, serving clients at a higher level, and building a business that thrives in any market. In This Episode Why branding is your biggest competitive advantage  How "The Gorilla" became one of the mortgage industry's most recognizable personal brands  The Six C's framework for measuring business growth  Why KPIs should drive every business decision  How to become a trusted mortgage advisor instead of simply processing loans  Building systems that create speed, consistency, and better client experiences  AI tools every mortgage professional should be using today  Using ChatGPT, Claude, NotebookLM, Zapier, and meeting assistants to save hours every week  Why tracking conversations is just as important as tracking closings  Creating content that attracts your ideal clients and referral partners  Building a personal brand around your ideal customer avatar  Why execution beats information every single time  Community leadership, financial literacy, and building a business with purposeThanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

  8. Aug 10

    Impossible To Forget with Wade Betz

    Send us Fan Mail What separates the average loan officer from a top-producing mortgage advisor? In this episode of The Way with Dino Katsiametis, Dino sits down with mortgage industry leader Wade Betz, a producer responsible for helping over 2,000 families, generating nearly $1 billion in mortgage volume, and building one of the industry's strongest client-retention systems.  Rather than chasing the next transaction, Wade reveals how disciplined daily habits, structured prospecting, long-term client care, and consistent follow-up have created a business where 65% of his annual closings come from past clients. This isn't theory. It's a practical blueprint that every mortgage advisor, loan officer, broker, sales professional, and entrepreneur can implement immediately. From creating a winning morning routine to leveraging YouTube, AI, SEO, CRM systems, annual financial reviews, and accountability tracking, Wade shares the exact strategies that have helped him build a sustainable business that continues to grow year after year. If you're tired of constantly hunting for your next deal, this episode will completely change how you think about growing your business. Thanks for listening to "The Way With Dino Katsiametis"    For full show notes, links, and extra episode resources, visit dinokatsiametis.com. Follow Dino for weekly clips and mortgage leadership insights on instagram.com/dinokatsiametis | linkedin.com/in/dinokatsiametis Learn more about Ethos Lending at ethoslending.com.

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4.8
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Mortgage strategy and mindset for advisors building something that lasts. The Way with Dino Katsiametis goes inside the businesses of the mortgage industry's top producers and operators — how they originate, how they retain clients, how they lead teams, and how they build companies worth owning. Guests have included Heather Lovier, COO of Rocket Companies; Dave Savage, founder of Mortgage Coach; Josh Mettle of NEO Home Loans; Wade Betz of Mpire Financial; and Anthony Casa. Every episode is a working session, not a highlight reel. Real systems, named tools, and the specific plays behind them — the gifting system that produces repeat closings, the referral partnerships that actually hold, the retention habits most advisors skip. Hosted by Dino Katsiametis, Founder & CEO of Ethos Lending. New episodes weekly. Free playbooks at DinoKatsiametis.com. #WhoCanWeServeToday

Information

  • Creator
    Dino Katsiametis
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Way with Dino Katsiametis
  • Show Website
    The Way with Dino Katsiametis

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