Power House

Latest Episodes:

Behind the scenes of “Own the Dream” with Rocket and Mr. Cooper May 15, 2025

Show notes

On today’s episode of Power House, Diego sits down with two big names in housing: Varun Krishna, the CEO of Rocket Companies, and Jay Bray, the CEO of Mr. Cooper. They discuss combining powerful brands and redefining what it means to own a home in the U.S.

Varun shares how the “Own the Dream” campaign has been a complete marketing revolution for Rocket. He also breaks down the strategy behind acquiring both Redfin and Mr. Cooper, and how they’re building a fully integrated experience across the entire homeownership journey.

Jay dives into the shared vision that drove the Mr. Cooper deal and discusses how Rocket’s AI-driven platforms will transform mortgage servicing and broker partnerships.

Varun and Jay will be joining us on stage this year at The Gathering, alongside Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman. Dont miss out — register here!

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Own the Dream is a revolutionary marketing strategy for Rocket.
Mergers and acquisitions are key to achieving growth.
Homeownership is the core focus of Rocket's strategy.
AI will play a significant role in optimizing the mortgage process.
The future of servicing is about growth and integration.

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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.

Answering 2,000 agent questions a day: Inside The Real Brokerage playbook May 10, 2025

Show notes

Today on Power House, we have a crossover episode with the RealTrending podcast. Host Tracey Velt talks to Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage.

Tamir and Tracey talk about using AI to optimize daily operations, including the automation of thousands of inquiries with an AI assistant. He also talks about how Real scales without losing its culture, the shifting dynamics between agents and clients, and why brokerages must shift to a consumer-first mindset.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Real is both a technology and a real estate company.
AI enhances operational efficiency and client service.
A strong company culture attracts like-minded agents.
Leadership will always involve taking responsibility for failures.
Automation can replace many tasks traditionally done by agents.
AI will play a significant role in decision-making for real estate transactions.

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The future of housing is local with Reframe’s Vikas Enti May 08, 2025

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On today’s episode of Power House, Diego chats with Vikas Enti, the CEO of Reframe Systems, about how micro factories can reshape the future of home building in America.

After a decade at Amazon Robotics, where he helped deploy over half a million robots, Vikas is now using his engineering background to create climate-resilient, affordable housing with Reframe’s localized micro-factories.

Vikas talks about how local-focused construction and zoning reform can make homebuilding faster and cheaper. He also discusses how Reframe plans to partner with developers and what the next 12 months have in store for the company’s growth.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Reframe aims to build climate-resilient homes efficiently.
The home building industry has not significantly changed in 100 years.
Construction is fundamentally a logistics problem.
Reframe is developing micro factories to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Local customization is key to meeting regional housing needs.
Affordable housing is a critical issue in the current market.

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People, policy, and preservation with Community Preservation Partners’ Seth Gellis May 01, 2025

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On today’s episode of Power House, Diego chats with Seth Gellis, the president of Community Preservation Partners, about the critical role that affordable housing plays in the US housing market.

Having built over 16,000 units across 19 states, Seth shares CPP’s mission of preserving and developing affordable multi-family housing. They plan to do that by advocating for pro-housing policies, providing support to low-income populations, and getting involved in communities in need. Seth also talks about housing demographics, CPP’s future initiatives and where we go from here.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

CPP focuses on affordable multifamily housing.
75% of Americans can't afford the median price of a home.
Accessible, affordable housing is essential for upward mobility.
CPP uses low-income housing tax credits for financing.
It’s important that community members get the chance to live where they work.
CPP is involved in multifront policy advocacy for affordable housing.

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Beyond the customer: Partnering for progress with Polly's Jesse Decker Apr 24, 2025

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On today’s sponsored episode of Power House, Diego Sanchez sits down with Jesse Decker, the newly appointed Chief Customer Officer at Polly, for a conversation all about innovation and customer success strategies in mortgage tech.

Jesse shares her journey from consulting to leading customer experience at Polly, how new tech is sweeping the mortgage landscape, and how Polly is constantly innovating to meet the needs of their customer partners. They also talk about some exciting new developments happening in Polly’s roadmap and what it really means — and takes — to listen to customers.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

The mortgage industry, as a whole, is on the brink of a technology shift.
Understanding customer needs is crucial for product development.
Polly's technology is highly configurable and innovative.
Artificial intelligence integration is a key focus for Polly's future.
Building partnerships with customers is essential for success.
Polly wants to transform the vendor-lender relationship model.

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UWM is all-in on wholesale with COO Melinda Wilner Apr 22, 2025

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Today on Power House, we have a fantastic conversation between Diego and Melinda Wilner, the COO of United Wholesale Mortgage. Today’s episode is all about what it really takes to thrive in today’s market.

Melinda talks about her journey from mortgage broker to UWM executive and how her leadership has supported UWM’s position as the top mortgage originator since 2022. They also talk about company initiatives like their TRAC Lite program and All-In Agreement, and how these are central to their mission of protecting the wholesale channel.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

UWM focuses on growing the wholesale channel to enhance broker experiences.
In-house technology and innovation are key to UWM's competitive edge.
The All-In Agreement protects the wholesale broker channel.
The TRAC Lite program significantly reduces title costs for consumers.
The wholesale channel is gaining market share in the mortgage industry.
UWM aims to create a community among mortgage brokers.

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LPT CEO Robert Palmer on how they became a top 10 brokerage in three years Apr 19, 2025

Show notes

Today on Power House, Tracey Velt sits down in person with Robert Palmer, founder and CEO of LPT Realty, at LPT’s studio in Orlando.

Robert and Tracey talk about LPT’s remarkable journey from a simple marketing tool to a top brokerage in just three years. He discusses the importance of self-funding, agent empowerment through dual brokerage models, and how to maintain an agent-first philosophy.

Robert also discusses upcoming initiatives like ASCEND University, the Aperture luxury brand, and Leads Connect, along with future growth plans including a public IPO and expansion into new markets.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

LPT’s transition from a marketing tool to a brokerage was driven by a desire to support agents.
Self-funding allows for greater control and prioritization of agents' needs.
The brokerage model should empower local agents to make decisions about mortgage and title services.
Navigating industry challenges requires a commitment to agent choice and autonomy.
Understanding and balancing both business logic and technology for successful software development.
LPT’s growth strategies include expanding training programs and launching a luxury brand.

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What it takes to be a “branchpreneur” with Supreme Lending’s Sarah Middleton Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

This week on Power House, HousingWire president Diego Sanchez sits down with Sarah Middleton, the newly appointed Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Supreme Lending.

Sarah walks through her journey to Supreme Lending and what it takes to succeed in mortgage — from strong leadership to Supreme’s tech-forward mindset, AI-driven marketing, and diverse product lineup. She also touches on M&A, the “branchpreneur” model, and her passion for training, onboarding, and helping loan officers grow, especially in difficult times.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

A diverse product offering is essential for competing in mortgage.
The importance of technology and AI in streamlining many processes.
M&A is currently a key growth strategy at Supreme Lending.
Understanding the aspirations of loan officers enhances recruitment efforts.
There will always be opportunities in the market, even during tough times.

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Bonus episode: Unpacking housing market uncertainty with Ivy Zelman, Logan Mohtashami and Dale Wettlaufer Apr 12, 2025

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In this bonus episode, we’re tackling the big question on everyone’s mind: What is happening with the housing market right now? Between tariffs, mortgage rates, jobs data and general uncertainty, it’s hard to understand how to make sense of it all.

HousingWire is joined by experts Ivy Zelman, Logan Mohtashami and Dale Wettlaufer to cut through the noise. Originally featured in a HousingWire exclusive event, this panel is now available for the Power House audience.

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Data-driven decisions and digital-first solutions with HousingWire’s Clayton Collins Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

This week on Power House, Diego Sanchez chats with the CEO of HousingWire and the former host of this very podcast: Clayton Collins!

Clayton dives into HousingWire’s journey—from steady organic growth to smart acquisitions—and why in-person events like The Gathering are more essential than ever for the industry. They also talk about the relaunch and rebranding of our new data-licensing business, HousingWire Data, and the kinds of granular housing market data it can provide for companies all across the housing ecosystem.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Balancing organic growth with acquisitions is key to strategic business development.
HousingWire Data tracks over 110 million properties and provides valuable insights.
The ideal clients for HousingWire Data are innovators across the housing industry.
Accurate and diverse data is essential for decision-making in a digital-first world.
Listening to client needs drives product development and innovation.

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