Clear to Close

The groundbreaking NAR settlement has real estate agents, lending professionals, and home buyers scrambling to understand its ramifications. Here to weigh in is the Clear to Close crew: In this conversation, Alan, Bryan, and Anthony channel their experience in the industry to walk through possible outcomes of the ruling. Specifically, this episode explores how new policy changes are likely to impact lead generation, methods to earn borrower business, and more—and how lenders can best get ahead of the major ways the home-buying process is about to change.

No one knows exactly what lies ahead this year, but one thing is clear: 2024's market will remain competitive, with make-or-break economic factors influencing recovery and lenders scrambling for profitability amid evolving challenges. One headline set to impact the market is ongoing trouble brewing in the commercial real estate sector: As assets continue to underperform and major debt comes due, impacts will trickle into the housing market and economy in general. Here to talk through this major event is Michael Malone, owner of Malone Bunting Real Estate Group and a long-time real estate agent and industry expert. Along with giving his thoughts on the commercial real estate space—and its possible impact on residential markets—Michael speaks with host Bryan Traeger on what it will take for loan officers to win valuable referral business from real estate agents this year.

Recent Fed announcements, declining interest rates, and increased loan activity spell an optimistic end to the year. But is the mortgage industry's renewed sense of hope warranted—and is the worst truly behind us? In this episode of Clear to Close, hosts Alan, Bryan, and Anthony dig into their thoughts on 2024's market, including how they believe rates will trend, economic and global factors that could impact housing, and more.

This week on the Clear to Close podcast, we have a special guest: Melissa Langdale, TMC President and COO and a career-long mortgage veteran. In this conversation, Melissa leverages her unique perspective gleaned from interactions with lenders across the industry to provide actionable tips on how to drive revenue and capture market share in 2024.

With Alan Parris freshly back from sabbatical, the Clear to Close team dives into the topic on everyone's minds: housing market challenges. While it's easy to point fingers and ascribe blame at times like these, the truth is that the forces driving today's conditions are varied and complex. In this conversation, we dig into a few of the factors keeping rates high, inventory stifled, and volume low—and talk through what it will take to turn the corner.

As Alan Parris takes a sabbatical from Maxwell, two-thirds of your favorite trio—Bryan Traeger and Anthony Ianni—are back to catch up on the status of inflation, interest rates, and today's market outlook. From the latest CPI numbers to the recent job openings report, Bryan and Anthony talk through economic factors that impact lenders and what they mean for the state of the market as we head into the last month of Q3. Plus, Bryan delves into outside-the-box methods lenders are using to drive leads as tough conditions continue.

Artificial intelligence: Is it the efficiency-driving copilot you've been waiting for or an increasingly intelligent force vying for your job? To move past polarizing headlines and unpack the truth, we spoke with someone who lives and breathes technology: Maxwell Co-founder & CTO Rutul Davé. In this episode, Rutul breaks down the implications of AI in the mortgage industry in an approachable, easy-to-understand way to help lending professionals understand the best uses cases, opportunities, and limitations of this rapidly-growing technology.

Between fallout from Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, the latest Fed announcement, and more news of stubborn inflation, there's plenty of economic drama continuing to unfold. The question on every lender's mind is: Has the market finally bottomed out? In our new Clear to Close episode, the Maxwell team is back to discuss the industry's biggest happenings and forecasts for the remainder of 2023, including how hosts Alan, Bryan, and AI think loan volume may trend if rates stay near 7%.

Hispanic and Latino populations are an integral, growing part of American communities and a rising force in U.S. homeownership. Still, many Spanish-speaking borrowers struggle with the financial, logistical, and readiness challenges related to home buying. In our latest conversation on Clear to Close, we sit down with an expert on the topic: Laura Arce. With tenure in public policy and housing policy at Wells Fargo and the Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA), Laura now serves as SVP of UnidosUS, a nonprofit dedicated to building a positive economic trajectory for Latinos through homeownership.

Two and a half months into 2023, the question on every lender's mind is: Are we seeing real signs of market recovery? Headline after headline announces the moderation of rates and the beginnings of volume returning. Still, challenges remain, and in many ways, the trajectory of the market continues to be uncertain. So, what lies ahead for lenders, and how can they plan for likely outcomes?