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Mike Faraci (founder of Red Button Media) sat down with James Duncan (former mortgage marketing exec, now advising at Calum Advisors) to tackle the question every loan officer is quietly asking right now: "With so many new AI tools dropping every week... what the heck am I actually supposed to be doing?" Here's what you'll walk away with: → The one question to ask yourself before adopting ANY new tool, platform, or AI "solution" (miss this and you'll burn months chasing shiny objects) → Why "prompt engineering" is a skill — not a position — and the exact move James uses to get AI to prompt ITSELF on your behalf → The "story vs. point of view" distinction that separates forgettable loan officers from the ones clients actively seek out → Mike's 24-hour video challenge that got one broker TWO extra referrals in a single week (spoiler: it takes less time than typing the text) → The "Domino's Pizza Tracker" trick one mortgage company stole to boost loan process engagement → Why AI avatars are going to be the downfall of loan officers who lean too hard into them — and what to do instead → The truth about niching down that most LOs are getting wrong Whether you're a producing LO, a marketing director, or a CEO trying to figure out how to stay human in an AI-saturated market — this one's for you. Mentioned in this episode: Red Button Media → hittheredbutton.com Connect with Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefaraci/ Connect with James: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesduncan-caelum/

Most loan officers are solving the wrong problem. They think next-gen buyers need lower rates. Or bigger down payment assistance programs. Or easier qualifying standards. The data disagrees. Kristin Messerli, Co-Founder of First Home IQ, has spent six years surveying 9,000-plus respondents to study exactly what is holding millennials and Gen Z back from buying their first home. And what she found is that the biggest barriers have nothing to do with money. They have everything to do with trust, overwhelm, and misinformation. In this episode of Mortgage Marketing Radio, guest host Katie Shive and Kristin break down the 2026 NextGen Homebuyer Report -- what the data reveals, what it means for your business, and what you can do about it right now. Links and Resources: NextGen Homebuyer Report 2026: https://nextgenhomebuyer.com/reports/2026 First Home IQ: https://firsthomeiq.com/ First Home IQ Monday Workshop (Free): https://firsthomeiq.com/workshop/ Geoff Zimpfer Lunch and Learn Resources: https://join.goagentrx.com/webinar Connect With Katie Shive: https://katieshive.com/

He's closed over $4 billion in mortgage production. He's not yet 40. And there's a good chance you've never heard of him. That changes today. In this power-packed episode, NFM Lending Managing Director Greg Sher steps in to guest host and sits down with one of the most quietly elite loan originators in the country, Oleg Tkach. Born in Ukraine, started in mortgage at 18, and built a $4 billion career without a major social media presence, without cold calling, and without ever chasing business the "old school" way. This is the kind of interview you stop what you're doing to listen to. Twice. Here's what Oleg breaks down in this episode: → The "Agent Programming" strategy — why most LOs are accidentally training their agents NOT to send them business (and how to flip the script) → The #1 conversion killer in your business right now (hint: it has nothing to do with your rate or your product) → Why trying to be an agent's PRIMARY lender may be the biggest mistake you're making — and what to go for instead → The 3-level agent relationship framework: Business Level, Backup Level, and Program Level → Why "the friend zone" is killing your referral pipeline and how to escape it → Oleg's Zoom + PowerPoint presentation strategy that gets agent meetings from anywhere — no drive-bys, no donut runs → How one of his coaching students went from $93 million to on pace for $240 million in one year → The 3-part formula behind "your best year ever" — simple enough to execute, powerful enough to break COVID-era refi numbers with purchases → Impact Elite Coaching's "The LAB" event — April 22–23 in Newport Beach at the Pendry Hotel Learn More About The Lab Event: https://www.impactelitecoaching.com/the-lab Thanks to Greg Sher for guest-hosting the podcast again. Let Greg know if you liked this episode. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-sher/ Ready to scale your agent referrals without chasing or cold-calling? New cohort opening in April. Get on the waitlist here: https://go.myagentclasses.com/home

A borrower you've closed loans for before just photographed your Loan Estimate and dropped it into ChatGPT. The AI told them you're overcharging. You're not. But they believed it anyway — and the deal went somewhere else. This is not a hypothetical. It happened to one of Trevor York's clients last week. And according to a stat dropped in this conversation, 77% of consumers now trust AI as much as a human expert. That number was lower a year ago. It will be higher next year. So here's the real question: when your client runs your deal through a chatbot tonight — and some of them will — is the trust you've built strong enough to survive it? In this episode of Mortgage Marketing Radio, I sit down with Trevor York — loan officer, founder of LinkSpot, and one of the most forward-thinking minds in the mortgage industry — to break down exactly what is happening to loan officers who haven't figured this out yet. And more importantly, what the ones who have figured it out are doing differently. This is not a feel-good conversation. It is a wake-up call. CONNECT WITH TREVOR YORK: LinkSpot: https://www.linkspot.com Instagram: @trevoryork Connect With Katie Shive: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieshive/ Website: https://katieshive.com/

What if the loan officers who are struggling most to grow their business are asking the wrong question — and one loan officer from Fargo, North Dakota figured out the right one? In this episode, guest host Katie Shive sits down with Kayla Kallander — a top-producing loan officer, LinkedIn powerhouse, and first-time home buyer advocate who's built a referral machine in one of the most overlooked markets in the country. If you think first-time home buyers are too much work for too little payoff, this episode is going to flip that script entirely. Here's what we get into: "Prescription Without Diagnosis Is Malpractice" — Why Kayla refuses to quote a rate before she knows the full picture, and how this one mindset shift positions her as a trusted advisor instead of a commodity. The Realtor "Three Card" Problem — What Kayla says to realtors who still give out multiple lender cards, and the exact script she uses to get exclusive referrals. Social Media Without a Marketing Team — She's active on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok — with just a VA and a Canva account. She breaks down exactly how she does it and why stories are where the real magic happens. Why LinkedIn is the Most Underrated Platform for Loan Officers — How one LinkedIn post led to a group of financial advisors sending her 30% of her annual business — from a state she'd never even worked in. The Real Cost of Rate Shopping — The client who called comparing rates from a Minnesota credit union and what Kayla said that turned it around on the spot. The Magic of First-Time Buyers — Why the clients most loan officers avoid are the ones building Kayla's most loyal referral base. The Viral Carousel Post — How a contrarian Saturday morning post about interest rates triggered more DMs, new followers, and a cross-state referral relationship than anything she'd posted before. Plus — how she's using AI (specifically Claude) with a custom brand book to write content that actually sounds like her, not a robot. Whether you're a veteran loan officer looking to reignite your pipeline or a newer LO trying to figure out where to start, this conversation is loaded with real, repeatable strategies that are working right now. Listen. Take notes. Then go post something. Show Notes / Resources Mentioned: Connect with Kayla on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-kallander/ Connect with Kayla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylakallandermortgage/ First Home IQ: https://www.firsthomeiq.com/ LenderCrate: https://lendercrate.com/ Coffee and Contracts: https://coffeecontracts.com/ Claude AI: https://claude.ai/ Connect with Katie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieshive/

What does it actually look like when a top-producing loan officer stops dabbling with AI and fully embeds it into every layer of his mortgage business? In this episode of Mortgage Marketing Radio, guest host Katie Shive sits down with Abdel Khawatmi — Area Manager and founder of Got Mortgages with PRMG — to break down the exact system behind 121 units, $40M in personal production, and 210% net revenue growth year over year. This is not a conversation about generating social media captions with ChatGPT. This is a ground-level look at how a working originator rebuilt his operations, client experience, and team structure around AI — and what that means for every loan officer trying to compete right now. What you'll learn: Why Abdel cut his offshore team from 7 to 3 — and what AI does instead How he uses ChatGPT to calculate Schedule C & E income, build SOPs, and draft compliant letters of explanation Why he’s on the phone with clients MORE since implementing AI — not less The hyperlocal event strategy that his referral partners can't stop talking about His ROI framework: Relevance, Omnipresence & Intimacy The 4-step client experience model that keeps his pipeline full without him being the first touch The one thing he tells every loan officer who asks, "where do I start?" If you are a loan officer grinding in a tough market and wondering how to build a smarter, leaner, more profitable business — this is the episode you have been waiting for. Connect with Abdel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdel-khawatmi-79a511144/ Connect with Abdel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/got_mortgages/ Connect with Katie Shive on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieshive/

What if 10 loans a month — not 30 — was actually the goal? Sam Abazari has coached over 120 loan officers. His LOs average doubling their business every three months. His top producer closes 30 loans a month. And his branch does $250 million a year. But his argument? The sweet spot is 10 loans a month, one assistant, 25-35 hours a week, and 200-300 bps margin. That's the formula for financial freedom, time freedom, and mental bandwidth — all three at once. In this episode of Mortgage Marketing Radio, Sam fills in for Geoff Zimpfer (who is battling cancer and asked his friends to keep the show going) and delivers a complete, step-by-step operating system for loan officers who want to build a business that works — without working themselves into the ground. Connect With Sam On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samabazari/ Join Sam’s Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/level-up-lo/about?ref=699a37257d224cf5b321e24964b6be64

What does it take to close 230 purchase units in your first year as a loan originator? For Andy Beigel, it started with one obsession: practice. While every other LO chased refi money in 2020, Andy was cold-calling realtors on Zoom — building a purchase pipeline from scratch. By year-end, he had 230 units. By 2025, he had $93M in personal production and a $250M branch he built from zero in Columbus, Ohio. In this episode, Andy breaks down: → His word-for-word rate objection rebuttal → The first 30 seconds of every intake call (scripted — every time) → The 2-step realtor conversion process behind his book of business → The "positive feedback loop" secret that lets you delegate without losing agents → What he looks for in recruits (hint: not experience) → How a 22-year-old he hired now closes 125+ units a year. His philosophy: do 100 small things 1% better than everyone else, and you're 100% superior at game time. Special episode: Guest host Greg Sher of NFM Lending pinch-hits for Geoff Zimpfer, who is battling cancer. Connect with Andy: [email protected] @andybeigel on Instagram Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-sher/

In this episode of Mortgage Marketing Radio, we talk with top-producing mortgage originator and elite coach Amir Syed to reveal the exact blueprint mortgage loan officers need to follow in 2026 to thrive—not just survive. Whether you're a mortgage loan originator, broker, or LO looking to increase production in a competitive market, Amir breaks down the 3 critical pillars every LO must master right now: Marketing and Personal Branding – How to become “Five-Mile Famous” and generate referrals without begging agents. Sales and Persuasion – Why “the phone isn't a cactus” and how top LOs are diversifying beyond Realtors. Operations and Scaling – The exact hiring process to find your “superstar LOA” and break through your current ceiling. 🔑 Plus: – The 5 types of intelligence every elite LO is building in 2026 – Why your pre-COVID skills are killing your post-COVID results – A foolproof hiring framework to scale your mortgage business (including the 3 questions every candidate must answer) 🎯 If you're serious about growing your mortgage business, this is a must-listen playbook for building momentum in Q1 and beyond. Connect With Amir Syed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amirsyed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirsyed/ GO! Coaching: https://www.gocoaching.io/

Forget resolutions. In this solo episode, I’m taking you inside the personal mindset shift I’m making for 2026 — one that’s already reshaping how I lead, work, and live. Instead of a list of goals, I’ve chosen two powerful words to guide everything I do this year: 👉 Gratitude and Delegate. These aren’t just nice ideas — they’re essential strategies for cutting through the noise, clarifying priorities, and leading from a place of alignment. Inside this episode: Why resolutions often fail (especially in the mortgage business)What my recent throat cancer diagnosis revealed about how I spend my timeThe power of choosing One Word (or Two) to anchor your life and businessA 5-question exercise to help you uncover your own guiding word(s)A free GPT tool I created to help you find your word in minutesA deeper reflection on faith, focus, and what really matters Whether you’re a loan officer, leader, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you pause, reflect, and get intentional about how you show up in 2026. 🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Need help choosing your One Word? Use my free GPT-powered tool: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/2026word P.S. I’m hosting a private workshop where I’ll share what I’ve learned from almost 400 podcast interviews with top mortgage pros — and how they consistently generate high-trust agent referrals without chasing, cold-calling, or begging for coffee meetings. You’ll get the full referral framework I teach inside the Agent Referral Xcelerator, and if it feels right, you’ll get a chance to join the next cohort. 👉 Join the early interest list here. CONNECT 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

In this powerful episode, Katie Shive reveals how mortgage pros can leverage AI to build visibility, rank in search, and attract real leads online. Katie, a brand strategist and AI marketing coach, breaks down the concept of GEO — Go Everywhere Optimization — and how it’s changing the way consumers find mortgage professionals. You’ll learn: How to create a "core entity statement" that helps AI recommend you firstWhy your bio consistency across platforms like LinkedIn and Google is criticalThe difference between creating content for humans vs. robotsHow to turn one podcast or blog post into an entire week’s worth of marketingHow ChatGPT and other LLMs are now directly referring mortgage professionals to leads and what triggers that Whether you’re a seasoned LO or just starting to explore AI tools, this episode is a must-watch if you want to be found first and fast in search. Show Notes: Subscribe to Katie's Newsletter Connect with Katie on LinkedIn Want to double your Realtor referrals without chasing, cold-calling, or paying for leads? See how Travis Newton grew his production by $40 million! Check Out myAgent Classes Here Connect With Geoff A Connect on Instagram S Connect on LinkedIn K Subscribe on YouTube SAY THANKS Leave a review on Apple Podcasts G Leave a rating on Spotify

Are you stuck in the same production level year after year, wondering why the needle isn’t moving? It’s not because you’re not capable—it’s likely because you’ve stopped asking the right questions. Imagine if you had a framework to challenge your assumptions, elevate your standards, and scale your business with intention. Today on the show, we’re diving into a powerful self-audit: What are the 13 questions every loan originator should ask themselves to grow, scale, and lead in 2026? To help us explore that, I’m joined by Matt Weaver—ranked the #1 mortgage originator in the U.S. by units closed, with over 1,100 loans funded last year alone. Matt leads a team in Florida that runs like a high-performance machine. In this episode, you’ll walk away with: A blueprint to build standards so strong, your business becomes impossible to ignore,The exact mindset shift that turns agents into loyal, long-term clients,And a fresh perspective on what your brand actually is—beyond social media fluff—and how to build one rooted in performance, purpose, and clarity. And there’s something deeper we’ll uncover: the hidden role of imposter syndrome—and how it might actually be your greatest asset. So if you’re ready to raise your bar and redefine what’s possible for your business in 2026, then stick around for this episode. Learn More about Matt's Coaching Connect With Matt on Instagram Matt's YouTube Podcast Want to double your Realtor referrals without chasing, cold-calling, or paying for leads? See how Travis Newton grew his production by $40 million! Check Out myAgent Classes Here Connect With Geoff 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube SAY THANKS 💜  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

In this special crossover episode, you'll hear Geoff Zimpfer guest-host The LO Down Community Call with Connor Bartley to uncover how four top-producing LOs are generating real pipeline through strategic agent events. Forget the stale Lunch & Learns—this panel breaks down what’s actually working to get butts in seats and referrals on the books. You’ll learn: Why classes are the most leveraged way to connect with agents at scaleHow to pick topics agents care about (hint: it’s not mortgage guidelines)The exact steps to promote your event—even if you’re starting from zero From investor workshops to modern marketing panels, this episode gives you the blueprint to host agent classes that attract, convert, and scale. Connect with Connor on LinkedIn Learn More About myAgent Classes Like This Episode? 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify Connect With Geoff  Connect on Instagram  Connect on LinkedIn  Subscribe on YouTube

In this episode, we welcome James Duncan, a recognized leader in mortgage marketing who was honored as a “Marketing Leader” by HousingWire in 2022. James Duncan is the Founder and Chief Marketing Strategist at Caelum Advisers—an agency specializing in helping mortgage executives build resilient, growth‑focused marketing systems.  James shares how to modernize your marketing strategy, avoid common tech traps, and align your brand to drive real ROI—without losing the personal touch your clients expect. You'll also hear James share how to use AI in a way that supports your team, and why human connection remains a competitive advantage for maximum ROI. If you’re a loan officer or marketing leader looking to stay ahead of the curve while staying authentic, this episode is for you. Connect with James on LinkedIn Learn More About Caelum Advisers Want to double your Realtor referrals without chasing, cold-calling, or paying for leads? See how Travis Newton grew his production by $40 million! Check Out myAgent Classes Here Connect With Geoff 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify

In today’s episode of Mortgage Marketing Radio, we’re tossing out the old networking playbook and redefining what real connection looks like in today’s noisy, tech-heavy world. I'm joined by Lindsey Meyer, Jen Peachman, and Philip Mancuso, three of the 25 authors behind the new book Rethink Everything You Know About Networking. This isn’t about business cards, small talk, or shallow connections. It’s about authenticity, intentionality, and using education and human value as your lead strategy.  We’ll explore how to create a ripple effect through small, meaningful actions, and why vulnerability is one of the most underrated tools in your business toolkit. 🔑 Three Key TakeawaysIntentional networking beats passive presence – Showing up with purpose and a clear message builds trust faster than any cold pitch.Lead with value, not expertise – You don’t need to be a subject matter expert; you just need to offer useful, relevant insights people care about.Vulnerability is a connection multiplier – When you're willing to share your real story, you invite others into a deeper, more lasting relationship. Order the Book On Amazon Connect with Lindsey Meyer Connect with Jen Peachman  Connect with Philip Mancuso Want to double your Realtor referrals without chasing, cold-calling, or paying for leads? See how Travis Newton grew his production by $40 million! Check Out myAgent Classes Here Connect With Geoff 📸 Connect on Instagram 💼 Connect on LinkedIn 📹 Subscribe on YouTube SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify