Mortgage Tech Talks

• EP 68: From Lending to Tech & Back Again: Lawrence Schwartz on Playing the Long Game

  In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, Tom sits down with Lawrence Schwartz—Co-Founder of Mortgage Automator and now back in the lending game with Golden Bell Capital. They dive into: Why trade shows are massively undervalued The behind-the-scenes story of how Mortgage Automator was built (and sold) Balancing lending with tech startup life How great partners made all the difference Why Lawrence walked away from "early retirement" to get back into lending Whether you’re a broker, lender, or aspiring fintech founder, this episode is packed with wisdom, real talk, and some hard-earned lessons from one of the industry’s best.   Connect with Lawrence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-schwartz-13611529/    🎙 Hosted by Tom Hall | Powered by BluMortgage #mortgagebrokers #mortgagetechnology #realestateinvesting #fintech #entrepreneurship #MortgageAutomator ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Why Trade Shows Are Basically Free 01:11 – Meet Lawrence Schwartz: Co-Founder of Mortgage Automator 02:37 – What Mortgage Automator Was Built For 04:11 – Funny Sales Funnel Story (Oops!) 06:58 – No Perfect Software Exists (Here’s Why That’s Okay) 07:17 – The “Secret Sauce” Behind Mortgage Automator’s Success 08:46 – Real-Time Product Feedback from Lenders 10:08 – Learning from Client Rejections 11:18 – Growing Trade Show Presence Over Time 13:16 – Why You Always Go to Trade Shows 15:28 – Early Signs That Mortgage Automator Was Taking Off 16:35 – Building a Sales Team That Could Sell Without You 18:47 – Balancing Lending and Tech in the Early Days 20:48 – COVID and the Pivot to Full-Time Software 22:07 – The Power of the Right Business Partners 25:06 – Returning to Lending After the Exit 27:08 – Realizations After “Retirement” 29:02 – Why Lawrence Didn’t Spend a Dime After Selling 31:14 – The Lending Philosophy at Golden Bell Capital 33:23 – What Types of Deals Golden Bell Does 36:40 – Why Simplicity & Speed Still Win 38:36 – The Reason They Only Lend in the GTA 39:53 – Final Thoughts: Send Us One Good Deal 40:28 – Where to Find Lawrence

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• E67: Canadian Mortgage Summit, Velocity 3.0, New Tech-Lender Partnership

  In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, Tom recaps his recent panel at the Canadian Mortgage Summit in Vancouver and dives into three of the biggest themes shaping the mortgage tech space right now: The massive edge brokers have when adopting new tech like AI The rollout of Velocity 3.0 and why it matters Why B deals, reverse mortgages, and commercial lending are gaining momentum From real talk about overwhelmed brokers to the long-term promise of seamless AI adoption, this episode explores how the most adaptable brokers are winning — and how you can too. 👇 Timestamps: 00:00 – The unfair tech advantage mortgage brokers have over banks 00:17 – Why you should start with the client journey, not the tool 00:33 – Don’t get overwhelmed: solve one pain point at a time 00:55 – Energetic intro & why today’s update matters 01:14 – Takeaways from the Canadian Mortgage Summit 02:13 – Who was on the tech panel & what they discussed 02:50 – Why AI needs to be reverse-engineered from your client journey 03:37 – Pain points first, tech second: the key to adoption 04:11 – Create memorable client moments (and stories) 05:13 – Why brokers can adopt tools faster than banks 05:47 – 70/30 split: who’s getting ahead, and who’s overwhelmed 06:57 – The real job of tech companies right now 07:13 – Why early adopters win in the short term 07:54 – Just like Gmail: AI adoption will get easier 08:44 – What’s coming with Velocity 3.0 (and why it matters) 09:47 – Improved UI, security, speed & data handling 10:28 – Could this enable smarter AI tools in the future? 11:16 – New lender tech announcement: why it’s bigger than it seems 12:18 – Why B deals are everywhere right now 13:02 – Brokers pivoting to B and commercial deals 14:04 – The rise of reverse mortgages & agile broker strategies 14:46 – Why being nimble is brokers' superpower 15:24 – Final thoughts: opportunity in the chaos 🎧 Whether you're a tech-forward broker or just trying to keep up, this episode will give you fresh insights on where the industry is heading and how to stay ahead of the curve. 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more weekly insights from Mortgage Tech Talks. #mortgagebroker #mortgagetechnology #AI #velocity #mortgagetips #canadianrealestate #mortgageadvice #fintech #MortgageTechTalks

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• E66: Is Zapier Worth It?

  In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, we break down one of the most common questions mortgage brokers have: Should you be using workflow automation tools like Zapier, Make (Integromat), or N8n in your business? Here’s the thing—automation tools can save time and boost efficiency, but most brokers either avoid them entirely or hire someone to build complex systems they can’t maintain. That’s a problem. Tom dives into: What these tools really do Pros and cons of the top platforms Real-world examples from the mortgage industry A checklist to know if automation is right for you ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Why most brokers struggle with automation 01:09 – What are workflow automation tools? 02:32 – Real-world example: Calendly + Zapier + Twilio 05:44 – Automation for CRM integration (Mortgage use case) 06:42 – Should you do it yourself or hire someone? 07:13 – Zapier: Pros, cons, and pricing 10:06 – Challenger tools: N8n and Make 13:00 – Visual walkthrough of Make (Integromat) 14:13 – Summary of the three tools compared 14:35 – Do YOU actually need automation? 16:19 – The checklist: Is it worth it for YOUR business? 🔧 Whether you’re a tech-savvy broker or just getting started, this episode helps you decide if it’s time to roll up your sleeves—or save your money. Got questions? Drop them in the comments! #mortgagetech #workflowautomation #mortgagebroker #zapier #crmtips #mortgagemarketing #automationtools #mortgagebusiness

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• Industry Update: Rocket, Bond Yields, Canadian Mortgage Awards

  🚨 Rocket Mortgage Canada is out! What does this mean for brokers, lenders, and mortgage tech? 🚨 In episode 65 of Mortgage Tech Talks, we dive into the latest industry updates, including: ✅ The exit of Rocket Mortgage Canada and its impact on the mortgage landscape. ✅ The downward trend of bond yields and how it affects mortgage rates. ✅ The Canadian Mortgage Awards—who made the list and what it says about industry trends. 🔍 Timestamps: 00:00 – Bond yields are dropping—what it means for the market 00:19 – How uncertainty affects mortgage brokers and their clients 00:39 – Why this turbulence could be good news for brokers 00:59 – Rocket Mortgage Canada exits—breaking it down 02:17 – How the news broke and what led to the decision 03:04 – Is this a response to tariffs? 03:41 – The impact on mortgage tech and Finmo 04:18 – Rocket Mortgage’s connection to Lendesk and what’s next 05:20 – What does this mean for competition in Canada? 07:05 – Canada’s lack of mortgage market competition—good or bad? 08:15 – The effect of U.S. policies on Canadian mortgage rates 09:36 – What falling bond yields mean for mortgage rates 10:37 – How brokers can use this uncertainty to help clients 12:57 – The Canadian Mortgage Awards—who made the list? 13:37 – Service Provider of the Year category—who’s missing? 14:02 – Digital innovation in brokerages—what’s changing? 14:43 – New category: Innovator Champion of the Year 15:53 – Who’s really leading innovation in the industry? 16:08 – Is tech taking a backseat to broker and lender-led innovation? 16:25 – Final thoughts—where is the mortgage industry headed? 📢 Like & Subscribe for more insights on mortgage technology and industry trends! #MortgageNews #RocketMortgage #MortgageTech #CanadaRealEstate #MortgageRates

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• E64: How a 20-Year Veteran Uses Tech to Have AMAZING Conversions w Russ Morrison

  In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, we're joined by 20-year mortgage industry veteran Russ Morrison, who shares game-changing insights on how brokers can shift from transactional selling to strategic advising. 🔍 Russ breaks down why brokers must move beyond rate-focused discussions, how to optimize lead conversion ratios, and the power of surrounding yourself with the right people in business. Plus, we dive into how his TMS (Tactical Mortgage Solutions) platform is transforming mortgage strategy conversations. 🔗 Timestamps: 00:00:00 - The five reasons consumers come to brokers 00:00:14 - Selling solutions vs. solving problems 00:00:30 - The importance of having the right people around you 00:01:09 - Introducing Russ Morrison & his mortgage journey 00:01:56 - How Russ has optimized his strategy sessions 00:03:17 - The power of a strong network in the mortgage industry 00:05:47 - Virtual vs. in-person collaboration: What works better? 00:07:57 - How to survive market cycles & inflation challenges 00:10:05 - Facing industry struggles head-on & improving conversion rates 00:12:25 - Why a CRM is crucial for broker success 00:14:00 - Understanding lead-to-funding ratios & where business actually comes from 00:17:11 - Surprising data on conversion rates from different lead sources 00:21:26 - The two biggest factors for improving conversions 00:22:23 - The importance of structured upfront conversations 00:25:09 - The power of process: How to win over the right clients 00:28:56 - Knowing when to say NO to bad-fit clients 00:30:45 - Why brokers must shift from transactional to trust-based advising 00:33:15 - TMS: The tool designed to streamline mortgage strategy conversations 00:38:55 - The future of mortgage advising: Show, don’t tell 00:42:41 - The tech side of mortgage brokering & growing a scalable business 📢 Enjoying the show? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment below with your thoughts! What’s your biggest challenge as a mortgage broker? #MortgageTech #RealEstateFinance #MortgageBroker #FinancialStrategy #BusinessGrowth

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