Mortgage Loan Officer Podcast

Episode 195 In this episode, I sit down with Jen Biederman , of Learn2Lend , a training company built specifically for the mortgage industry. Learn2Lend helps residential mortgage companies, branch managers, and team leaders get new loan officers and loan officer assistants up to speed on the actual day-to-day job of being a loan originator. This is not licensing prep. It is not a deep dive into l...

Episode 194 In this episode, Frank Garay catches up with Todd Bitter, National Director of Sales at NEXA Lending, for an honest conversation about career transitions, broker growth, AI, and the fundamentals that still drive success in the mortgage business. Todd shares why, after more than 30 years in loan origination, he made the decision in mid-2022 to stop originating loans and move into a lead...

Episode 193 In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Bilberry, the founder of Jenny Jenny AI , to take a deep dive into one of the most interesting tools I've seen for mortgage loan officers: a free For Sale By Owner platform built specifically for LOs . Kevin shares his own story of how he got started as a loan officer by focusing on For Sale By Owner opportunities — and how that strategy helped hi...

Episode 192 In this episode, I sit down with Ginger Bell, Growth Officer for the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, for a conversation every mortgage professional should hear. We talk about how NAMB is doing far more than advocacy on Capitol Hill. The association is creating real value for its members through industry support, benefits, education, and a stronger voice for mortgage professio...

Episode 191 In this episode, Frank sits down with Kevin to break down how loan officers can win more business by targeting two major segments of the housing market: builders and investors. Kevin shares hard-earned insights from his deep experience in the builder space, including how loan officers can better understand builder operations, offer competitive construction financing, and build strong r...

Episode 190 Most loan officers are sitting on deals they don't even realize they have. In this episode, I sat down with Megan Pavone from ARF Financial to unpack a massive opportunity hiding in plain sight: business-purpose lending for your self-employed clients . Here's the reality—clients who don't fit traditional lending boxes still need capital. And instead of turning them away, you can now tu...

If you're a loan officer trying to figure out how AI actually fits into your business (without all the hype and confusion), this episode is a must-listen. I sat down with Chris Johnstone to break down his brand-new book—currently available for pre-order at www. LOaiBook.com —and honestly, this isn't just another "AI book." This is shaping up to be the playbook for loan officers who want to work sm...

In this episode of the Mortgage Loan Officer Podcast , Frank Garay sits down with social media marketing expert Chelsea Gardner , founder of Fully Aligned Marketing , to break down how loan officers should be using social media in 2026. Chelsea shares the three biggest opportunities most originators are missing when it comes to building influence and generating referrals online. Instead of chasing...

Loan officers are ranked every single day — by volume, by performance, by reputation — but what if you could actually see where you stand? In this episode, I sit down with Dale Larson of Modex to break down a platform that's quietly changing the mortgage industry. Modex isn't just a ranking system — it's a data-driven transparency engine built specifically for loan officers. We dig into: How LOs c...

E pisode 186 In this episode, I interview Casey O'Toole, the CEO and creator of Linkybot.ai — an AI-powered platform built to help real estate agents and mortgage professionals connect with their ideal audience and book real appointments directly into their calendars. Linkybot intelligently engages prospects on LinkedIn, creates natural conversations, and schedules meetings automatically — turning...

Episode 185 What separates high-performing mortgage branches from the ones constantly chasing results? Sales culture. Process. And leadership that actually knows how to develop loan originators. In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Gillespie , who runs the Leadership Academy for the Mortgage Marketing Animals , to break down four critical elements every mortgage leader must develop to build the...

Episode 184 In this eye-opening episode of the Mortgage Loan Officer Podcast, Frank Garay welcomes AI strategist Chris Johnstone to unpack a game-changing shift in how consumers find mortgage professionals—and how loan officers can get ahead of it. Chris shares jaw-dropping insights into how AI, especially ChatGPT, is beginning to replace traditional search engines like Google in recommending loca...

Episode 183 In today's episode, I interview Megan Pavone of ARF Financial , who walks us through a simple, compliant way for Loan Officers to earn referral income by connecting business owners with unsecured working-capital loans. These loans have no real estate component , require no licensing , and can be referred nationwide . When your referral funds, you earn 8 points total — with 4 points pai...

Episode 182 In this episode, Frank sits down with Kelly Dutton of One Click Commercial Funding—one of the most dependable referral partners for residential originators who don't venture into commercial or SBA lending. If you've ever hesitated to pass off a deal because you weren't sure how to do it without losing the client (or the relationship), this conversation is going to feel like oxygen. Mos...

Episode 181 In this episode, I sit down with Jimmy Finance , a loan professional who decided he wanted to serve musicians… and then actually did it. Jimmy shares how he carved out a specialty most people wouldn't even think to pursue—from his first musician client to working with famous artists and performers featured on major late-night shows . His story is packed with insight, motivation, and so...

Episode 180 In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Hoff , a seasoned mortgage pro who just made a career move that many loan officers quietly think about but rarely act on: shifting from mortgage banker to mortgage broker . Shannon spent 20 years on the banking side, working with only six companies over two decades — and two of those closed their doors. In an industry known for turnover, her tra...

Episode 179 I sat down with Casey O'Toole , founder of Linkybot , and… let's be honest, I went off. After what Linkybot has pulled off for me, can you blame me? Here's what's happened in just 3 weeks : 12 booked appointments One loan already closed Direct access to high-level CEOs and industry leaders New relationships that are paving the way for massive opportunities This conversation dives into...

Episode 178 In this episode, I sit down with San Antonio loan officer Jon Tober , who grew his production by 35% simply by running a weekly book club for real estate agents. He shares the full playbook: what works, what doesn't, and how you can start a book club that strengthens relationships, builds authority, and creates consistent referral flow. You'll learn: How Jon launched his book club The...

Episode 177 In this powerful conclusion to our 3-part series, Megan Anderson—formerly of MBS Highway—shares what she discovered after spending a full year living life on the road in a van. Now living in Spain and working on her first book, Megan opens up about the internal shifts that came from stepping away from comfort and diving headfirst into the unknown. This episode is packed with the kind o...

Episode 176 In this game-changing episode, Chris Johnstone from LoanOfficerCRM.ai breaks down how AI is completely reshaping the mortgage industry—and what loan officers can do right now to stay ahead. He shares real-world examples of how mortgage companies are already getting live referrals and even full loan applications directly from ChatGPT. Chris calls this the biggest technology shift we've...

Episode 175 In this powerhouse episode, I sit down with the one and only Barry Habib — market expert, founder of MBS Highway , and board member at Fannie Mae . Barry shares his expert insights on where mortgage rates are headed , what's really driving the Fed's decisions, and how these shifts will shape the housing and lending landscape. We also dive into Barry's work at Fannie Mae, where he's hel...

Episode 174 In this episode, Frank Garay sits down with Kevin Gillespie from The Leadership Academy to explore one of the Academy's six powerful pillars— how to separate yourself from the noise in today's crowded mortgage space. Kevin shares how top loan officers and branch managers can stand out by branding their products in a way that makes them unique and desirable. Rather than competing on pri...

Episode 173 In this episode, I sit down with Credit Expert Jeanne Kelly , who clears up one of the biggest credit myths out there — the idea that you should keep your revolving credit card balances at 30%. Jeanne explains why that's not necessarily the best strategy and breaks down how to time your balance reductions so they show up on your credit report right when you need them most. She also sha...

Episode 172 In this episode, I sit down with Casey O'Toole, CEO of Linkybot.ai , to explore how this groundbreaking tool is transforming LinkedIn into a true lead and referral machine for loan officers. Linkybot uses AI to pinpoint the exact prospects you're looking for, automatically engages with them, nurtures those relationships, and even works to book appointments and generate referrals. What...

Episode 171 In this episode, I sit down with  Denise Panza of Total Mortgage , a loan officer and branch manager who has absolutely mastered LinkedIn. For the past six years, Denise has been leveraging the platform without paying for premium tools—just pure consistency, authenticity, and a laid-back style that has built her a steady flow of business. We talk about how Denise approaches LinkedIn, w...