GENERAL SESSION: Executive Briefing on AI for Real Estate Finance
In this session tailored exclusively for executives, thought leaders share compelling use cases for artificial intelligence (AI) in single-family mortgage finance and commercial/multifamily real estate finance. In today's increasingly competitive and uncertain market, make sure you’re making the most of the latest tools. Learn the possibilities of harnessing the predictive capabilities of AI tools to make more informed decisions about origination opportunities and default risk. Enlist AI’s help to develop marketing materials and increase operational efficiencies. No matter where you sit in the industry, you will walk away with information and inspiration for immediate application. The session opens with an update on the MBA Opens Doors Foundation from foundation chairman Deb Still.
Speakers
Introductions
Debra W. Still, CMB, is Vice Chair of Pulte Financial Services, which includes Pulte Mortgage LLC, PGP Title and Pulte Insurance Agency and employs over 1100 individuals throughout the U.S. Pulte Financial Services is a part of PulteGroup, America’s largest homebuilder with operations in twenty-five states and the District of Columbia. Still has more than four decades of experience in the mortgage industry. She joined Pulte Mortgage in 1983, as Vice President/Branch Manager of the Maryland Division and subsequently held that position with the Dallas/Fort Worth Division. In June 1997, she was promoted to Executive Vice President, Production, and in October of that year was appointed to the Pulte Mortgage Board of Directors and named Corporate Secretary. Still became Chief Operating Officer in 1999, and in August 2004, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. She was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Pulte Financial Services in 2010 overseeing Pulte Mortgage, PGP Title and PIA Insurance. Still served as the 2013 Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association and is currently a member of the association's Board of Directors, and a member of MBA’s Consumer Affairs Advisory Council. Still was awarded MBA’s Andrew D. Woodward Distinguished Service Award in 2014. As an active MBA member for more than a decade, Still has also served as Chair of MBA's Residential Board of Governors (RESBOG,) Chairman of MBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Chairman of the Council for Residential Mortgage Servicing for the 21st Century, Chair of the Affordable Housing Subgroup on GSE Reform, and was Chair of the MBA Forward Task Force. She has also served on MBA's Strategic Planning Committee, MBA's Loan Origination Task Force, and Secondary and Capital Markets Committee. Still has testified before Congress multiple times. Still is presently the Chairman of MBA’s Opens Doors Foundation, serves on the MBA Board of Directors and the Housing Policy Council Executive Council. In 2011 and 2013, Still was featured in “Influential Women of the Housing Economy” by HousingWire Magazine and in 2011 was named one of “The Top Ten Women in Mortgage and Housing” by The Five Star Institute. In 2020, Still was recognized by the Denver Business Journal as “Most Admired CEO of 2020.” In March 2018 Still was appointed to Chimera’s Board of Directors. Chimera Investment Corporation is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that is primarily engaged in real estate finance. In September 2021, Still was appointed to the Board of Directors of Enact, Holdings, Inc, Enact is a publicly traded company and a leading U.S. private mortgage insurance provider. Still is a graduate of Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., with a Bachelor of Science degree and has completed graduate work in Finance at George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Moderator
Owen Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. (“SMP”). SMP is an independent mortgage bank headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan and operating in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Owen originally founded the company in 2002 with his father, Vincent. Owen is also the Managing Member of Title Partners, LLC., a full-service title insurance agency and settlement services company. Owen graduated with a BA in Political Science from Villanova University in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University in 1996. wen is a proud member of the following organizations: State Bar of Michigan; Massachusetts Bar Association; Mortgage Bankers Association; Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association; The American Land Title Association.
Speakers
Stephanie Durflinger is Chief Product Officer with Dark Matter Technologies. An industry leader with over 15 years of experience, Stephanie will guide the development team for the Empower® LOS and all digital products. She values working closely with customers to better understand the challenges that impede efficiency. This experience informs her product development philosophy, working to give lenders unprecedented performance and value. Her depth and breadth of experience led to her being named to the board of directors of the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO), which is responsible for developing standards for information exchange in the U.S. mortgage industry.
Nima is co-founder and chief executive of Blend, in addition to chairing its board of directors. He leads the company’s corporate and product strategy toward the vision of a simple, transparent, and accessible financial services ecosystem. Nima speaks regularly about the evolution of lending and technology’s role in driving proactive finance. His achievement and entrepreneurial vision were recognized by his inclusion in Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list in 2020. Prior to founding Blend, Nima was one of the first employees of the commercial group at Palantir Technologies, where he worked to solve major data challenges for the financial sector and advised its CEO. He holds a B.S. in computer science from Stanford University.
Mr. Majewski is Executive Managing Director in the Debt & Structured Finance group within CBRE Capital Markets. Mr. Majewski has extensive experience in the origination, structuring, placement, closing and servicing of commercial real estate debt for life insurance companies, pension funds, Agencies and Wall Street sources. During his 30+ years of experience, Jeff has worked in every aspect of the commercial real estate finance business, from loan originations to loan servicing, asset management and lender and client development, as well as the detailed day-to-day operations of running the business. In addition, Jeff has extensive experience in Mergers and Acquisitions and the subsequent integration of the acquired operations.
As Chief Executive Officer of Snapdocs, Michael Sachdev is focused on the company's mission to automate the home mortgage experience. He joined Snapdocs as its first President in 2021 to lead the operating teams, and under his leadership, Snapdocs has transformed into the mortgage industry's most trusted digital closing provider. Prior to leading Snapdocs, Michael served as Chief Product Officer at Sunrun (NASDAQ:RUN). A graduate of Columbia Law School, he began his career as an attorney, spending six years as an antitrust associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP, while also serving as Special Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Michael also currently serves as a board member at Lumen Energy.