Mortgage Marketing Radio

You feel it, don't you? That constant pressure to post more, create more, be more online — just to keep up. Meanwhile, your pipeline isn't moving the way it should. Here's what nobody's telling you: the top-producing loan officers I work with aren't stressing about their next post going viral. They're doing something different. Something that's been working since before social media existed. And it's making a massive comeback. In this episode, I'm going off-script to challenge the "post more" narrative that the gurus keep pushing. I'll share why IRL — in real life — local influence is outperforming the algorithm for the loan officers I coach. And I'll give you real stories from real LOs who've added $20M, $30M, even doubled their production — not by becoming influencers, but by becoming the go-to lender in their local market. You'll hear: → Why the "content creator" pressure is burning you out (and what to do instead) → The strategy that's landing LOs in front of 20-30 agents at a time → How one LO turned a single workshop into a spot on a national sales training call with 400+ agents → Why direct mail is working (yes, even with millennials) → Jeff Bezos's question that should change how you think about your business → Details on the Agent Referral Accelerator cohort launching May 21st If you're tired of feeding the algorithm and ready to build real relationships that generate real referrals — this one's for you. 🔗 Learn more: https:www.getmoreagents.com 📩 DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn with questions

Six weeks ago, I went silent. No episodes. No posts. No noise. I was fighting cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and tongue. Two rounds of chemo. Thirty rounds of radiation. And a whole lot of time to think. Today, I'm back. And I'm not just picking up where I left off — I'm coming back with new clarity, new energy, and some powerful insights I can't wait to share with you. In this episode: What the last 6 weeks looked like (the real version, not the polished one) A huge thank-you to the guest hosts who kept this show alive while I was down What I've been studying about AI, marketing, and visibility is about to change the game for mortgage professionals HubSpot's new AEO tool and why "Answer Engine Optimization" should be on every LO's radar right now A tease of a pivotal change coming soon to Mortgage Marketing Radio and MMI This is a personal one. It's also one of the most important episodes I've ever recorded. If you've ever been knocked down and had to figure out how to get back up — this one's for you. Episode Resources: Hubspot AEO Tool: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo Connect with Geoff: Instagram: @GeoffZimpfer LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/geoffzimpfer YouTube: Subscribe to Mortgage Marketing Radio

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