Once again Digital Mortgage Conference was held in Las Vegas. However, the hotel where the conference was held was well off the beaten path, and it rarely felt like Vegas was breathing down our necks.  This may have been a welcome change for some but throwing this massive event at the Wynn next year was a smart move. This year the convention scene has been challenging for obvious reasons.  The mortgage market is a battlefield, and sending out professionals to conferences doesn’t likely feel like a great way to use reserve funds.  Technology was forced to address this issue head-on. If you weren’t talking about market share and purchase positioning, the message falls on deaf ears.  Overall, the show was dope.  Small but held a good punch. The real highlight of the event was the demos and the team of judges that provided American Idol-like feedback at the end of every 8-minute presentation. Total Expert won the big prize, Simple Nexus came in second, and Roostify and TrustStar tied for third place. TrustStar is the new kid on the block boasting about their AI application helping loan officers find new opportunities and referral partners.  Pretty impressive to place.

The demo judges were the star of the show. Sue Woodard, from Stratmor Group, was the ever glowing, enjoyable personality we all adore, providing incredible insights and considerations throughout the event. Julian Hebron, The Basis Point, brought his robust fintech experience into perspective and rose to the occasion. Ron Shevlin, Cornerstone Advisors, made his best Simon Cowell impression by taking jabs at inadequate explanations of features and product relevancy. However, his experience is undeniable.

The Ryan Holiday was a standout session – extraordinarily entertaining and inspired marketing strategies and concepts to help companies drive thoughtful content to their audiences. He encouraged us to build an audience and focus solely on speaking to them and being of service.  Marketing has never been more critical in this mortgage market.

All and all, it was a strong show. More so than ever, it was clear that Mortgage Advisor Tools is a needed resource for the mortgage industry.  About 150 lenders were represented at the show, and thousands of lenders struggled to understand how technology and service providers can help them solve problems and grow their businesses.  Many shows are left this year, and we encourage all to attend if possible.