‘Marry the House and Date the Rate’: Unpacking the Mortgage-Sector Rollercoaster

Motto Franchising LLC President and CEO Ward Morrison dives into the mortgage market’s past, present and future and the importance of agent relationships.
Episode #39
Ward Morrison
President and CEO
Motto Franchising, LLC,

Overview

The past year was a wild one for mortgage lenders. With the refi pool drying up and mortgage rates surging to levels that shocked the industry, no one could have expected the rollercoaster ride the sector experienced. On the latest installment of RISMedia’s RealEdge Podcast, Ward Morrison dives into the current state of the mortgage industry after it came crashing down in 2022. Providing insight from the journey that Motto Mortgage has been on since its inception, he analyzes the past and looks toward the future, outlining what real estate and mortgage-lending professionals can expect in the next 12 – 24 months—and how they can weather the storm and thrive in the process.

On this week’s episode, you’ll learn:

0:55 – Ward’s foray into the lending industry and Motto Mortgage
2:34 – How to become the solution to brokers’ problems in the industry
4:23 – How Motto “vaccinated” itself against the mortgage market downturn
5:58 – Winning moves that benefited Motto last year
8:50 – Why it’s important to stay connected with your client base
10:32 – The journey to 1,000 franchisees starts with the first step
14:56 – Ward makes his predictions for the 2023 market and beyond
17:38 – What will the “new normal” look like in the housing market?
20:58 – How to keep your team cooperative and competitive at all times
23:19 – Understanding the benefits of having a successful parent company
24:55 – Is it worth pursuing growth during a downturn?
25:40 – Parting words from Ward

About

Ward Morrison joined RE/MAX World Headquarters in 2005 as a business development consultant for brokerage operations. He has held several leadership roles as he rapidly moved up through the company. In 2008, he was named director, Membership Services and Contract Administration and was promoted to vice president, Membership Services, Contract Administration and Customer Relations a year later. In 2011, he was named vice president U.S. Regional Development, and in 2012 became region vice president of the RE/MAX Southwest Region.

Ward’s role expanded in February 2015, as he became the primary liaison between RE/MAX World Headquarters and all independently owned U.S. Regions. In September 2016, Ward joined Motto Franchising, LLC as its first president and was instrumental in launching the Motto Mortgage brokerage franchise brand the following month.

Since launching in 2016 as the country’s first national mortgage brokerage franchise, Motto Mortgage has steadily gained traction and visibility in the real estate industry. Morrison drives the strategy and overall business plan at Motto Franchising, LLC and wemlo. He’s responsible for growing the Motto Mortgage network and helping franchisees maximize their success through the system.

In 2020, Ward oversaw the acquisition of wemlo, a mortgage fintech company focused on providing technology and third-party mortgage processing solutions to the mortgage broker channel. Now serving as president and CEO of both Motto Mortgage and wemlo, a position he was named to in January 2022, Ward leads the entire mortgage segment within RE/MAX Holdings.

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