Date Published: November 2025
The 25th annual MBA Conference in Vegas did not disappoint. Although the Fontainebleau Hotel seemed like an odd choice, being at the far end of the strip and away from everything, (or maybe that was the point?) it was well attended and great to see old – and new faces! We really love opportunities to meet with clients and candidates that we don’t get to see in person as often as we would like.
The hot spot for gathering was the Bleau Bar…it was packed regardless of the time of day. They started out by initiating a waiting list for tables and finally gave up on that, opting for the “grab what you can” strategy. It was literally a sea of mortgage bankers and a great place to meet and network.
The trending topic we heard throughout the conference was definitely Technology. On my return flight, I sat next to an AI Service Provider who said he had back to back meetings with lenders from 7am through to 8pm every day. His company serves a variety of industries but indicated he had seen a “significant uptick” in requests from mortgage banking firms since the first of the year. The biggest request? Changing the LOS and integrating AI, specifically Conversational AI and Live Agent integration with video capabilities. He further said that the mortgage industry seemed a little “behind the times” in technology as compared to other industries like Healthcare or Insurance.
Speaking of technology and cutting-edge products, (or the lack thereof) did anyone else think it was funny that the obligatory MBA photo op sign (#MBAANNUAL25) was spelled out in light bulbs reminiscent of vanity lights from the 70’s?? I mean, come on, no flashy giant LED screen that captured your image and company logo with MBA signage? Something? Helloooo, we were in Vegas, after all.
Technology is the hot topic right now. MSA has been inundated with Technology related requests. Many of our IMB clients are upgrading technology or bringing in leaders with AI skills. The thing lenders need to understand however, is that this may require going outside of our industry to find those experts, for the very reason cited by my flight seatmate…the mortgage industry as a whole, is lacking in this area. There are exceptions of course, and we all know who they are; this has resulted in a pretty small talent pool to choose from. In Housing Wire’s recent list of Top Technology Trendsetters, out of 76 names, only 9 of them are with mortgage lenders. We have found however, that in addition to the handful of Tech stars within the mortgage landscape, industries such as FinTech, Healthcare and Transportation/Automotive are leading the pack with utilizing emerging technologies and AI. If lenders are not finding their next CTO from their competitors, maybe it’s time to look outside the box. True, hiring a Tech leader with zero mortgage experience brings its own set of challenges but in some cases, it may be the best option. If you want to explore ways your company can become more competitive, efficient or profitable by enhancing or upgrading your tech stack, reach out to MSA today to discuss options.
Did you attend the conference? How did you feel about it? Let us know in the comments! We look forward to seeing everyone for MBA #26 in Chicago next year!
Author: Tami Coffey
