Market Advantage - Mortgage Trends and Expert Insights - Optimal Blue
The multi-trillion-dollar housing market is a centerpiece of the U.S. economy. Whether you’re a mortgage lender, real estate professional, or anyone simply interested in staying informed – understanding housing finance starts with data-driven insights and analysis. The Market Advantage is your source for timely mortgage origination data and trusted commentary. Produced by Optimal Blue – the industry’s only end-to-end capital markets technology provider – the Market Advantage podcast and complementary data report examine lender rate lock data representative of over one-third of mortgages processed nationwide. Unlike self-reported survey data, Optimal Blue’s direct-source mortgage lock data accurately reflects the in-process loans in len...
October 2025 Data Highlights
Welcome to the Market Advantage! Hosts Olivia DeLancey, Brennan O’Connell, and Mike Vough break down October’s mortgage market data, highlighting production trends, rate environment shifts, and secondary market insights.
Special Announcement:
Market Advantage is merging with Optimal Insights! This move will allow us to deliver timely mortgage data and analysis to the public even faster. Stay tuned for future episodes under the Optimal Insights banner.
Key Takeaways:
October’s market activity shifted compared to previous months, reflecting both seasonal patterns and broader market momentum.Purchase and refinance activity showed typical season...The Future of Home Equity Lending With Andria Lightfoot | Sept. 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage. Hosts Olivia DeLancey, Brennan O'Connell, and Mike Vough kick off the show with a review of September’s mortgage data, highlighting a strong rate rally and notable trends in purchase and refinance activity.
The team then welcomes Andria Lightfoot, VP of client success at FirstClose, for a timely discussion on home equity lending. Andria shares insights on technology integration, evolving borrower needs, and how lenders can streamline processes to maximize efficiency and results.
Key Takeaways:
September saw a strong rate rally, boosting both purchase and...One Year, One Question, 12 Experts – How Can Lenders Maximize Profitability?
To celebrate one year, we compiled the responses from our 12 special guests on year one of the podcast:
“What’s the one thing lenders should do to maximize profitability?”
Hear actionable insights from industry leaders – including Optimal Blue’s executive team, top economists, tech innovators, and mortgage strategists. From leveraging AI and data to mastering client relationships and optimizing pricing, this episode is packed with actionable advice for mortgage professionals looking to maximize profitability.
Featured Guests:
Julian Hebron (Founder, The Basis Point)Rob Kessel (Founder, Panoramic Capital Advisory and Consulting)Erin Wester (Chief Prod...Maximizing Returns on AI Investments With Seever Sulaiman | August 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Hosts Olivia DeLancey, Brennan O'Connell, and Mike Vough kick off the show with a review of August 2025 mortgage data, covering rate lock and secondary market activity.
The hosts then sit down with Optimal Blue Chief Technology Officer Seever Sulaiman to unpack a recent presentation he delivered on maximizing and measuring ROI on AI investments. The conversation explores the components that go into an AI investment, the role of small vs. large language models, and the importance of building a “center of excellence” to drive...
Julian Hebron on Lending Trends and Tech Innovation | July 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Hosts Olivia DeLancey, Brennan O'Connell, and Mike Vough open the show with a discussion on July 2025 mortgage data, highlighting trends in rate lock volumes, refinance activity, and non-agency lending. Later in the episode, Olivia and Mike sit down with Julian Hebron, founder of The Basis Point, to explore rate outlooks, lending trends, and the evolving role of technology in the mortgage industry.
Julian shares The Basis Point’s view that mortgage rates could fall faster than current forecasts suggest, driven by political pressure and...
Smarter Hedging, Loan Sales, and Margin Management With Rob Kessel | June 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Hosts Olivia DeLancey and Mike Vough discuss the June 2025 Market Advantage report, including notable shifts in loan sale execution and pull-through trends. They’re joined by Rob Kessel, founder of Panoramic Capital Advisory and Consulting, who brings decades of capital markets expertise to the conversation.
Rob shares insights on capital markets training and secondary marketing strategy, covering foundational concepts like the best efforts versus mandatory spread, pull-through modeling, and loan sale execution. He emphasizes the importance of transparency, data-driven decision-making, and continuous education in m...
AI-Powered Mortgage Innovation With Joe Tyrrell | May 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Hosts Brennan O'Connell and Olivia DeLancey share an overview of exciting new additions to Optimal Blue's Market Advantage report. The monthly mortgage data report now includes a range of new data points, including property type and debt-to-income ratio, to provide a more comprehensive view of the industry.
Optimal Blue CEO Joe Tyrrell joins to discuss AI development, exploring how tailored AI solutions like Originator Assistant are revolutionizing the lending process and eliminating human bias. Together, they explore how AI is reshaping lending operations and...
The Role of Tech Innovation in Mortgage Lending With Optimal Blue CPO Erin Wester | April 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Hosts Brennan O'Connell and Olivia DeLancey kick things off with a discussion on the April 2025 mortgage rate lock data and market trends from the Market Advantage report. Later, they are joined by Optimal Blue Chief Product Officer Erin Wester to explore the impact of technological innovations on driving profitability in the mortgage industry.
Key Takeaways:
Volatile Rate Lock Activity: April experienced significant rate fluctuations due to macroeconomic factors, impacting rate lock volumes and borrower behavior.Market Performance: Purchase lock volumes increased by 7% Mo...Driving Mortgage Market Profitability: Insights from Mike Vough | March 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Hosts Olivia DeLancey and Brennan O'Connell are joined by Mike Vough, Optimal Blue’s head of corporate strategy, to discuss March 2025 mortgage rate lock data, the latest market trends, and the impact of technological innovations on driving profitability in the mortgage industry.
Key Takeaways:
Positive Market Trends: March saw a 24% increase in rate lock volumes MoM and a 21% rise in purchase volumes MoM, indicating a strong market performance.Refinance Activity: Significant increases in rate-and-term refinances (up 52%) and cash-out refinances (up 20%) MoM due to a...Insights From CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp on the Housing Market, Affordability Challenges | February 2025 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue. Director of Data Solutions Brennan O’Connell shares highlights from February 2025 mortgage rate lock data. He and his cohost Olivia DeLancey then welcome their guest, CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp, to discuss the housing market, affordability outlooks, and more.
Key Takeaways:
Significant jump in refinances: February saw a 40% surge in refi activity attributed to an improving rate environment, indicating potential opportunities for lenders in this segment.Affordability challenges: Despite some pockets of improvement, the overall housing market continues to lag, with first-time home...BONUS: Driving Profitability & Innovation at No Additional Cost – Joe Tyrrell | Optimal Blue Summit 2025
At the first annual Optimal Blue Summit, Joe Tyrrell, CEO of Optimal Blue, reflects on past industry challenges, the importance of preparation, and the rapid advancements in technology.
He shares insights on Optimal Blue's new core competencies, including flexibility, transparency, innovation, value, and control, all aimed at increasing profitability for their partners.
Discover how Optimal Blue is leading the way with innovative AI solutions that solve lenders’ real-world challenges and a commitment to delivering unparalleled value at no additional cost.
Learn more about our new product innovations: https://www2.optimalblue.com/optimal-blue-introduces-seven-major-innovations-at-its-inaugural-user-summit-in-san-diego/
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20 Questions With HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler | Optimal Blue Summit | January 2025 Data
Market Advantage – Episode 5
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue, recorded on-site at the Optimal Blue Summit in San Diego. The hosts look at mortgage rate lock data from January 2025 before welcoming HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler for a round of “20 questions” spanning her career journey, her role at HousingWire, her interests, and more.
Key Takeaways:
January 2025 rate lock activity: The month saw a nearly 11% increase in overall volumes compared to December, predominantly attributed to a 16% MoM rise in purchase volume, alongside a 9% uptick in cash-out refi act...Mastering the Market With America’s #1 Loan Originator Shant Banosian | December 2024 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue, where we analyze mortgage lock data from December 2024 and feature an interview with Shant Banosian, executive vice president of sales at Rate (formerly known as Guaranteed Rate). Shant is the #1 loan originator in America for 6 years running.
Key Takeaways:
December mortgage rate lock activity: The year ended with rate lock volume falling in a typical seasonal fashion, but rate/term refi volume saw a 33% spike MoM.Relationships are key: Shant emphasizes the importance of networking and building strong referral relationships for loan off...CME Group’s Agha Mirza Talks Mortgage Rate Futures, Trading on an Exchange, Cross-Margining | November 2024 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue, where we analyze mortgage lock data from November 2024 and feature an interview with Agha Mirza, managing director and global head of rates and OTC products at CME Group.
Key Takeaways:
November mortgage rate lock activity: Overall lock volume fell 25% MoM, yet stood 12% higher YoY, providing some reason for optimism.Mortgage Rate futures: CME Group has partnered with Optimal Blue to launch Mortgage Rate futures in January 2025 – a game-changer for managing risk across mortgage pipelines, MSRs, and securities.Centralized trading platform: CME Group’s singl...The Evolution of the Loan Officer With Dave Savage | October 2024 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of the Market Advantage podcast by Optimal Blue, where we analyze mortgage lock data from October 2024 and feature an interview with Dave Savage, chief innovation officer at Trust Engine and founder of Mortgage Coach.
Key Takeaways:
October mortgage rate lock activity: Rates rose, yet purchase lock volume showed resilience.“Captains of the wealth team”: Industry expert Dave Savage explains why successful loan officers are upleveling to become trusted financial advisors – what he calls captains of a borrower’s wealth team.Data and tech: Dave Savage and the hosts discuss the value of i...Refi Activity Surges, Joel Kan Discusses the MBA Application Survey Index | September 2024 Data
Welcome to this month’s episode of Market Advantage from Optimal Blue, where we analyze mortgage lock data from September 2024 and feature an interview with Joel Kan, deputy chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Key Takeaways:
September rate lock activity: The month saw a significant surge in refinance volume.MBA Application Survey Index: Joel Kan explains why it serves as a key indicator for understanding mortgage market dynamics.Affordability remains a key market topic: First-time homebuyers are increasingly pursuing new construction.Tune in to gain valuable insights and actionable advice to help you sta...
Market Advantage - Trailer
The multi-trillion-dollar housing market is a centerpiece of the U.S. economy. Whether you’re a mortgage lender, real estate professional, or anyone simply interested in staying informed – understanding housing finance starts with data-driven insights and analysis.
The Market Advantage is your source for timely mortgage origination data and trusted commentary. Produced by Optimal Blue – the industry’s only end-to-end capital markets technology provider – the Market Advantage podcast and complementary data report examine lender rate lock data representative of over one-third of mortgages processed nationwide.
Unlike self-reported survey data, Optimal Blue’s direct-source mortgage lock data accurately...
