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Rates drop, you hire. Rates rise, you cut. It's been the same playbook for decades, and it still costs $11,000 to originate a single loan. AI agents are starting to look like the way out. But the pressure to move faster, do more, and stop adding headcount isn't just something lenders are feeling. It's the same intensity Nima Ghamsari, Co-founder and CEO of Blend, has been driving inside the company, and it's shaping how the industry's best operators are starting to think.
In this National Mortgage News Leaders episode, Michael Moeser sits down with Nima to go beyond the hype and get specific: what does an agent-first operation actually look like, where does the industry stand today, and what should executive leaders be building toward right now?
Tune in for:
• What the AI potential was two years ago and how it's perceived today
• Why "agent first" beats "AI native" as a model for mortgage operations
• The production capacity and accelerated decision-making lenders can expect
• Strategies to capture more opportunities and prioritize high-intent applicants
• How AI-driven workflows with human review support compliance and consistency
