Wednesday, February 25, 2026

12:30: Exhibit Hall Opens

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: General Session / Keynote

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Exhibit Hall Networking

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm: Concurrent Educational Sessions

4:00 pm – 4:45 pm: Concurrent Educational Sessions

4:45 pm – 6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception & Exhibit Hall Networking

Navigating the Economy and Mortgage Market – Outlook for 2026

The session will cover the current economic environment, how it impacts rates, housing, and mortgage markets, and our forecast for 2026 and 2027. We will also discuss timely industry topics such as mortgage operating costs and profitability, technology usage, and affordability trends in the Northeast region.

Presented by Joel Kan, Vice President, Deputy Chief Economist, Mortgage Bankers Association

Condo & Co-op Lending in Flux: Navigating Ineligibility, Non-Warrantable Risk, and the Road Back to Eligibility

Condo and co-op financing is changing faster than most loan pipelines can adapt. Between tightened Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac property eligibility rules, the proliferation of non-warrantable designations, and increasingly conservative stances from big-box lenders, brokers and bankers must rethink how they originate, underwrite, and rescue deals — or risk losing business.

This high-energy session gives you the context, the rules, and the tools you can use the next time you hit a condo/co-op snag. We’ll demystify what “ineligibility” really means under the GSEs today, identify the structural and governance issues that push a project into the non-warrantable bucket, and review how major lenders are responding — from narrow overlays to broad, portfolio-level refusals. Most importantly, you’ll walk away with a specific, practical pathway for returning an ineligible property to eligibility: what documentation to gather, governance fixes that matter, temporary underwriting workarounds, and how to position the file with different buyer/lender channels.

What attendees will learn

• Why projects are being deemed ineligible today — the GSE red flags and lender overlays that matter.
• Clear differences between Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac ineligibility and private non-warrantable designations.
• How “big box” lenders are reshaping the market and what that means for pricing, product availability, and secondary market options.
• A step-by-step, actionable pathway to return a property to eligibility — short-term fixes and long-term governance changes that underwriters accept.
• Practical file-building tips for originators and brokers to increase the chance of approval across lender types.

Presented by Orest Tomaselli, President, CondoTek

Modernizing Appraisals: Preparing for the New Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR)

The Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR) has long been the foundation of residential valuation — but that foundation is being rebuilt. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are rolling out a completely modernized URAR designed to align with today’s data-rich, digital mortgage ecosystem. The shift will impact how appraisals are ordered, reviewed, and used in underwriting — and it’s coming sooner than many in the industry realize.

In this session, you’ll gain a clear understanding of what’s changing and why. We’ll unpack the new data structure, the shift toward dynamic digital reporting, and the GSEs’ goals for increased consistency, transparency, and automation. More importantly, you’ll walk away with practical insights on how lenders and brokers can prepare operationally and strategically — from technology readiness to communication with appraisal partners.

This is not just an update — it’s a blueprint for how valuation will function in the next generation of mortgage lending.

What attendees will learn

• What the new URAR is — and how it differs from the current report format.
• The timeline and implementation strategy from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
• How the modernization initiative fits into the larger appraisal modernization framework (including data, APIs, and automated valuation tools).
• What lenders and brokers must do now to prepare internal systems and partners for adoption.
• How appraisal modernization will impact underwriting, compliance, and borrower experience.

Presented by Rob Pisani, President, Appraisal Links

Navigating the New Frontiers of Mortgage Operations: Latest Changes, Challenges & Best Practices

Expert Panel Discussion with Interactive Q&A

The mortgage operations landscape is transforming at a rapid pace — driven by regulatory shifts, evolving expectations at the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac enterprises, heightened data-demands and market turbulence. This live panel brings together leading practitioners and industry experts who will dissect the latest changes, unpack real-world operational impacts, and deliver actionable best practices you can put into motion immediately.

Key Topics the Panel Will Cover

Presented by Jane Borbee, Senior Vice President of Operations, Homestead Funding

Eileen Engel, 1st Vice President + Fulfillment Manager, Liberty Bank

Elaine Orsini, Director of Lending at Mutual Security Credit Union

David Sevigny, Branch Manager/Licensed Loan Originator, Homestead Funding Corp.

Grit, Grind and Grace: A Leadership Journey

Grit gets you in the room. It’s the courage to show up when you’re scared. To speak up when you’re silenced. To stand up when you’re knocked down.

Grind keeps you in the room. It’s the discipline to outwork doubt. To outlearn limitations. To outperform expectations—especially your own.

Grace makes the room bigger. It’s the wisdom to bring others with you. To build bridges instead of walls. To leave every place better than you found it.

Grit is fighting for yourself when no one else will.  It is a resiliency of character, and quite frankly, you usually either have it or you don’t. While I truly believe you can learn most anything, Grit has to come from deep down inside of you.  It is a very hard thing to manufacture.

Grind isn’t about working yourself to death. It’s about working with intention.

Future-Proofing Your Business: Non-QM Insights For 2026

This presentation aims to empower mortgage industry professionals with the knowledge and foresight needed to navigate the evolving landscape of the market. By exploring innovative strategies, technological advancements, and market predictions, participants will be equipped to elevate their practices and stay ahead in this dynamic and competitive market.

Learning Objectives:

• Setting yourself apart in the Non-QM marketplace
• Non-QM market opportunity in 2026 and beyond
• Deep dive into Non-QM Programs
• Typical Scenarios and Frequently Asked Questions

Presented by Ben Scribner, Regional Sales Manager, Angel Oak Mortgage

Reimagining Mortgage & Home Equity Operations for the Modern Era 

Key Takeaways: 

• Automate with Purpose: Discover how automated service ordering can streamline workflows and eliminate redundant steps in processing and underwriting. 
• Do What’s Needed, When It’s Needed: Shift from rigid task lists and linear workflows to dynamic, event-driven operations that prioritize relevance and efficiency. 
• Ditch the Checklist Mentality: Replace static checklists with intelligent workflows that adapt to each loan’s unique journey. 
• Human Resources, Optimized: Explore how to redeploy your team’s talent toward high-impact activities rather than repetitive tasks. 

Presented by Peter Micera, Senior Vice President of Sales, Dark Matter

AI Adoption: What’s Working and Why

A grounded, no hype conversation focused on how organizations are actually putting AI into production and getting measurable results. Andrew DeGood, CEO of AskBobAI, will moderate a candid discussion with Melissa Langdale, CEO of Praxis Lending Solutions, and Shshank Shekhar, CEO of InstaMortgage. The group will explore where AI is truly delivering value today, why some implementations succeed while others stall, and what leaders can do to drive real adoption inside their teams. Attendees will walk away with practical insights, real world examples, and a clearer understanding of how to move beyond experimentation and into impact.

Presented by Andrew DeGood, CEO, AskBobAI

Melissa Langdale, CEO of Praxis Lending Solutions

Shshank Shekhar, CEO of InstaMortgage

Exposed: The Most Common Fraud Moves Killing Your Deals in 2026

Fraud tactics are evolving faster than ever—and the cost of missing them is rising. In this candid, cross-functional panel, industry leaders from origination, operations, revenue strategy, title insurance, and quality control pull back the curtain on the most common and most damaging fraud schemes impacting mortgage transactions today. From wire and closing fraud to misrepresentation and process breakdowns, panelists will break down how these threats surface across the loan lifecycle—and where deals most often fall apart. Attendees will leave with practical, real-world prevention strategies, education best practices, and actionable takeaways they can immediately apply to protect borrowers, pipelines, and reputations in 2026 and beyond.

Julie Baril, VP of Quality Control, SWBC Mortgage Corp

Melissa Egan, Chief Risk Officer, Total Mortgage

Zach Kammerdeiner, VP, Chief of Innovation and Strategy, Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company (“CATIC”)

Jim McLoughlin, Mortgage Originator, M&T Bank

Amanda Padd, Chief Revenue Officer, Secure Insight

How Attackers Get In and How You Can Stop Them

The latest statistics are in: a data breach costs organizations, on average, about $4-$5 million dollars.

While multi-factor authentication, stronger password requirements, automated password protection tools, increased security awareness, and other factors have increased our ability to protect the business, the arms race between the proverbial “red” vs “blue” team is ever evolving. These controls take a huge amount of attack surface off the field, but novel ways around them and new ways altogether are constantly being researched and used against organizations in the real world.

Come and learn about these new approaches that both we as security testers and the real bad guys are using to breach organizations.

Objectives:

• Why MFA is not a set and forget control
• How easy it is to find your passwords
• Why your MS Teams configuration is not secure by default
• How Microsoft exposes insecure features when you setup your Azure/M365 tenant
• The lesser known “dual use” products that Microsoft 365 exposes for attackers to use against you
• How a successful phishing attack is often only a phone call away
• How to protect your organization from these vulnerabilities
• Much more!

Presented by Joe Sarkisian, Senior Manager, Wolf & Company

Social Media Mastery: Driving Growth and Building Trust — The Modern Mortgage Professional’s Playbook

In today’s hyper-connected world, your next borrower is just one scroll away — but so is your next compliance risk. For mortgage bankers and brokers, social media is no longer just a marketing tool; it’s a core business channel for customer engagement, brand building, and lead generation. The challenge? Growing your digital presence while staying firmly within the guardrails of RESPA, Truth in Advertising, and ever-evolving NMLS and state compliance rules.

Join us for this dynamic live presentation where marketing strategists and compliance specialists come together to share actionable strategies for building a compliant, high-impact social media presence that drives growth and builds customer trust.

What You’ll Learn:

Building a Winning Digital Strategy: How to create authentic, educational content that connects with today’s homebuyers and referral partners — without sounding “salesy.”

Platform-by-Platform Best Practices: The do’s and don’ts of using Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube for mortgage marketing in 2025.

Turning Engagement into Applications: Proven techniques for turning followers into loyal clients through education, transparency, and relationship-driven marketing.

Reputation & Risk Management: How to respond to online reviews, monitor employee posts, and manage compliance across distributed teams.

Staying Compliant in a Digital World:

• Understanding what counts as a “mortgage advertisement” online
• Proper disclosures, NMLS identifiers, and recordkeeping requirements
• Avoiding RESPA Section 8 pitfalls when co-branding with real estate agents
• Navigating state-specific rules and recent regulatory updates on digital communications
• AI & Automation in Social Media: Leveraging smart tools for scheduling, content creation, and engagement — while maintaining human authenticity and compliance oversight.

You’ll walk away with:

• A practical, compliant content framework you can use immediately
• A checklist for audit-proofing your social media activity
• Fresh ideas to humanize your brand and build borrower trust online
• Insights from experts who’ve successfully scaled their presence — and avoided costly compliance missteps

Presented by Denise Panza, VP, Mortgage Loan Originator, Total Mortgage

Social Media and Marketing Compliance Implications for Mortgage Lending

This session will provide attendees with a practical overview of social media and marketing through a regulatory compliance lens. Attendees will learn how key federal requirements, including UDAAP, fair lending, advertising rules, and record retention, apply to mortgage-related social media and marketing activities. The presentation will highlight common risk areas and best practices to help institutions market effectively while remaining compliant.

Presented by David Larocque, Risk Consulting Senior Manager, Crowe

What Got Us Here Won’t Get Us There

Mortgage professionals who win in today’s market know how to leverage technology without losing the personal touch, because you can’t automate relationships no matter how much the industry evolves. What got us here won’t get us there, but it actually will if you master the things that have always worked and will always work. There is no wealth without work and no get rich strategy that lasts. I know because I’ve tried. This workshop gives you the tools to build, maintain, and protect your confidence as an everyday mortgage professional. You’ll walk away with a clear plan for prospecting, follow-up, and marketing habits that create real momentum. And remember, to attract other people we must become more attractive. Move in the opposite direction of the negative pull, distraction, and shiny objects and watch your mortgage business grow.

The Old Playbook Is Broken: Growth Strategies Top Loan Originators Used When 2025 Changed the Rules