Host Brian Dally, CEO of Groundfloor, interviews Patrick Donoghue, Vice President and General Manager of Groundfloor Lending, about his lending background, early exposure to private/hard money lending, and joining Groundfloor in 2016. Donoghue explains how Groundfloor Lending is an end-to-end “factory” that originates, underwrites, closes, and services fix-and-flip and new construction loans, and describes how loans now flow not only to the retail investor platform but also into securitizations, creating a mix of private credit opportunities for retail and institutional investors. He outlines why borrowers choose Groundfloor—especially deferred interest to preserve cash flow—and shares market observations from recent years. Donoghue expects 2026 to remain sluggish, driven by affordability constraints and employment uncertainty.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:48 Patrick’s Career Journey

04:34 What Groundfloor Lending Does

06:17 Where Loans Get Sold

08:05 Retail and Institutional Mix

09:53 Who Borrows and Why

12:14 Deferred Interest Advantage

14:08 Housing Market Trends Now

16:28 Outlook for 2026

18:04 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Beyond the Stock Market podcast: https://groundfloor.com/podcast

Connect with Brian Dally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdally/

Connect with Patrick Donoghue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-donoghue-60723723/

References:

• Groundfloor Lending: https://lending.groundfloor.com/
• Shark Tank: https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23