Are mortgage lenders building for the next market—or waiting for rates to bail them out?

In this episode of The FinTech Hunting Podcast, host Michael Hammond sits down with Kevin Peranio, Chief Lending Officer and Partner at PRMG, for a candid conversation on the market realities, AI disruption, and leadership decisions shaping the future of mortgage.

KP does not talk about AI like a buzzword. He breaks down where the industry is already seeing ROI, why mortgage is still in the early innings of AI adoption, and why lenders who wait too long may find themselves trying to catch competitors who already learned how to use technology to grow.

This conversation goes beyond rates and surface-level market talk. Michael and KP dig into the uncomfortable questions every mortgage leader should be asking right now:

Is waiting for rate relief a strategy—or just denial?

Can AI help loan officers become more productive without losing the human side of lending?

Where should lenders invest first: sales, operations, fulfillment, or borrower experience?

How should companies think about build vs. buy, vendor consolidation, and open architecture?

What happens as trigger leads decline and lenders are forced back to fundamentals like relationships, local expertise, and referral strategy?

And most importantly: who is actually building for the next mortgage market?

If you are a mortgage executive, loan officer, fintech founder, technology vendor, or industry leader trying to understand what comes next, this episode is worth your time.

The market may not save you.

But the right strategy, technology, and leadership decisions might.

Listen now to hear KP’s take on mortgage’s AI race—and why the lenders who move with intention today may be the ones pulling ahead tomorrow.

Guest: Kevin Peranio, Chief Lending Officer and Partner, PRMG

Host: Michael Hammond, The FinTech Hunting Podcast

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Michael Hammond, Founder of NexLevel Advisors, is the leading fractional CMO in mortgage and mortgage technology, specializing in AI-powered growth strategy and audience development.