This is a milestone episode of Mortgage Tech Talks.

In this special 100th episode—and final episode of the year—I’m breaking down the best-performing Mortgage Tech Talks content of 2025 across podcasts, YouTube, Shorts, and Instagram.

Instead of just replaying clips, this episode looks at what actually worked, why it worked, and what it says about where mortgage tech and AI are heading. We dig into the biggest themes from the year: AI as a tool (not a shortcut), platform-specific content performance, tech adoption, and the irreplaceable role of human trust.

If you’re a mortgage broker, fintech professional, or just interested in how technology is reshaping the industry, this episode ties it all together.

Thanks for being part of the journey to 100 episodes.

00:00 – Episode 100 milestone + why this is a “Best Of” recap 02:00 – Top podcast episode of the year: using ChatGPT as a thought partner 05:45 – Best-performing YouTube video & lessons from the Mortgage Conference 09:50 – Why short-form content performed best (Instagram & Reels) 12:15 – AI broker assistants, where they help—and where humans still win

In this episode, Tom Hall breaks down the hidden competition between major AI companies that most people don't see. Discover why programming has become the dominant use case for AI models—accounting for 50% of all API usage—and why Anthropic (Claude) is quietly dominating with 60% of this massive market.

• Token usage has grown 14x in the past year
• Programming went from 11% to 50% of all ChatGPT/Gemini usage in just 6 months
• Anthropic controls 30% of the entire AI market through programming dominance
• Google, OpenAI, and other competitors are playing catch-up

• 0:00 - Opening statement
• 0:28 - Introduction
• 1:38 - The problem: What's driving AI growth?
• 1:55 - How AI companies make money (subscriptions vs. API)
• 2:46 - Understanding tokens and APIs
• 4:19 - Shocking token usage data (500B → 7T)
• 5:29 - Analyzing prompt vs. completion growth
• 7:31 - Which use cases are driving growth?
• 8:32 - Programming reveals itself as the leader
• 11:38 - 50% of AI usage is programming
• 12:10 - Anthropic's surprising market dominance
• 13:35 - Market share breakdown
• 14:18 - The strategic choice for AI CEOs
• 15:00 - Implications for the next 2-3 years
• 16:11 - Bold predictions
• 17:30 - Closing

What if the biggest threat to mortgage brokers over the next decade isn’t AI replacing your job — but something far more subtle?

In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, we break down a 4-step scenario that has already played out in other financial industries… and could reshape the mortgage landscape in the next 5–10 years if we’re not careful.

This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s a realistic look at how technology adoption, lender expectations, and regulator pressure could quietly divide the industry into two branches — one that thrives, and one that slowly gets left behind.

You’ll hear:

The two “branches” brokers will fall into as AI becomes standard

Why trust at scale could create a massive performance gap

How lenders and regulators might tighten requirements

What happened in the home & auto insurance industry (and why it matters now)

The one thing brokers can control to prevent the mortgage channel from losing innovation

If you care about the long-term health of this industry — and your place in it — this is a conversation you should hear.

Timestamps

00:00 – Why the future of the broker channel may split into two branches 01:14 – The real risk facing the industry (it’s not job loss) 02:03 – Step 1: The new technology wave begins 03:27 – Step 2: Tech adopters vs. non-adopters 08:48 – Step 3: How lenders & regulators might elevate one branch 13:18 – Step 4: What happens if non-adopters fall behind 17:36 – The insurance industry example — and the warning it gives us 19:00 – The silver lining and how brokers can protect innovation

Should mortgage brokers stick with ChatGPT — or is it time to explore the new AI tools that are suddenly outperforming it?

In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, we break down whether brokers should consider switching to alternatives like Google Gemini 3, Grok 4.1, and Claude, all of which are now ranked above ChatGPT in real user preference tests.

We cover what’s changed, why these new models matter, how the AI landscape is shifting, and what this means for your daily workflow as a mortgage professional.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve and get the most out of AI in your business, this episode is worth your time.

00:00 – Why brokers are questioning ChatGPT’s dominance 01:26 – The major AI competitors you should know 03:43 – How new models like Gemini and Grok are performing 08:21 – The shocking ranking: ChatGPT drops to fourth 14:48 – Lessons from past tech giants and what it means for AI today

In this episode, I break down a trend that caught me off guard at the Canadian Mortgage Conference — and honestly, I didn’t fully believe it until I dug into the numbers myself. Technology isn’t just supporting Canadian lenders… it’s becoming the core reason they’re getting acquired, merging, or expanding their reach.

From the Neighborhood x Fisgard deal, to NSO acquiring CMS, to Alta West merging with Premier — the pattern is undeniable. And if you're a broker choosing lender partners or a lender trying to stay competitive, understanding this shift is critical.

AI in mortgages that actually saves time, not hype. On this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks I sit down with Lucas Scheer, co-founder of Purelend. We dig into what AI can do today for brokers, why trust still wins in real estate and lending, and how document collection, usable income, and down payment verification can be automated without losing the human touch.

What you’ll learn

• The real advantage for brokers who use AI vs those stuck in manual review

• How Purelend structures down payment checks, stated income analysis, and doc organisation for lenders and brokers

• Where full automation fails and why a copilot model makes more sense

• Accuracy, hallucinations, and how to combine human review with AI to raise overall quality

• Practical privacy and workflow considerations when rolling AI into your shop

Chapters 00:00 AI will not replace you. People using AI will 00:26 Set up for the episode 00:40 Intro and guest welcome 01:01 What Purelend does for brokers and lenders 02:24 Lucas’ background, NEO Financial, and the path to Purelend 03:10 The 60,000 km motorcycle detour and lessons 04:10 Building applied AI before ChatGPT 05:13 Pre-2020 AI adoption vs the post-ChatGPT shift 06:19 Focusing on outcomes over buzzwords 07:33 Media hype, fear, and what actually matters to a brokerage 08:28 Useful analogies for explaining AI to clients 09:03 Common fears brokers raise 10:11 Two brokers, two results. Why leverage wins 11:26 Excel analogy and why AI is the new table stakes 12:07 Privacy, data, and realistic risk 12:46 Will AI do prospecting and client calls 13:39 Why trust and emotion keep humans in the loop 15:14 Where automation helps and where it breaks 16:20 Purelend elevator pitch 16:46 Duplicate effort across brokers and lenders 17:46 Speed, cost basis, and winning deals 18:10 Why this only became feasible recently 19:18 Feature set: down payment, usable income, organising docs 20:02 Stated income launch and common gotchas 21:06 Borrower alerts without adding friction 21:39 Full auto vs copilot. Drawing the line 24:12 Specific knowledge that AI cannot replace 25:38 Borrower portal vision and UX tradeoffs 30:44 Accuracy, hallucinations, and safeguards 32:27 Probabilistic vs deterministic and hitting 92 to 96 percent 35:04 Benchmarking against human accuracy 38:50 Supervisors, different error patterns, and combined accuracy 40:38 Where to learn more 40:55 Close

There’s no magic button for AI in the mortgage industry — and that’s exactly what I talk about in this episode.

In this week’s Mortgage Tech Talks, I share my full recap of the National Mortgage Conference — what I saw, what I learned, and why so many brokers are still chasing shortcuts instead of building real systems that last.

I also unpack the biggest question I kept hearing: “What’s the one AI tool I should be using?” The truth? There isn’t one. But there are ways to use AI that actually move the needle — and I walk through a few real examples of that in action.

You’ll also hear my thoughts on privacy, security, and how tech is making a real comeback in the mortgage space right now.

If you’re a mortgage broker who’s tired of surface-level “AI hacks” and wants to understand what’s actually working in our industry — this one’s for you.

Timestamps: 00:00 – There’s no magic button for AI 00:23 – Welcome back to Mortgage Tech Talks 00:39 – National Mortgage Conference recap 01:04 – Why this topic matters now 01:15 – Key takeaways from the event 02:24 – PSA: There’s no silver bullet 03:09 – The myth of the “Use AI” button 05:07 – Why brokers still want the easy answer 06:00 – Trust as a broker’s real edge 06:34 – How to choose the right AI tools 07:09 – The “one tool” question 07:27 – Real examples: AI note-takers and OCR 09:27 – The danger of “magic button lite” talks 10:09 – Why most brokers fall into the same loop 11:18 – A call to focus on solving real business problems 11:53 – Revisiting privacy and security concerns 13:19 – Regulation, risk, and gray areas 14:32 – Tech perception vs. regulatory precedent 15:10 – Mortgage tech is making a comeback 15:28 – Shoutout: Penalty Mentor 15:43 – Shoutout: Ownwell 15:58 – Shoutout: BrokerBot 16:48 – Shoutout: PureLend 17:19 – Final thoughts and outro

In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, Tom Hall shares a special pre-conference breakdown of the Canadian National Mortgage Conference — including what to expect, which sessions to prioritize, and his own upcoming keynote, “If AI is Already Here, Why Does My Job Feel Exactly the Same?”

Tom covers three major highlights — from economic forecasts by CIBC’s Benjamin Tal, to Doug Adams’ new book on scaling your brokerage, to his own deep dive into the real state of AI in the mortgage industry.

Whether you’re attending the conference or following from afar, this episode gives you a quick, insightful preview of the ideas shaping the future of mortgages, technology, and business in Canada.

00:00 – If AI is already here, why does my job feel exactly the same? 00:53 – Welcome to Mortgage Tech Talks 01:37 – Overview: What to expect at the National Mortgage Conference 02:14 – Highlight #1: Benjamin Tal, CIBC Chief Economist 03:12 – Canada’s weak economy and rate predictions 04:18 – Inflation insights: Why slowing inflation doesn’t mean lower prices 05:02 – The shift toward rental demand and what it means for brokers 06:15 – The rise of commercial financing and industry implications 07:11 – Highlight #2: Doug Adams’ session on The Business of Brokering 08:06 – How systems and CRMs are shaping modern brokerages 09:08 – Highlight #3: Tom Hall’s keynote — If AI is Already Here, Why Does My Job Feel Exactly the Same? 10:58 – Why most AI presentations miss the point 11:43 – How technological revolutions actually unfold 12:20 – What AI really means for mortgage professionals 12:45 – Closing thoughts and conference invite

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