Bay Area Mortgage Pros Pack The House

The California Mortgage Expo Builds CA's Broker Business

From the opening bell, the energy in the session rooms set the tone. Shayne Nielson of Newfi Wholesale opened with a sharp look at the economy, interest rates, and non-agency borrower opportunities, giving attendees the knowledge they need to guide clients in today’s market. That theme of future-focused insights carried through as Sun West Mortgage’s Suresh Choudhary walked the audience through Angel AI, the AI-powered underwriting platform already reshaping mortgage lending.

The lineup continued with Equity Smart’s Serafin Rodarte, who offered real-world strategies to help loan officers thrive by streamlining their days, leveraging partnerships, and using technology to close more loans. Angel Oak’s Geoff Ogden dove into non-QM opportunities, showing how brokers can set themselves apart, while Freedom Mortgage Wholesale hosted a panel on building a “4EVER Broker Business,” that included Ramon Von Walker of Client Direct Mortgage, that talked about enduring long after market shifts. The morning wrapped with a can’t-miss keynote from Thuan Nguyen, CEO of Loan Factory, who shared the systems and processes that helped him close more than 11,600 loans and scale one of the fastest-growing mortgage companies in the country.

By lunchtime, the exhibit hall was buzzing. Attendees packed the aisles, meeting with lenders, vendors, and service providers, and scooping up new tools and connections to fuel their pipelines.

Bonus CE Day

On Thursday, September 11, many attendees stuck around for the complimentary 8-hour NMLS-approved CE class, taught live by MaxClass. This bonus session allowed originators to knock out their full federal CE requirement in one day—another way the California Mortgage Expo helps LOs stay compliant and competitive.

More California Mortgage Expos Ahead

The Bay Area edition was another strong reminder why the California Mortgage Expo is the state’s largest mortgage event series. And the tour isn’t slowing down—still to come is a stop in Pasadena plus the annual holiday celebration in Irvine before returning in 2026 to Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Diego, Irvine.

The Bay Area show delivered exactly what California’s originators came for: timely education, powerful connections, and tools to build their business in 2025 and beyond.