UWM chief strategy officer encourages brokers to find their desired level of new technology to use
With mortgage companies rolling out new technology backed by artificial intelligence (AI) on almost a daily basis, brokers have a wide range of new tools at their disposal. One industry leader said it’s up to brokers to determine which tools best meet their needs.
Several new technologies have been announced over the last couple of weeks. Most notable was United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) revealing new AI-backed tools, including an AI loan officer assistant. Freddie Mac also introduced new AI enhancements to its automated underwriting product.
Alex Elezaj, UWM chief strategy officer, said it will be up to each individual broker to decide how much new technology they want to adopt.
“The way that we look at that is, if you take 100 brokers, there are 100 different business models,” Elezaj told Mortgage Professional America. “You got 20% of them that want all the technology. They want to grow. Then you have the middle 50% who will choose to use some AI tools. Then you have the last 30% who say, ‘I'm doing two loans a month. My wife and I are semi-retired. I’m perfectly happy doing two a month.’ Nothing wrong with that.
“They like our quick underwriting and closing. They’re not going to take advantage of all the tech. That’s just the reality, and I understand that.”
New technologies will help brokers find more success
Elezaj compares the decision of whether to use new technology or not to the decision to buy an electric car.
“It’s like electric cars aren’t for everybody,” he said. “There’s a segment of the market that loves them, and there are a lot of people who just like gas cars.”
The challenge for Elezaj is to explain to those who might be hesitant to try new technology how it could make them more successful and more efficient.
“I do believe that the people who use the technology will be the ones who will be much more successful in the future,” he said. “You talk to some brokers who are doing 50 loans a month, and they want to get to 500. The brokers who went from 50 to 500 a couple of years ago, it was a lot different than going from 50 to 500 today.”
UWM’s Mat Ishbia unveiled AI tools including Mia and a loan estimate optimizer to streamline brokers’ work, freeing them to focus on high-value tasks. He stressed AI won’t replace brokers but will empower those who adopt it. https://t.co/t7oDhLTcmH
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) May 21, 2025
Elezaj said there are so many loans available on the market, both at UWM and with other lenders, that a major increase in production is possible for brokers by using these new tools.
“If they put their business plan together and leverage our technology, they absolutely can do it, because there is so much business out there. We think about the fact that we’re number one, and we have 8% to 10% market share. That means 90 out of 100 loans don’t come to UWM, so the opportunity is massive.”
The mortgage process still requires a human touch
It’s not just new AI technology that can help brokers serve their customers better, according to Elezaj.
“I think the power of technology and using that for life events, for refinances, rate drops, cashouts, whatever it may be,” he said. “I think that’s an important piece that people can take advantage of. You can go on Google Earth and look at all the loans you’ve done. You can see if something’s under construction. If there’s a lot of development in the area, then property values may have gone up.
“The point is, how do you utilize technology to know what’s going on in your area? How do you become an expert in your area? How do you know exactly what’s going on in your customers’ lives? That’s the kind of stuff that will help.”
While AI tools can make brokers more efficient, customers still want to interact with their broker when buying a home or refinancing a mortgage. Elezaj emphasizes that these new technological advances have not reduced the importance of that human touch.
“Part of it is educating them that people do care that you’re an expert,” Elezaj said. “It’s about caring for the client. It’s about knowing what’s going on in their lives. I think that is a little bit underestimated. How are you managing those relationships?”
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