The New York sessions: Matt Brand and Jamie Duda of Flat Branch Home Loans. Jamie Duda president of Flat Branch Home Loans, and Matt Brand, director of capital markets, explain how the Midwest-based mortgage lender is navigating mortgage market volatility without losing sight of the people and communities behind every transaction. As an employee-owned company, Flat Branch gives each team member a stake in its success, reinforcing a culture built around accountability, partnership and execution. That foundation shapes how the lender approaches origination, expands its product offerings and evaluates new technology. For mortgage leaders balancing rapid industry change with the fundamentals that built their businesses, Duda and Brand offer a practical perspective on staying agile while remaining consistent in mission and culture. "Our strategy isn't going to change with the market. We're going to be consistent in our mission and continue to invest in technology, but not at the expense of our people." - Jamie Duda, president of Flat Branch Home Loans Flat Branch's strategy centers on equipping its sales teams with the products, next-gen technology and information they need to best serve their local markets. That includes investments in down payment assistance, non-QM mortgage products and one-time close products alongside a technology stack designed to improve efficiency and support future needs. "It's not enough to just have new technology, we have to have the right technology for our sales teams and for the communities they serve." - Matt Brand, director of capital markets of Flat Branch Home Loans. Duda and Brand explain why loan officers are involved early in mortgage technology decisions and how borrower and originator experiences guide vendor selection. They also share why Flat Branch chose Polly as its product and pricing engine, how the lender turns servicing and market data into actionable campaigns and why embracing volatility can strengthen relationships with borrowers and referral partners. Watch the full conversation for their perspective on combining operational discipline with a people-first approach. The New York sessions: Deals, decisions, and direction is powered by Polly.

Polly, a mortgage capital markets technology company, has raised $25 million in growth equity led by 8VC, with participation from Menlo Ventures, Meritech, Khosla Ventures and Fifth Wall. Founded in 2019, Polly operates a cloud-native platform for mortgage capital markets. The company reported lock volume growth exceeding 150% over the past year whilst expanding its partner network of banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders. The funding will support product development, particularly advancing Polly's product and pricing engine and generative AI capabilities. The company plans to expand its workforce by at least 25% and scale implementation and service delivery. Polly's core offerings include its Product and Pricing Engine, Loan Trading Exchange and data analytics tools. The San Francisco-based company serves banks, credit unions and lenders.

Leading mortgage technology provider Uplist recently announced a new integration with fellow tech firm Polly.