The State of the OMBA – October, 2026

OMBA President Dawn Carpenter & Executive Director Rich Swerbinsky provide an overview of the current and exciting future state of the Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association. 


Originally aired live on October 6, 2026. 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:29

Good afternoon everyone. Richard I'm the executive director of the Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association with our monthly call, the state of the LMBA. We'll give everybody just another 30 seconds or so to get logged on, and then we'll go ahead and get started. Cool.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

So get their drop bags and head to the session.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Yep. Are you going to are you driving or flying?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

No, I'm flying.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

Okay, cool. I decided to drive for some reason this time, but yeah. No Adam Rose this year. Oh man. I might wake up a little bit earlier in the morning. It is. You're right, Adam. So all right, Don. You can go ahead and kick us off. Yeah, whenever you're ready here.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

All right. Good afternoon, everyone. I want to thank you all for joining our state of the MBA, OMBA session this afternoon, joined by Rich, who's graciously opened up the call, our prestigious executive director. And we are just fired up this afternoon. We are so, so excited about all that we have to come, all of the amazing things that we are going to offer to our members and beyond. And we wanted just to take a little bit of time to share with you where we're heading from here, what we still have for you through the end of this year, where we're going into next, how you can continue to look for opportunities to become engaged and involved with us. But again, we're just excited that you're here. And we want to just remain an integral part of keeping you informed with what's going on in the industry, providing tools and keeping us engaged in legislation and opportunities to continue to advance our industry. So with that, Rich, I will turn it to you to go in the scoreboard.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Yeah, it has been a fun last year or so. I mean, I think we've just kind of all seen that there's an untapped desire for lenders to just have local events that they can drive to, you know, make sense virtual offerings, um, you know, networking events, old school. We were just at a Columbus Clippers baseball game, uh in the party deck, like old school. Let's just like get good people together and uh, you know, the all the great stuff and conversations that happen from it. So it's been awesome. Been really able to grow membership. We've grown the membership this year in in 2026 from 26 members that we had at the beginning of the year to 111 today. So we have almost like 5x, the membership base. Um really grown the email, just the email list and and putting a lot of attention into just the quality of the emails um and um you know, just implemented really within the organization, just more infrastructure, you know, everything can be paid for now electronically at OMBA. You can go to our website and do anything, register for this, join OMBA, um, you know, visit our member event calendar to get signed up for the live versions of our show. And I'll I'll use this opportunity real quick. If you're listening to the podcast where the majority of you consume this show, um we do these live. So you can go to OhioMBA.org, go to our member event calendar, and you can get signed up for the live versions of all these and yeah, put some faces with some names. So it's been really fun. We've you've been able to you know start to build the bank role of the organization back up. We've implemented just you know, really tight fiscal discipline and reporting to just keep everything transparent with the board. And uh it's been a lot of fun. But uh more important than all that, Don, tell us, tell the people what the board is working on, all the exciting stuff we have coming down to opera.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Yeah, so I just mentioned the strength of our board. We have folks across every faucet of the industry, many leaders, um, you know, um within their own right, um, much tenure in the industry, and just some really um some folks who are really inspired and and driven by making this industry better. Uh and that being said, we formed some amazing committees through that board. And you don't have to be on the board to be on a committee, but our committee heads or committee chairs are our board members. And I'm really excited about just the engagement and how each committee has really dove in right away to see how they can continue to advance our goals and our mission. Uh, so starting with that, the Affordable Housing Committee, uh, they started off by um you know putting in a request that we get some information added to our web page that would enable folks quick access to affordable uh home lending solutions and access to down payment assistance programs, all the things that can look to advance solutions for those looking for affordable housing in the market. We are going to have our first-time homebuyer summit coming up this coming spring. This has been an annual event where we bring financial institutions from all across the state together. They are sharing their resources, they're bringing their folks who are able to talk, counsel, and just provide information and news on how you can advance, how borrowers can advance their interest in homeownership because there are so many references, um, opportunities out there that folks just may not know about. And then with that, providing that information in January, we're going to start an affordable housing podcast. Um, so we are really excited about that as well. Just again, just another means of making sure that you are all informed and that you know about the resources that are available to both you and to uh those that we serve in the industry. And we're also looking to add an affordable housing certification. So news to come when that, but we'll provide training and give you the opportunity, uh, you and your respective organizations and those who work within it to become certified and to be able to again provide every opportunity to every home potential home buyer. And then our member engagement committee, as Rich just mentioned, you know, our membership has grown exponentially. He and his team have been instrumental in that, as well as our committee. And they've added, you know, some folks join the organization, they may not know what all comes with this. So we've implemented some welcome calls just to make sure that we are reaching out to each and every one of our new members, and we'll also be making some outreach to existing members just to ensure that you have every knowledge, you have the knowledge of every opportunity rather to become engaged and you know what to expect from us and how you can be a part of what we have going on moving forward. And then our education committee, they've been working hard already on the amazing future leaders program that's to come here also in uh spring. We're really excited about the lineup that we're already starting to build. Folks coming together to provide inspiration, information, and knowledge as to where we are currently in the market and again how we can stay strong and produce and um you know do our best moving forward. Um, and then um, you know, anyone again is able to be a member of the board, just reach out to myself or to Rich and let us know how you'd like to become engaged. If you head out to our website, all of the committees are listed. We'd be more than happy to give you information. Um, and Rich, let me know if I've missed anything. But those are some of the great things I'm thinking of.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

That was pretty good. Yeah, I think that was about everything. It's a lot of exciting stuff. And yeah, as Don mentioned, what a great way to just get a little bit more involved with your industry. Join an LMBA committee. It is a light lift. These committees have several people, they meet once a month virtually. Um, it's a great way to just meet new people, um, pay it forward a little bit. And then, you know, I mean, uh, you know, historically, our new board members each year, you know, that's it's one of the pools, obviously, of people that they come from a lot of times. So, but uh yeah, good stuff, Don. Thanks for the uh great update. And uh one more event that we have coming up, OMBA, a new event that we're doing in early December called Home for the Holidays. It's building off the momentum from our June conference, which we had almost just under 250 attendees. Uh, you know, it's almost like a 4X from the year before. And we just saw like, oh my, and I just, you know, uh just the opportunity to do a second event like a lot of state MBAs do, that's kind of spaced out from annual, and the perfect spacing puts us right in early December. Columbus, Ohio, gorgeous in early December. And uh yeah, we are bringing a really incredible event called Home for the Holidays there. Um event uh a lot of details are already up at OhioMBA.org. Actually, shout out Will and Abby, uh, two phenomenal people that help work for the organization. We just sent out an email to all of y'all that are on the on the email list with some of the we intentionally leaked the agenda. It's you'll when you look at it, you'll see why. It is, I mean, it is a who's who of the mortgage industry. Just a lot of huge names. So, um, and some fun stuff too. We are doing some really fun Christmas themed stuff, including throwing a just massive Christmas party Monday night that we're calling the mother of all Christmas parties. And, you know, more details to come on this, but it's gonna feature live carolers, a live band, uh, an incredible food spread, obviously open bar, um, and all kinds of other wholesome holiday fun. So uh the the registration fee for this event right now is $695, which is I am when you look, I'm telling you, it's something that's thrown a lot of events. This is a screaming deal for the caliber of the venue. Um, there's a hotel on site at the Ohioan, which is the old nationwide kind of meeting center. Um so it's gonna be a really, really incredible event. And uh we urge everybody to go to OhioMBA.org where you could see more details on how to attend. And if you want a sponsor, it's gonna be a who's who of lender decision makers, not from Ohio, certainly a lot from Ohio, but from across America, which is really a national level agenda. So uh encourage everybody to check it out. And Adam, we do. We are going to be doing uh a runway on Tuesday uh for the top, the top, the best dressed of Monday nights. We're gonna ask them to, I think maybe go back and get dressed again on Tuesday. And we're gonna do a little a little runway competition, you know, like audience applause level, uh, decide the winner with some kind of great prize. So uh bring your, you know, we're telling everybody it could be it could be jeans and and your favorite Christmas sweater or ugliest Christmas sweater, all the way up to like a full-blown like Buddy the Elf costume, you know, and anywhere in between.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

So, but excited. It sounds like so much fun. We're gonna have a great time and so much great information will come from that event. It's it's gonna be amazing. You don't want to miss it. Register today if you hadn't already. And again, if you need more information on how you can sponsor or be involved, reach out to Rich or myself. Um just gonna take a second to expand a little bit more about the the event to follow, Home for the Holidays, which, as I just mentioned, is our future leaders program. We're making some exciting changes to that program this year. Um, you know, it really matters for the next generation of Ohio lenders because, as always, this industry is ever evolving. Um, the space that we're in now and those that are to come soon after, you know, you want to be informed, you want to know how to lead through change, you want to know how to adapt, and we will make sure that uh we have folks lined up already and those still to come that will provide so much knowledge and so much information uh to continue to advance those efforts. So we are excited that registration opens this week. Um, you know, we're gonna introduce also with this um a new capstone project. So those who participate in the program will be divided into groups. Uh, you'll be assigned your project, and we'll have some big uh recognition for the winning team at the years at the annual conference. So, two events you'll want to plan for the future leaders program and then our annual event, which will come in June, and those participants will be recognized at that time as well. Back to the program, however, it will end with a visit to the statehouse. We've done this for several years now. It's a way for the participants to become knowledgeable about what the advocacy process actually looks like, which is a huge arm of what we do here at the OMBA. So, access to information and knowledge on how to advance careers in this industry, and then information on how we can advance the industry legislatively as well, if you are a participant of that program. So, leaders on this call, send your people, others who are interested in leadership, consider joining us. Talk to your leaders about how you can register and join us early spring. And now hand it over to you, Rich, to cover what we're doing with some of the local chapters.

SPEAKER_00 14:33

Yeah, all kinds of other exciting stuff going on. We have five local chapters of the Ohio MBA, and we we re we just rebooted one of them. Um, there was a great and but technically unaffiliated Cleveland chapter for decades called the Mortgage Society of Ohio. And that group had kind of reached out to us saying, hey, you know, makes sense to maybe kind of reboot this and fold it informally under the LMBA, uh, which is what we've done. It's been really incredible. So uh we we've we've created a North that any LMBA, the Northeast Ohio MBA, which has their first meeting coming up in the next couple weeks. And uh it's just incredible what they've done. They've they've put together a big board already. I think they have 50, 60 people already kind of like signed up for membership. So, you know, really an incredible blueprint of how to start a local chapter, really from scratch, kind of going through what we did with them over the course of the last several months. So really, really cool. And now an official fifth chapter of the OMBA to go ahead, which the Northeast Ohio MBA, the Northwest Ohio MBA, the Columbus chapter, the Cincinnati chapter, and the Dayton chapter, the five chapters, and uh yeah, some other exciting news. We we just inked a contract with the best property in Columbus, Ohio, the downtown Columbus Hilton for our annual conference the next two years. It's gonna be June 11 to 13 of 2027, June 12 to 14 of 2028, the week before Father's Day weekend. We loved that spot. It was the same spot that we were in this year. And uh, but the property, oh my God, I mean, for those that aren't familiar, the downtown Columbus Hilton is an iconic property. And um, about four or five years ago, they built a brand new second tower that is kind of connected with the old tower by a walkway. And when they opened the new tower that they just built, they renovated the old one. So what you are left with is just an absolutely gorgeous um, you know, thousand-plus room property right in the heart of downtown Columbus. Um, by and near so much. And um, it's I just so excited to bring the event um to this venue for the next couple of years. So much more to come on all that in the in the uh the weeks and the uh months to come. So um beyond that, um, a couple other things just to note before we kind of send it home. Um we do so many fun virtual events here for our members, including this State of the Own VA, which Don and I do monthly. Uh we've got a LinkedIn, I do my monthly LinkedIn playbook, which always draws a nice crowd, just kind of LinkedIn tips and tricks. Um we've got a session coming up in a couple of weeks about the changes, now delayed, but coming up with UAD, all the appraisal changes. We do a monthly segment called Lending Leaders, Voices of the Industry, where we highlight a great leader from the state of Ohio that is from one of our member companies and uh Michael Hammond, who spoke at our June conference, doing a series on kind of AI implementation. So so much cool stuff happening there. And then also, lastly, um, you know, we started doing a state of the state of Ohio mortgage lending report. Um, we produced one after the end of the second quarter. It was really popular with the members. Um, we were going to do it biannually, and we decided we're gonna do it quarterly. Um, just because it's a very fun, informative report that really does a great job highlighting trends. Um, you know, what is going on in the state of Ohio as it relates to real estate finance and uh, you know, some of the things that we're keeping an eye on. So uh keep an eye out for that in your email inboxes as well in the weeks to come.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

So that's awesome. Thanks, Rich. So, in somewhat of a closing, we just wanted to wrap up with summary of what we've already pretty much mentioned. Um, we want you to come and join us. Um, consider membership if you're not already a member, um, or renew your membership if you hadn't already. You've just heard about all of the great um activities and and events that we have forthcoming. Um, there'll be so many opportunities to network and to learn and to grow. So really consider becoming engaged and sign up if you haven't already. And then again, once you sign up, register for home for the holidays so you can get that membership fee for the registration. We are so excited about this. This event is just going to be such a blast. We were excited. Rich and I were talking about it yesterday. We have some fun things lined up and we want to see you there. So register for home for the holidays. You will not want to miss that event. The speakers, as Rich mentioned earlier, just an amazing, incredible lineup. So come and join us and then join a committee. Once again, you do not have to be on the board to join the committee. However, um, the more that join, the more engagement that we have, the more diversity and thought, the more we'll be able to continue to advance our efforts. And then I did not mention this earlier, but we do have an open seat, an at-large seat on the board right now. You do have to be a member to be considered. But if you have interest in coming, becoming further engaged on the board, raise your hand, reach out to Rich, reach out to myself, and we'll have a discussion. We're happy to talk with you. And then lastly, as I just mentioned, that future leaders program is going to be awesome this year. You know, send us again folks who may be interested. We're happy to talk through what the program might look like further, to give uh give all the information that's needed for you to feel confident and to have the information needed to sign your folks up and to send them for their advancement. And I think that's it, Rich. If I haven't missed anything.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

I think that's about it. I think we hit on it all. Join OMBA, it's dirt cheap, honestly. It's so cheap. It's national level benefits at a state price. If it's home for the holidays or just our general membership, is it is dirt cheap and it's for your whole company. Everybody in your company becomes and enjoys OMBA membership uh benefits for yeah, really, really low price. So uh come get to ohionba.org. You can sign up right there. And uh as Don mentioned, our membership committee will uh be reaching out to you to yeah, set up a welcome call. So cool. With that, uh I want to thank everybody for joining us on the live. Again, if you're listening on the pod, join the live. It's fun. And uh, if you're watching the live, sign up for our pod, the Ohio MBA Podcast Network, Apple, Spotify, any of the other places where you get your pods. And uh want to just thank you guys for spending part of your day with us. And uh, we'll see you soon, hopefully, at an OMBA event. And uh, thank you very much, Don. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 21:25

Thank you all.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Have a great day, everyone.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

Bye bye.