It was wonderful seeing everyone in what is becoming a consistently rainy San Diego for this year’s MCT Exchange! We hope you enjoyed the general sessions, a keynote from MBA’s Mike Fratantoni, as well as the roundtables and breakout sessions! Read on to access the presentation slide decks, view panel summaries, and view the photos.
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Thursday Morning: General Sessions
Thursday kicked off with an introduction from MCT’s President, Curtis Richins, followed by discussions on current market challenges and opportunities, building a better secondary marketplace, and MCT’s technology roadmap. Read to learn more about these sessions and view their slide decks.
Download ALL general session slide deck below:
Built to Last: Our Commitment to Mortgage Capital Markets
Presenter: Curtis Richins
Sponsor: BMO
In this opening session of MCT Exchange 2024, Curtis Richins, President and CEO, covered a range of topics. This included industry trends as well as a recap of recent and future innovations. Mr. Richins demonstrated that MCT’s focus on pricing, hedging, best execution, and analytics, is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our clients through changing markets. Mr. Richins concluded the session by highlighting MCT’s focus on client performance and profitability.
MCT Client Panel: Laying the Groundwork for Future Growth
Moderators & Panelists – Kristen McCarthy, Danyel Shipley, CeCe Carden, Sheri Nedley, Tyler Peterson, Preetam Purohit
Sponsor: Raymond James
During the session, panelists reviewed key areas crucial for expansion and sustainability in 2024. The discussion centered around enhancing profitability, optimizing operational efficiency, and implementing innovative solutions. The panel also emphasized the importance of staying ahead in the dynamic mortgage landscape as we look towards the next market upcycle. During the session, audience members were also polled on their use of AI in the mortgage process, with 17% of attendees saying AI was fully deployed in their mortgage process.
Building a Better Secondary Market: MCT Technology Roadmap
Panelists – Steve Pawlowski, Phil Rasori, Justin Grant, Paul Yarbrough
Sponsor: NewRez
This session provided attendees with a roadmap for the future of the secondary market, highlighting key technological advancements and strategies. Attendees gained insights into MCT’s vision and planned innovations aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency, and overall performance in the secondary market. The discussion covered a range of technology-driven initiatives, including advanced analytics, automation, and other tools designed to optimize various aspects of secondary market operations. By exploring this technology roadmap, attendees were presented with a forward-looking perspective on how MCT aims to shape and improve the landscape of the secondary market through technology.
New Sources of MSR Liquidity & New Tools for Valuation
Moderators & Panelists – Justin Grant, Azad Rafat, David Burruss, Natalie Martinez, Wendy Johnson, Jerry Reed, Josh Smith
Sponsor: Wintrust Mortgage Warehouse
MCT’s MSR team shed light on emerging trends and strategies within the mortgage servicing rights sector and explored innovative avenues for accessing liquidity and conducting valuations. Speakers also reviewed the latest features and methodologies in MSRlive! along with current and future MSR executions in MCT Marketplace. The discussion concluded with insights into navigating the changing dynamics of MSRs in the current market environment, noting that smaller portfolios are generating strong market pricing when selling in the bulk market.
MCT Exchange Breakout Sessions
From showcasing the features and enhancements of MCTlive! to introducing a groundbreaking initiative for Capital Markets, we conducted nine remarkable sessions where every attendee could broaden their knowledge and discover something new. Access the slide decks for each session below.
- MCTlive! – Latest Features & Enhancements
- Think Like an MCT Trader: Track the Markets, Use Business Intelligence & Make Actionable Decisions
- Make the Most of Your TBA Trading
- Elevating Women in Mortgage Capital Markets
- Advanced Hedging & Trading Strategies
- All About AOTs: Leveraging MCTlive! to Execute or Offer AOTs
Thursday Afternoon: Reception at Altitude Sky Lounge
After an excellent day packed with networking and knowledge, attendees were able to unwind and further their conference connections at the Altitude Sky Lounge. With amazing views, giant MCT letters, and additional opportunities to network, everyone had an amazing time! Take a look at a few of the photos below, and find a full photo gallery at the end of this article.
Friday Morning: Keynote Address & General Session
Friday’s session kicked off with an impactful keynote address from Mike Fratantoni, Chief Economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mr. Fratantoni reviewed historical and current market insights! They keynote address was followed by a panel about diversity in the marketplace. View the summary and slide decks from these sessions below.
Keynote: Paving the Way for a New Market
Presenter: Mike Fratantoni, Chief Economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association
MCT was honored to welcome Mike Fratantoni, Chief Economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association, as our keynote speaker. In this session, Mr. Fratantoni served as a focal point for insights into the intersection of mortgage markets and macroeconomic trends. Attendees were treated to a comprehensive analysis that dives into the intricate relationship between mortgage dynamics and broader economic factors. He also provided valuable perspectives on market trends, interest rates, and economic indicators, offering a nuanced understanding of the forces influencing the mortgage landscape. This session not only illuminated the current state-of-affairs, but equipped attendees with a strategic lens for the future. During the session, attendees were polled and found that 35% of responders believed the Federal Reserve would first cut interest rates in July. Additionally, 57% of responders felt the 30-year mortgage rates would end 2024 between 5.75 and 6.5%.
MCT Investor Panel: The Diversity of Executions in the Marketplace
Moderators & Panelists – Ben Itkin, Justin Grant, Chris King, Gary Manfredi, Mike Quinn
Sponsor: Village Capital
In this session, panelists examined the various strategies and approaches employed by buyers in MCT Marketplace. The conversation highlighted the significance of execution methods and how they can be best utilized by mortgage asset sellers. The session also emphasized the need for both buyers and sellers to consider a broad spectrum of execution methods. Notably, the in-session live polling found that 31% of attendees were not taking advantage of assignment-of-trade (AOT) functionality, a process used to save the average MCT client $97,000 in 2023.
Market Analysis Reactions & Predictions
Moderators & Panelists – Greg Vacura, Jerry Levy, Tom McHugh, Rob Branthover
With the constantly evolving environment of capital markets, this session featured a dynamic discussion with valuable insights into market analyses and future predictions. Panelists shared their perspectives on current market trends and the factors influencing them. The discussion enabled attendees to anticipate and strategize for potential shifts. This broker-dealer panel offered a unique and informed perspective from key partners, equipping attendees with valuable insights for navigating 2024.
Friday Afternoon: Reception at Float Bar
After Friday’s sessions and client roundtables, it was time to unwind with the conference crew! Everyone was finally able to enjoy the Float Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel after being rained out the past couple years. People were in good spirits as they concluded Friday with great food, cocktails, and lots of smiles to go around!
MCT Exchange App: Conference Info & Tons of Networking
While many of the attendees appreciated the sharing of ideas during conference panels and breakouts, there was still plenty of time for some fun! This year’s MCT Exchange mobile app continued to be a success with more then 33,000 interactions! Attendees also leveraged the app to connect with conference sponsors, view agenda information, take polls in real time, and much more. View some of the highlights below.
Total App Interactions
Profile Views
Connections Made
App Users
MCT Exchange Photos: Capturing Focus & Fun
This year’s MCT Exchange centered around sharing ideas that helped this community weather the storm. Through expert panels, reviewing current market strategies, and everyone’s investment in personal growth, we were able to make this year’s conference a success. Thank you to all who participated and shared laughs with us along the way! We’ve captured some of our favorite moments below.
From all of us at MCT, THANK YOU for being such fantastic people!
We can’t wait to continue our work together in 2025.