T
ech Pulse – HousingWire’s weekly roundup of tech trends shaping mortgage and real estate.
**What’s new this week**
- **AI in real‑estate marketing**
Agents are learning how to use AI to boost efficiency while keeping the personal touch that earns client trust. Leaders like Jeff Funk (Orlando) and Michael Franco (NYC) say the real challenge is how far to lean into AI without sacrificing authenticity.
- **Trust‑building tech – interview with Simon Moir**
HousingWire’s 2025 Tech Trendsetters nominations are open until Sept. 30. We caught up with 2022 honoree Simon Moir, VP at Wolters Kluwer Banking Compliance Solutions, who shares his views on AI’s impact, his passion for applied innovation, and the leadership lessons that guide his tech strategy.
- **DocMagic One launches**
DocMagic’s new AI‑powered loan‑manufacturing platform unifies document preparation, compliance, and collaboration. It delivers predictive analytics, loan‑health scoring, and automated workflows, cutting risk and cost while scaling operations without added complexity.
- **Pennymac partners with Vesta**
Pennymac has taken a minority equity stake in Vesta Innovations, becoming the first major lender to go live on Vesta’s cloud‑based origination system. The move aims to modernize mortgage applications, boost efficiency, and improve the customer experience across its direct, correspondent, and third‑party channels.
- **Aven raises $110 M, enters refinancing**
Fintech Aven secured $110 million in Series E, valuing the company at $2.2 billion. It is expanding into mortgage refinancing, adding advisers Lawrence Summers and Patrick McHenry to build a “machine banking” platform that lowers borrowing costs for homeowners.
- **Assurant launches HOIVerify Origination**
Assurant’s new API‑enabled tool automates insurance verification in mortgage origination, cutting the process from days to seven seconds. It offers real‑time policy data, multicarrier integration, and compliance support. Pilot partners such as Spring EQ report a smoother experience for both borrowers and lenders.
