Rami Daood, founder of Rightway Lending, noted the timing of the event when building relationships will become increasingly important amid higher interest rates. “You come here and build relationships,” he said. “We all know where this market’s going. At the end of the day, you’re hooking us up with the sponsors and also getting us in front of lenders as well.”

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Jon Tallinger, chief growth officer at Class Valuation, also derived value from the event. “It’s not your typical trade show or conference where you have booths and setups and a bunch of sponsors. This is more of a tighter-knit group. It’s really nice to be able to just sort of casually network and spend time and not have to worry about having a table and people coming by.”

Todd Bitter, vice president at JKS Mortgage, also lauded the event. “It’s been super positive,” Bitter said. “It’s a unique event.” He contrasted the event to a past AIME gathering staged in Costa Rica. “This is a lot more inclusive,” he said.

Jerilyn Shaw, mortgage broker at C2 Financial, was most impressed with a presentation by Mat Ishbia, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage. “He’s always inspiring,” she said. “High energy, and always has good things to say. I was taking all kinds of notes, and always get good food for thought from him.”