Skip to main content

The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) held its second annual Hall of AIME awards ceremony and mortgage conference in Naples, Florida. This event celebrated 100 award winners in the independent mortgage broker community who are making strides for the wholesale channel.

Hall of AIME Mortgage Conference and Awards Ceremony Yields Upcoming Super Bowl LVII Ad, Capitol Hill Advocacy Success, and Education Resources for Broker Community

Hall of AIME Recognizes Independent Mortgage Brokers at Second Annual Awards Event

This year’s Hall of AIME inductees have set the example that our entire community should aspire to

January 31, 2023 PHILADELPHIA--()--For the second consecutive year, wholesale mortgage professionals from all over the country united to commemorate the successes of the independent mortgage broker community made by the most notable leaders in the industry at an exclusive invite-only luxury event. Hall of AIME, which took place January 26th through January 28th at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida, was hosted by The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), the premier non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers.

The luxury beachside event commemorates over one hundred award winners, including nine Chairman Award winners, and three lifetime achievement inductees. The event commenced on Thursday with several invaluable Mastermind Sessions, showcasing star-studded mortgage industry panels of the mortgage industry’s elite sharing their strategies and secrets to success, ending with a celebratory networking party. The event also hosted a silent auction and raffle, which raised almost $25,000 of funding for AIME’s advocacy initiatives.

The Hall of AIME award categories included Sparking Change, given to the preeminent wholesale brokers serving military, minority, and female consumers. The Impact awards were granted to members providing substantial improvements in education, leadership, culture, industry, and consumer protection, and the Visionary awards highlighted those that have trailblazed innovative new methods of lead generation and unique resources enlivening the wholesale mortgage sector. Of the one hundred wholesale mortgage professionals who were celebrated for their considerable career achievements, three key individuals were inducted into the sophomore class Hall of AIME. This year’s inductees include the President and Loan Originator at Barrett Financial Group, Trevor Barrett, Founding and Managing Partner of Empire Home Loans, Julie Yarbrough, and the CEO and President of Homepoint, Willie Newman.

“This year’s Hall of AIME inductees have set the example that our entire community should aspire to," says Katie Sweeney, CEO of AIME. "They’re trailblazers of the industry, who have utilized decades of mortgage experience and created impactful change to support borrowers, as well as the rest of the broker community. These inductees embody AIME’s mission of protecting, supporting, and growing the wholesale channel – they’re a credit to our industry, and we’re all better for their influence.”

Friday hosted industry-leading and celebrity keynote speakers, including Katie Sweeney, CEO of AIME, featuring a groundbreaking announcement of the association’s nationwide Super Bowl LVII ad campaign featuring AIME members representing the Broker-featured consumer website, Brokers Are Better. Other keynotes included a 2023 rallying cry for the broker community from Mat Ishbia, President and CEO of UWM; and, inspiring and forward thinking business practices from serial entrepreneur, Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia, and the Creator & CEO of VeeFriends, Gary Vaynerchuk. Additionally, panel sessions featured prominent wholesale mortgage experts, as top producers shared their key strategies for the year ahead. AIME’s leadership also hosted an open Q&A focused on recent legislative wins and ongoing advocacy plans for the wholesale industry’s representation on Capitol Hill.

“The broker channel has made great strides throughout the last year, and we must maintain that momentum in 2023. By launching our national Super Bowl campaign, we are bringing attention to the valuable services that brokers provide, from finding the best loan terms to taking the time to educate and answer questions,” states Sweeney. “Our goal is to leverage the massive reach and creative clout of the Super Bowl to make consumers aware that brokers are a real and valuable option.”

AIME has grown itself and the broker channel exponentially in 2022; in 2023, AIME is setting its sights on expanding the reach of broker access to government programs across the country, increasing broker awareness as the best option for homebuyers and homeowners for their mortgage needs, and to continue to increase the total market share of the wholesale channel. AIME’s Broker Action Coalition Political Action Committee (BACPAC) raised more than 300% of its initial donation goals, which directly contributed towards the advocacy wins for Brokers in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and California, with sights set to even the playing field between the Retail and Wholesale mortgage channels nationwide.

"The second Hall of AIME was an incredible success,” states Tom Ahles, President of Growth at AIME. “Those who attended weren’t just honored and acknowledged, but we were all able to hone our skills, diversify our knowledge, and grow our network exponentially through networking with the elite in the industry. We’ve equipped ourselves, our peers, and our whole community with the tools to change the landscape of the mortgage industry in buyer's and borrower’s favor.”

About the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts

The Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) is a non-profit, national trade membership association created exclusively for independent mortgage brokers. With over 65,000 members, AIME is committed to establishing a community of independent mortgage experts by creating an association that empowers them with unparalleled technology, continued education, broker advocacy, and networking support necessary to successfully advise consumers nationwide with their residential mortgage needs. AIME operates with a growth-focused strategy, providing tools and resources to propel the wholesale channel beyond a 25% share of the mortgage market in 2023 and to a majority of the market within the next decade.

TOP Pageant News Now

Maria Gigante was crowned Universal Woman 2024 on March 22nd: Check LIVE Stream

Sofia Veron was crowned Reina Latina Internacional 2024 on March 21st: Check Streams and Check Results

Streaming Now Universal Woman 2024 on March 22nd from Cambodia: Check Results

Miss Botswana 2024 Final on March 23rd at the Royal Aria

Nine Contestants are Vying The Miss Gibraltar 2024 Crown at Final on March 23rd

Miss Beauty of Zeeland 2024 LIVE Stream on March 23rd from the Theater de Mythe in Goes

Miss Face of Cameroon / Miss Grand Cameroon 2024 Final on March 24th

Mister & Miss Supranational Cuba 2024 Final on March 24th at CUZ Miami Venue in Doral

Miss Mesoamérica International 2024 Final on March 24th in El Salvador

Miss Universe Netherlands 2024 Contestants announcement on March 24th

Miss Grand US Virgin Islands 2024 Final on March 25th

Miss Louisiana USA & Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2024 Dates are March 29th-30th

Miss Supranational Botswana 2024 on new date April 6th with Top 12 out of 30 Contestants

Miss Teen Universe South Africa 2024 Registration Deadline is March 20th

Miss Universe Laos Accepting Registrations, Deadline March 22nd

Miss Lesotho 2024 Registration Opens, Deadline March 31st, Final September 7th

Miss Supranational Perú 2024 Final on April 2

Miss Danmark 2024 Castings on March 23-24 and April 6-7

Miss Brazil World 2024 @ CNB Brasil: New Dates are May 26-30, Coronation on May 29th

CNB Ecuador 2024 Final on June 8th with 26 Contestants for The 73RD Miss Universe Pageant in Mexico