DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.
Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/1542096
45 December 2025 December 2025 » C O U N S E L ' S C O R N E R decide whether it wants to be a file-mov- er or a true advisor. And the firms that choose the latter, and build around that identity, are the ones that will define the next era of this industry. Q: What keeps you motivated to work in this field? What keeps me motivated in this field is the challenge. The default industry is enormous, intricate, and constantly evolv- ing. Most people outside the space have no sense of its true scale or the degree to which it influences the broader economy, but that scale is exactly what energizes me. Our firm has always believed that growth is a responsibility, not an optional pursuit. If you're not improving, innovat- ing, expanding your capabilities, and cap- turing new opportunities, you're already moving backward. This industry makes that mindset unavoidable. Nothing stays still for long: statutes shift, procedures change, technol- ogies accelerate, and client expectations rise every single year. You can't "master" this field once and coast, not if you operate across six states at the level we do. When you manage work at this scale, ef- ficiency, precision, and adaptability aren't aspirations; they're requirements. That's what motivates me: the climb. The belief that there is always another layer of quality to reach, another level of efficiency to unlock, another frontier of technology to push into. We embrace the challenge because it makes us bet- ter—as operators, as attorneys, and as partners to our clients. And there's a larger purpose behind it. We are working to build a firm that sets an entirely new standard for what a default-services law firm can be. Whether others think that ambition is feasible isn't the point. What matters is that continual improvement is possible, and we show up every day committed to proving it. That's what drives me, the conviction that we can keep climbing, keep improving, and build something extraordinary in an industry that demands the absolute best from anyone who wants to lead within it. Q: Lastly, what is one piece of advice or perspective you'd like to leave with our audience? If there's one takeaway I'd offer, it's this: in our industry, your long-term performance is determined far more by the strength of your partnerships than by the elegance of your spreadsheets. Default servicing is often treated like a numbers business, and to an extent, it is. Volumes are large, scorecards are necessary, and data matters. But when you zoom in on actual outcomes, the dif- ferentiators aren't found in columns and formulas. They're found in the people you trust to help you navigate complexi- ty: your law firms, your title teams, your diligence providers, and your property preservation partners. Judicial tendencies, timing patterns, courtroom dynamics, and jurisdictional nuance drive timelines and portfolio success. And the organizations that consistently outperform are those that tap into their partnerships not just as vendors, but also as advisors. The clients who call us pre-purchase, asking about strategy and wanting to understand judges, opposing counsel, and title intri- cacies, are the clients who move faster, avoid unnecessary risk, and ultimately see materially better returns. Servicers hold tremendous power in this ecosystem. My advice is to use that power intentionally: choose partners who provide genuine insight, communi- cate candidly, and are genuinely invest- ed in your success. Whether you work with us or with someone else, work with people who elevate your decision-mak- ing, not just your file counts. At our firm, we've always believed that our growth comes from helping our clients grow first. The clients who treat the relationship as a collaboration, who see us as an extension of their thinking, not just their throughput, consistently perform at the top of the industry. That's not luck. It's the compounding value of a trusted, strategic partnership. In a business as complex and conse- quential as ours, the right partners don't just close cases. They change outcomes. Subscribe to MortgagePoint and MortgagePoint Digital now! Visit themortgagepoint.com/mp-access to take advantage of our special offer! Experts you trust. People you know. News you want. MortgagePoint is putting essential mortgage market news at your fingertips with our new digital edition, now available online via your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Enjoy the magazine at your desk, and tap into MortgagePoint Digital's easily accessible platform anywhere, anytime. Committed to giving originators, servicers, and all lending professionals access to smarter perspectives, MortgagePoint believes it's time to think differently about the mortgage industry. Because the American Dream is evolving . . . are you? JULY 2025 Magazine YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE FOR MORTGAGE BANK ING AND SERVICING NEWS Behind steady economic growth, cracks are starting to show, from stalled sales to diverging regional trends. What do the experts say is coming next? Also in this Issue: The Exchange: Industry Insights From Fannie Mae's Malloy Evans AUGUST 2025 Magazine YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE FOR MORTGAGE BANK ING AND SERVICING NEWS 2025 AGENT & BROKER EXCELLENCE THE RESURRECTION OF VACANT REO AUCTIONS: GOOD NEWS FOR HOUSING ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: HOW TO COMBAT LOAN APPLICATION ABANDONMENT Borrowers start the journey to homeownership with clear intent—but somewhere between application start and submission—they run into friction, confusion, and a lack of immediate support ... and then they're gone. PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE: ENGAGING BORROWERS EARLY TO PREVENT DELINQUENCY THE EXCHANGE: PHIL CRESCENZO JR. The Nation One Mortgage VP shares his outlook on a potential end to conservatorship, the impact of credit score-based pricing, and why lenders need to keep messaging simple and focused. As the market evolves, MortgagePoint highlights agents and brokers who elevate the client experience and contribute to a resilient, service- focused housing industry.