When inventory is limited, brokers must find ways to expand reach and embrace technology
While some housing markets have seen ample supply and slowing prices, some big cities are still struggling through limited supply and steady demand. For mortgage brokers, these markets present significant challenges.
One mortgage broker has a different perspective on his challenging market and how it has changed recently.
Christian Mourra, founder of Rate Leaf and founder and CEO of Leaf360, said the Miami area can be pricey, but he is still seeing a steady stream of buyers ready to move forward.
“If you look, there are two ways to look at it,” Mourra told Mortgage Professional America. “It could be too expensive, but for whom? So it depends on your market, but the lower-end markets that are ready to buy, they're buying. It’s just non-stop. There's a lack of inventory because there are enough buyers. So I always look at the positive end.”
Moving customer base
One challenge is that when your former customers get priced out of an area or decide the limited inventory isn’t what they’re looking for, they may move out of your area.
For brokers who focus on a small area, this means you may need to expand your reach to attract new customers to replace those who have moved away. Mourra said this has happened in Miami as customers move north.
“There are people moving out of Miami, moving north, but now you've got areas like Tampa and Orlando priced out like Miami,” he said. “For an originator to succeed, I think you just have to go fishing. You've got to cast a wider net and work a little harder to grow your new network because your network from three years ago is not going to be the same buyers.
“In an area that's overpopulated like Miami, you can't think that your 1,000-person database is the market. It's not.”
The Fed cut rates 25 basis points but Powell noted strong dissent on December’s move. With quantitative tightening ending and possible leadership changes in 2026 Derek McGowan and Tom Davis anticipate further cuts could bring mortgage rates lower.https://t.co/1r9j9xs3v0
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) October 30, 2025
One area where brokers in large cities can pick up new customers is in the refinance market. With mortgage rates falling over the second half of 2025, Mourra has noted an increase in refinances in his area. Not only are those borrowers looking for lower rates, but they’re tapping into home equity.
“The refinances are picking up,” he said. “It's a lot more cash outs. Some of them are saving on the rate, but they're cashing out. A lot of investments are happening right now. A lot of people are having hope for the future. They feel like, ‘Maybe I can buy that investment property.’”
Serving the Latino community
Mourra also works hard to serve the Latino community of South Florida. This includes translated content and paperwork to help them feel comfortable from the beginning of the mortgage process.
“There was a lack of support for the Latino community,” he said. “I'm not Latino myself. I am from the Caribbean islands, but we built out a lot of support for the Latinos in Spanish. A lot of our content is made in Spanish. The applications are done in Spanish.”
He also said his market has traditionally been slow to adopt the latest technology, leaving them behind as the tech side of mortgage lending evolves almost daily. Despite those technological challenges, the market remains hot.
“I would say South Florida is the last to adopt the technology,” Mourra said. “The biggest challenge is telling them why you need a CRM. It's just a booming market. Not everyone thinks it is. But depending on where you are in South Florida, you're not seeing any slowdown.”
As things roll into 2026, Mourra is hoping for more market stability in the new year. He feels that it will help many companies flourish. He also sees embracing that technology as a big step across the industry, not just in Miami.
“I hope to see some kind of stability that can help everybody ramp back up to profitability next year,” he said. “I think in the first quarter next year, we'll see a big change in the industry. I think that software is going to start to evolve. AI can enhance everything you do, but it's not yet going to take it over. And I say not yet, because I think about my 11-year-old daughter who's growing up in this, so maybe when she's 25, she won't care to talk to a human.
“That's why you have to have the right technology with the right foundation that can continue to enhance your business, because I don't care how much people are going to love AI in the next 10 to 15 years. If you adopt AI, then you can take on the new clients coming your way. You may make less per loan, but you can handle a lot more if you do it properly.”
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