EP 68: From Lending to Tech & Back Again: Lawrence Schwartz on Playing the Long Game

In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, Tom sits down with Lawrence Schwartz—Co-Founder of Mortgage Automator and now back in the lending game with Golden Bell Capital. They dive into: Why trade shows are massively undervalued The behind-the-scenes story of how Mortgage Automator was built (and sold) Balancing lending with tech startup life How great partners made all the difference Why Lawrence walked away from "early retirement" to get back into lending Whether you’re a broker, lender, or aspiring fintech founder, this episode is packed with wisdom, real talk, and some hard-earned lessons from one of the industry’s best.   Connect with Lawrence: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-schwartz-13611529/    🎙 Hosted by Tom Hall | Powered by BluMortgage #mortgagebrokers #mortgagetechnology #realestateinvesting #fintech #entrepreneurship #MortgageAutomator ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Why Trade Shows Are Basically Free 01:11 – Meet Lawrence Schwartz: Co-Founder of Mortgage Automator 02:37 – What Mortgage Automator Was Built For 04:11 – Funny Sales Funnel Story (Oops!) 06:58 – No Perfect Software Exists (Here’s Why That’s Okay) 07:17 – The “Secret Sauce” Behind Mortgage Automator’s Success 08:46 – Real-Time Product Feedback from Lenders 10:08 – Learning from Client Rejections 11:18 – Growing Trade Show Presence Over Time 13:16 – Why You Always Go to Trade Shows 15:28 – Early Signs That Mortgage Automator Was Taking Off 16:35 – Building a Sales Team That Could Sell Without You 18:47 – Balancing Lending and Tech in the Early Days 20:48 – COVID and the Pivot to Full-Time Software 22:07 – The Power of the Right Business Partners 25:06 – Returning to Lending After the Exit 27:08 – Realizations After “Retirement” 29:02 – Why Lawrence Didn’t Spend a Dime After Selling 31:14 – The Lending Philosophy at Golden Bell Capital 33:23 – What Types of Deals Golden Bell Does 36:40 – Why Simplicity & Speed Still Win 38:36 – The Reason They Only Lend in the GTA 39:53 – Final Thoughts: Send Us One Good Deal 40:28 – Where to Find Lawrence