No Experience? No Problem. How Bryan Atwood Launched a Mortgage Brokerage From Scratch
Inside the Mortgage Broker Startup Playbook
Today’s mortgage industry has a lot of noise. Everyone claims to be faster, cheaper, and better; few actually prove it. That’s why Bryan Atwood’s story on Broker to Broker Podcast w/Marc Summers (Episode 218) stood out. As someone who tunes into these conversations regularly, this episode really resonated with me because it was real.
This wasn’t just a broker bragging about their volume. It was the play-by-play of a guy who opened a mortgage brokerage with zero lending experience... and made it work.
Here’s what stuck with me.
The Unexpected Mortgage Broker Journey
Bryan Atwood didn’t “pivot” into lending, he came in as cold as can be.
He and his brothers were sixth-generation real estate pros in Minnesota. Literally born into the industry. But it wasn’t until they started managing transactions themselves that they realized something: most of the problems in real estate came from lenders.
Late closings. Miscommunications. Disconnected timelines.
So, they asked a bold question:
“What if we fixed the lending side ourselves?”
And like most success stories in business, the launch of Atwood Mortgage in 2021 (with zero lending experience) was born from trying to solve a problem.
Starting From Scratch… With Strategy
Bryan makes it clear that starting the brokerage wasn’t the hard part, it was knowing what to do after it was live.
Application comes in. Now what?
He credits AIME (Association of Independent Mortgage Experts), UWM, and resources like AIME Academy with getting him through those early growing pains. But what set him apart was his obsession with learning the why behind everything.
“I despise not knowing things,” Bryan said, and it showed. He didn’t just take guidelines at face value. He read them, challenged them, and called reps to make sure things made sense.
If you’re a broker or thinking of becoming one, don’t mistake “start-up” for “guesswork.” Atwood built a process fast, and that made the difference.
Realtor-Lender Disconnect: The Silent Killer of Deals
This part made me think: on the lending side, how well do we really understand the day-to-day of real estate agents?
Bryan grew up watching his dad nurture and coach agents. But even with that legacy, he admitted:
“Realtors don’t know squat about lenders and vice versa.”
He’s not wrong.
In my experience, Realtors often hand off a file and cross their fingers. Loan officers rarely attend listing appointments or read representation agreements. And when something goes wrong, each side blames the other.
Bryan’s brokerage tackled this head-on by not asking for coffee meetings or begging for deals. Instead, he built trust by:
Posting educational content on social
Sharing behind-the-scenes of what great lending looks like
Offering real value before asking for anything in return
This reframed the relationship. And realtors started coming to him.
Want Realtor Referrals? Do This Instead.
You’ve heard the line:
“I already have a lender.”
Bryan doesn’t argue. In fact, he agrees.
“All lenders are good. If they weren’t, they’d be gone.”
But then he drops the hammer:
“No lender is good at everything.”
He challenges realtors (respectfully) to consider this: If one lender saves your client $5,000... how do you choose who gets that deal?
Do you rotate based on friendships or choose the best fit every time?
It’s this kind of logic-driven, non-salesy positioning that flips the power dynamic. And it’s a big reason Bryan’s brokerage keeps growing without cold calls or cheesy sales scripts.
VA Loan Misconceptions Are Still Everywhere, And It’s Hurting Veterans
Bryan is a veteran himself. So it hit home when he talked about how many real estate agents still actively avoid VA loans, usually based on outdated, second-hand “rules” from years ago.
Here are a few VA myths Bryan tackled:
“VA appraisals always come in low”
Not true. And even if there’s a shortfall, you’ve got options: Tidewater, ROVs, local RLC support.“VA loans are slow and complicated”
Only if the loan officer doesn’t know what they’re doing.“You can’t get a VA COE quickly”
Bryan got one in under an hour for a client that another lender was chasing for a month.
His advice?
Educate yourself. Then educate your referral partners.
If you’re not learning from VA-specific groups, teaching myth-busting classes, or sharing VA content on social, you’re missing out on both business and impact.
Challenge Everything! Especially When It Doesn’t Make Sense
If there’s one theme that ran through the entire interview, it was this:
Challenge the process. Challenge the rules. Challenge the expectations.
Whether it’s an underwriter, an agent, or a guideline, Bryan doesn’t accept “that’s just the way it is.” I absolutely love that because our industry is entrenched in keeping the status quo.
He asks for the reasoning, pushes for clarity, and escalates when needed. And more often than not? He finds that things can be done differently. Deals get saved. Clients win.
To me, the question everyone should be asking is “Are we challenging the process, or just coasting through it?”
AIME Was the Difference Maker
Bryan was crystal clear: AIME changed everything.
From getting licensed and learning the ropes to saving real deals through escalation support, Bryan credits AIME with helping him punch way above his weight as a one-man shop.
He showed up to FUSE before his shop was even licensed just to learn. He leaned on the Brokers Are Best Facebook group to crowdsource real answers. And when an early deal almost died, he tapped AIME’s escalation team and got it closed.
“That saved a deal and made me money. Why wouldn’t I be a VIP member?”
Whether you’re new to the channel or scaling up, community and resources make the difference.
The Wrap: What Brokers Can Implement After This Episode
This wasn’t just a standard podcast episode interview; it was a blueprint. Here’s what you all should be stealing from Bryan Atwood’s playbook:
Stop trying to “sell” realtors. Educate. Challenge. Deliver results before asking for business.
Own the VA lane. Study it. Teach it. Advocate for it.
Escalate with logic. Don’t accept vague “no’s.” Push for clarity.
Post publicly. Be the broker who shows their process, not just their volume.
Lean into community. No one wins in this business alone. Join, ask, share, repeat.
One thing that I have learned since my move from retail to wholesale is that the broker channel doesn’t just offer more options to loan officers, it forces you to become the kind of problem-solver today’s consumer actually needs. Loans are a lot “hairier” than in years past, and with the rise of out-of-the-box buyers, you need someone who can provide out-of-the-box solutions. And that’s what sets top producers like Bryan apart.
Join us at AIME Fuse in Nashville on October 23rd - October 25th.