E72: How to Build Game-Changing Mortgage Tech with Finmo's Carter Zimmerman

A bloated feature list doesn’t mean better tech. In this episode of Mortgage Tech Talks, Tom sits down with Carter Zimmerman, of Finmo, to unpack what actually makes mortgage software successful.

Carter shares how Finmo went from idea to industry leader by focusing on user experience, simplicity, and doing fewer things better.

They cover: – The myth of the all-in-one system – Why open platforms win long term – What AI tools brokers are already using – How competition fuels innovation in Canadian mortgage tech – And how Carter’s past in marketing shaped Finmo’s product vision

If you’ve ever asked “why can’t my tech just work?”, this episode is for you.

TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – “Just because you have the features… doesn’t mean you have the features.” 01:16 – Carter’s origin story: from Facebook ads to Finmo 04:21 – The shocking state of mortgage tech in 2017 06:56 – How early feedback loops built Finmo fast 09:57 – Why trying to solve everything at once kills momentum 11:52 – The role of rest, flow state, and personal performance 14:14 – Using competitiveness as a mindset advantage 17:00 – “We’re not finding our foothold—we’re building a mountain.” 19:36 – The myth of the all-in-one platform 23:36 – Why UX feature checklists in 2025 mortgage tech 27:37 – What brokers really want and why execution wins

Connet with Carter Zimmerman https://www.linkedin.com/in/carter-zimmerman-7753495b/ 

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