From Salt Lake to Michigan: How UWM’s Success Track Helped Me Level Up for My Clients

Connor Holt
Nov 5
4 min read

As I sit here on a flight coming home returning home from Michigan I have been thinking about how earlier this year, Josh Thomas, an loan originator in Utah, invited me to fly out to Michigan for UWM’s Success Track, an advanced real estate and mortgage training designed for agents who want to sharpen their skills and better serve their clients. At the time, I couldn’t make it work because I was heading out of town to visit my parents. Funny enough, that trip got rescheduled to later in November at another time he asked me to go, but it opened for a week earlier and so the door swung open for me to finally say yes to the opportunity. Third time's the charm, right?

So Sunday evening week, I packed my bags, and bright and early Monday flew from Salt Lake City to Michigan along side Josh, and two other realtors from Utah. We spent a few incredible days surrounded by some of the best in the business.

Josh Thomas and I stoked about the conference (and huge BYU fans)

Learning from the Best

The funny thing about this conference, was from the very beginning Josh was telling us all what to expect. However, the morning we walked in he realized very quickly that this was different from the many other conferences he had

I filled up about twenty pages of notes on my iPad during the conference. We covered everything from social media marketing to artificial intelligence, and I walked away with more ideas than I can count. There were sessions on how to grow your presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google Business, and deep dives into AI tools like ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini.

A panel of three top-producing realtors, Adam Gillespi, Jeremy Kane, and David Goad (I was stoked to hear from Adam, since I first heard from him at an eXp training back in the Spring) shared their stories of how they built successful businesses and overcame challenges along the way. Hearing how each of them found their own rhythm in this industry was both inspiring and grounding.

Connecting Coast to Coast

Another highlight for me was connecting with other eXp Realty agents from across the country. I met about 5 to 9 other agents who are doing incredible things in their markets, and we built new relationships that will make it easier to refer clients who are relocating outside of Utah. Knowing that I now have trusted contacts in other states gives me confidence that my clients will be taken care of wherever life takes them next.

The Mortgage World Is Changing

One of the biggest takeaways from Success Track was just how fast the mortgage industry is evolving. UWM isn’t just keeping up, they’re leading the charge. They are so far advanced that other mortgage lenders like (Rocket, Guild, etc.) are no longer competing to be first, but for second best. With more than 9,000 employees and powerful AI systems helping streamline the approval process, United Wholesale Mortgage Is now getting most home loans approved in under 14 days.

That’s a huge deal. If your lender is still taking a full month to get you approved, it’s worth looking at what UWM is doing differently. Technology and teamwork are making it easier for buyers to move quickly and confidently in today’s market.

UWM similar vibes to Conservice

From 2018-2021 I worked for an company of 2,000 employees in Logan, Utah called Conservice. While we were at this conference, there were several times that when I went out of the conference room that I felt like I had gone back in time when I worked for Conservice. They had so many tables of teams of people on their computers working.

However, I was amazed as we toured UWM at the end of the conference that It is about 5x bigger, with several large buildings, a sports building for the community of Pontiac Michigan, a gym/recreation area for employees, several places for employees to purchase food at grills, with other restaurants as well. Several conference rooms that are built out of shipping containers, or themed in super cool ways. The CEO of UWM, Mat Ishbia played for Michigan State during their NCAA championship win in 2000. The conference room has several signed basketballs and the table is part of the Spartan's court. We opened the doors, and it smelled like a basketball court in this room.

They also have the country's longest enclosed pedestrian bridge connecting some of their buildings together at 1,000 ft. It reminded me of the old Salt Lake City airport.

Gratitude and Growth

This trip was one of those moments where everything came together for a reason. I’m grateful to Josh Thomas for flying me out and giving me the chance to experience UWM’s Success Track firsthand. It reminded me why I love this business so much.

The real estate world never stops changing, and that’s exactly why I’ll never stop learning. Every class, every connection, and every trip like this helps me bring more value to my clients here in Utah.

When you work with Tobin and I at HŌM, you’re not just working with a realtor who loves homes, you’re working with someone who’s committed to growth, innovation, and making sure your experience is as smooth and successful as possible.