Head of Product @ Model Match

With over a decade of experience working in SaaS organizations in the Telecom and Financial Services industries, I am a seasoned Customer Success and Product leader. Currently, I am heading up the Customer Success and Product teams at Model Match, a Talent Management Suite that helps mortgage industry leaders source and attract qualified talent and manage their teams more efficiently.

Throughout my career, I have developed Customer Advocacy initiatives from the ground up and have a passion for tackling complex problems. I am committed to driving success for our partners and promoting a culture of advocacy.

No one has it all figured out.

Online, it can look like everyone is winning
Everyone seems to know exactly what you should do.
Best leaders, best in tech, best in origination...

It’s easy to slip into compare mode.
Pull back the curtain and the reality is messier. Always.

At the end of the year, we helped put out the Loan Officer Recap.
Giving LO's a way to share what they accomplished in 2025. 
Thousands of recaps were generated by high, mid, and lower volume originators.

One thing stands out.
Most of the recaps that were shared came from originators under $20M.

Not the loudest voices.
They likely are not posting every day.
They probably do not have a content schedule.

But they are showing up.
Putting in the work.
They want to learn what is and what isn't working for others and themselves.
They want (and are) to level up month after month in whatever market they are in.

They didn't share because they “won.”
Not to shout that they are better in some way.
Not because they had something to sell.
Not because there was a hidden angle.

They shared because they were proud.
Because they are open about where they are: 
wins and setbacks. 
Because they are building in public. 

That’s where momentum starts.

Critics tend to be louder.
Builders tend to be busier.
It’s worth elevating those still moving. 


Model Match Mike Paquette Eric Levin Michael Vandi  Addy AI Kristin Messerli FirstHome IQ

Thomas Seelbinder

Most of the time, I don’t know the answer.

I talk about and look at mortgage and real estate data all day, most days. For the past 8 years. 

(I know. Eat your heart out 😉)

I learn something new everyday. And if I’ve ever pulled you into the trenches with me, no doubt you and I learned something new about it together. 

That’s also why you’ll never hear me say 
I’m the best
I’m better, or that I’ve got it all figured out.
That’s all noise. That’s the opposite of progression.

Last week Alex Julian popped up on my phone. In 20 minutes he taught me a new way to describe a tool we’ve been building at Model Match. 

I look at that data everyday. I never thought to describe it the way he did. 

For me, that’s progression. 

Most of the time, I don’t know the answer. 
But I’ll go looking for it, everytime.

I get genuinely stoked when others share what they’re building with me. 

Not just because of the product, or the service or even the idea but because you can see how much it means to them.

They have an vision and they are putting in the work 
to see it come alive; sometimes with great sacrifice. 

They aren't trying to push clickbait
Trying hard to be controversial or 
looking for their next public knockout. 

They are from the industry. They experienced the pain
and they want to be a part of the solution. 

Last week I had a conversation with Don Goettling. Listening to him
describe the vision behind the future of Momentum Builder was heavy in the most positive way possible. If you're not paying attention to what that team is up to, be sure to set your eyes in their direction. 

Yesterday, I had a conversation with Marion Singleton, MBA that gave me real-world perspective and pushed me to look at something a bit differently. You’ll see that impact show up in Model Match sooner than later. Credit goes to him, and I’m grateful for that interaction. 

These interactions are what gets me stoked. 
They are what gets me fired up.

We should make lifting each other up the norm 
and refuse to give the opposite the attention it seeks. 

When we do that we will see the evolution this industry is begging for.

Head of Product @ Model Match 🪄 ✨

6 months ago I became borderline obsessed
with refining how Model Match shows up in content

Before:
~0.3% of new accounts came from AI referrals

After:
6.8% of signs up come directly from AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.

At the same time I saw the AI channel trend upward, I saw organic referrals follow.

What worked: 
- less is more. Stop over-explaining. 
- be explicit, direct and lead with transparency. 

What didn’t: 
- large refinements and rapid changes
- looking for quick wins. Allow small changes to compound. 

We don’t have a full scale sales team.
We aren’t all that great at marketing. You probably have never seen us randomly in your inbox, and we don’t fuel the funnel with tons of domains. 

We’re just trying to be clear, transparent and present. 

Still early. Still learning. 
But this feels bigger than a single channel.

The way people search for solutions is changing.

And if lenders are finding tools this way, borrowers are already there.

Eric Levin Mike Paquette Drew Waterhouse

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January isn't over but it feels like the inflection point is already taking shape.

I’m seeing it with Real Estate and Mortgage data in real time at Model Match. Data access and visibility has reached levels that felt impossible just a year ago. 

I'm seeing it when I see Brian Vieaux, CMB's mission at MISMO

I'm seeing it when I see the Addy AI team (👈 keep eyes on them!) launch the first AI-enabled LOA service with Willow Processing

I'm seeing it when I watch how James Kleimann operates The Mortgage Scoop 

or when I see LO's like Abdel Khawatmi absolutely going on a tear in his market integrating AI and data in parts of the loan flow most are missing. 

and that's just the start of that list...

I believe 2026 is going to reward the builders.
The ones who are willing to move fast, and take the risk.
Not the loudest voices. Not the rage bait. Not the people farming attention
The ones creating leverage, turning data into action with value as the north star.

taplio

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