Tools & Platforms
Real estate team AI; Tech Trendsetter shares insights

Can AI help real estate teams stand out or make them all look the same?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming real estate marketing and workflows, but agents are grappling with a delicate balance — harnessing AI for efficiency while maintaining the human touch that builds client trust. For leaders like Jeff Funk in Orlando and Michael Franco in New York City, the challenge isn’t whether to use AI — it’s how far to lean in without losing authenticity.
Tech that builds trust: Insights from Tech Trendsetter Simon Moir
As HousingWire opens its 2025 Tech Trendsetters nominations (closing Sept. 30), it caught up with 2022 honoree Simon Moir, vice president at Wolters Kluwer Banking Compliance Solutions. Moir reflects on AI’s transformative role, his passion for applied innovation, and the lessons that shaped his approach to leadership and technology.
DocMagic launches AI-powered platform to simplify mortgage production
DocMagic has launched DocMagic One, an AI-powered loan manufacturing platform that unifies document prep, compliance and collaboration in a single system. The platform offers predictive analytics, loan health scoring, and automated workflows to cut risk and costs — giving lenders streamlined processes, real-time insights and scalability without added complexity.
Pennymac announces equity stake, partnership with Vesta
Pennymac has taken a minority equity stake in Vesta Innovations, becoming the first major lender to go live on Vesta’s cloud-based loan origination system. The partnership aims to modernize mortgage applications, boost efficiency and enhance customer experience across Pennymac’s consumer direct, correspondent and third-party origination channels.
Fintech Aven raises $110M, expands into mortgage refinancing
Aven has raised $110 million in Series E funding, pushing its valuation to $2.2 billion and expanding into mortgage refinancing. The fintech, known for its HELOC-backed credit card, also added heavyweight advisers Lawrence Summers and Patrick McHenry as it builds a “machine banking” platform to cut borrowing costs for homeowners.
Assurant Lending Solutions unveils insurance verification tool HOIVerify Origination
Assurant has launched HOIVerify Origination, an API-enabled solution that automates insurance verification in the mortgage origination process. The platform cuts verification from days to just seven seconds, offering real-time policy data, multicarrier integration and compliance support. Pilot partners like Spring EQ say it creates a more frictionless borrower and lender experience.
Tools & Platforms
Somalia, Saudi Arabia Sign Pact on AI and Space Technology

Somalia and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement in Riyadh to cooperate on regulating artificial intelligence and space technology.
The deal was concluded during the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-25) by Mustafa Yasin Sheikh, head of Somalia’s National Communications Authority, and Haitham Al-Ohaly, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space and Technology Commission.
Officials said the partnership will promote regulatory cooperation, knowledge sharing, and frameworks for responsible growth in AI and space sectors. The two nations also plan to explore infrastructure sharing and broader digital collaboration.
The GSR-25, co-hosted by the International Telecommunication Union and Saudi Arabia, brought together representatives from more than 190 countries to address global digital challenges.
Tools & Platforms
South Africa Moves to Establish National AI Network of Experts

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) joined government, academia, and major tech firms in Pretoria on Aug. 7 to discuss creating South Africa’s National Artificial Intelligence Network of Experts.
The forum, convened by Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele, will guide sectoral implementation of the country’s forthcoming AI policy. The Draft National AI Policy aims to help South Africa harness opportunities, mitigate risks, and maintain sovereign control over AI development while aligning with global standards.
Representatives included Microsoft SA, Meta, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Human Sciences Research Council, Research ICT Africa, the Central University of Technology, and the South African Local Government Association.
Prof. Anish Kurien of TUT stressed academia’s role in translating research into public policy, while counterparts highlighted AI’s potential to transform services, skills, and governance. Gungubele called AI “a general-purpose technology akin to electricity or the internet” with the power to drive inclusion across sectors.
Once adopted, South Africa will join Morocco, Mauritius, Rwanda, and Senegal as African countries with national AI strategies.
Tools & Platforms
How Mastercard’s (MA) AI-Powered Payments Push and Tech Partnerships Have Changed Its Investment Story

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In the past week, Mastercard announced a suite of AI-powered payment products and developer tools, expanded consulting services, and new collaborations with global technology leaders such as Stripe, Google, and Ant International, supporting a rollout of its Agent Pay program to all U.S. cardholders by the end of the holiday season.
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This initiative positions Mastercard at the forefront of advancing secure, intelligent commerce by making AI-enabled payments and agentic capabilities accessible and scalable for digital merchants and platforms worldwide.
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We’ll now examine how Mastercard’s push into AI-powered payments and its collaborations with technology partners could reshape its investment narrative.
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If you’re a Mastercard shareholder, you likely believe in the ongoing digital shift in payments, the company’s powerful network effects, and its ability to grow by expanding into new revenue streams like AI-powered services. The recent launch of AI tools and expanded partnerships has the potential to support growth drivers, especially deeper collaboration with tech partners for value-added services, but the most important short-term catalyst remains increasing digital and e-commerce transaction volume. For now, these AI announcements don’t fundamentally alter the biggest risk: faster adoption of alternative payment rails in key emerging markets.
Among the recent announcements, the release of Mastercard’s On-Demand Decisioning (ODD) stands out. This solution offers financial institutions more direct control and flexibility over transaction approvals, supporting the broader catalyst of helping partners automate, personalize and scale digital payments. As Mastercard continues to expand its value-added services beyond core payments, such tools could help reinforce its differentiated service offering.
However, investors should be aware that while Mastercard accelerates innovation, an even faster shift by consumers and merchants to alternative payment options could…
Read the full narrative on Mastercard (it’s free!)
Mastercard’s outlook anticipates $42.6 billion in revenue and $19.9 billion in earnings by 2028. This requires a 12.1% annual revenue growth rate and a $6.3 billion increase in earnings from the current $13.6 billion.
Uncover how Mastercard’s forecasts yield a $644.55 fair value, a 11% upside to its current price.
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