January is here and so is the Mortgage Strong Podcast. FirstTrust Home Loans CEO Glenn Strong is joined by his ride-or-die executive team — President Ben Paul, CFO Erika Martens, and COO Michelle Rocha — to recap a record-setting 2025 and talk about what’s ahead.

The team shares big wins across the company, including FirstTrust Home Loans ranking #2 overall in Arkansas mortgage production, year-over-year company growth, and what it takes to keep building as an independent lender. Ben brings the numbers — including more than 3,200 homes closed. Erika dives into the behind-the-scenes work that makes Construction-to-Perm possible and the advocacy work that protects borrowers. And Michelle highlights the operational shifts and teamwork that helped keep turn times strong, averaging just over 21.8 days.

They close  ...