When it comes to the latest innovations in housing tech, adaptability and continuous learning have become indispensable virtues for industry pros immersed in the world of mortgage tech. Fortunately, leaders like Stacey Shifman, vice president of consumer credit analytics at Fannie Mae, have perfected the art of maintaining a constant state of curiosity when it comes to tech.
Shifman was recognized as a 2022 Tech Trendsetters for her work on groundbreaking underwriting enhancements that increase opportunities for qualified renters to become first-time homeowners by considering positive rent payment history in the credit risk assessment.
HousingWire reached out to Shifman to hear more about how she stays on top of the latest tech capabilities and how she maintains curiosity in her role at Fannie Mae.
HousingWire: As an executive, how do you keep your learning curve steep and prepare for an increasingly digital future?
Stacey Shifman: As new tech capabilities emerge, we initially don’t know how they are going to impact or improve how we do our jobs today. I allocate time for personal development and encourage our teams to experiment with new technologies to get familiar with the capabilities first, which allows us to come up with innovative ways to integrate new technologies into our systems and processes and creatively advance the way we do business.
HousingWire: What have you been most surprised about in the emergence of tech capabilities in the industry over the past decade?
Stacey Shifman: During the last decade, advancements in technology have not only changed how we work but what insights we’re able to glean from data. The adoption of collaborative coding utilizing shared repositories for source code and documentation, as well as machine learning that leverages different model structures, has really advanced our capabilities in an exciting way.
HousingWire: What is one habit that you swear by?
Stacey Shifman: Be curious, ask questions, probe, read. You can’t discover the next thing if you’re not curious about what is happening in the technology landscape.
