Brian D. Pannell Named HousingWire Tech Trendsetter—Again!


Brian Pannell (1)

We’re pleased to share that our Chief eServices Executive, Brian D. Pannell, has been named one of HousingWire’s Tech Trendsetters for 2025—the second time he has received this award. This rare distinction highlights his sustained leadership in transforming digital mortgage closings from concept to reality. 

"Our goal has always been to make digital closings practical, not theoretical," Brian says. "When lenders can close in minutes instead of hours and cut hundreds of dollars in costs per loan, that's when technology truly delivers value."During his tenure, DocMagic has achieved breakthrough results: 

  • 15-minute closings that were once impossible 
  • Over $400 in savings per loan compared to traditional processes 
  • The industry's first eHELOC registration with MERS® 
  • eVaulting technology securing the majority of eNotes in circulation 

Brian's 18 years at Fannie Mae gave him deep insight into mortgage industry challenges. Since joining DocMagic in 2014, he's brought that expertise to bear on ensuring digital transformation actually works in the real world. Beyond technology development, Brian helps to shape industry standards through active leadership in MISMO, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and the Electronic Signature and Records Association. 

 As HousingWire's Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler noted, "These leaders aren't just keeping up with technology, they're setting the pace. Their work makes the housing industry smarter, faster, and more connected." 

DocMagic's clients have generated tens of millions in cumulative cost savings, representing a fundamental shift in how mortgage lending operates. Brian's second Tech Trendsetter award acknowledges a decade of consistent contribution to that transformation. 

Congratulations to all of the 2025 HousingWire Tech Trendsetters. See the complete list at https://www.housingwire.com/articles/introducing-the-2025-housingwire-tech-trendsetters/

 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
brian-pannell-named-housingwire-tech-trendsetter-again

DocMagic CEO Pat Theodora Named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard

Pat Vanguards-blog insert

We’re excited to share that Pat Theodora, DocMagic’s CEO and Co-Founder, has been honored with a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard Award—recognizing his decades-long leadership and ongoing contributions to digital mortgage innovation.

The HousingWire Vanguard Awards spotlight senior housing leaders who are making a measurable impact across the real estate, mortgage, and finance sectors. Now in its tenth year, the program honors executives whose daily work helps move the industry forward.

Pat brings over 40 years of experience in the mortgage space, starting as a loan officer in 1980 and co-founding DocMagic in 1987. Today, he leads with the forward-thinking, approach that helped establish DocMagic’s reputation as an industry trailblazer.

Under his leadership, over the past year the company has:

  • Launched a new unified platform powered by integrated AI
  • Enabled the industry’s first electronic HELOC registration with the MERS® eRegistry
  • Continued to grow despite market headwinds, with hundreds of new lenders onboarded in the past year

“Pat’s influence on DocMagic and the broader mortgage ecosystem is undeniable,” said Lori Johnson, COO of DocMagic. “He leads with integrity, experience, and vision—consistently challenging us to deliver better outcomes for our clients and the industry at large.”

Pat is a visible presence at major industry events and continues to champion innovation and integrity at every level of the organization. His leadership has helped DocMagic maintain momentum, strengthen partnerships, and deliver technology that keeps lenders competitive.

You can find more information about Pat Theodora here:
👉 www.housingwire.com

 

 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
docmagic-ceo-pat-theodora-named-a-2025-housingwire-vanguard

Celebrating Lori Johnson: An MPA Elite Woman for the Second Time

Lori Johnson Elite Women insert

We’re thrilled to share that our very own COO, Lori Johnson, has once again been named to Mortgage Professional America’s Elite Women list for 2025! This recognition highlights 40 outstanding female leaders who are making a lasting impact on the mortgage industry—and we couldn’t be prouder to see Lori among them for the second time.

Lori’s career is a true testament to vision, dedication, and leadership. From her early days as one of the first employees at Document Express to leading its acquisition by DocMagic, she’s never stopped driving innovation. Over the past year, she’s championed operational improvements that have sped up eClosing go-live timelines and cut costs for our clients—proving that efficiency and excellence can go hand in hand.

Her leadership truly shined in 2024, when she navigated us through a major transition with strength, clarity, and care, ensuring that DocMagic continued to grow and innovate. She’s also a committed mentor, inspiring women inside and outside our company to take on new challenges and leadership roles.

We’re grateful for Lori’s vision, resilience, and the positive impact she makes every day—not just here at DocMagic, but across the mortgage technology landscape.

Congratulations, Lori, on this well-deserved honor!

 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
celebrating-lori-johnson-an-mpa-elite-woman-for-the-second-time

We’re Proud to Celebrate Nicholas Hartigan as a 2025 HousingWire Insider

Nicholas Hartigan Award - insert-1

We’re thrilled to share that our very own Nicholas Hartigan, Director of Program Management, has been named a 2025 HousingWire Insider—an honor reserved for the unsung heroes driving innovation and operational excellence in housing.

At DocMagic, Nicholas plays a critical behind-the-scenes role. He oversees our complex project portfolio, working across teams to implement enterprise-level client integrations, drive strategic planning, and ensure we’re delivering with excellence at every step. This year alone, he’s been instrumental in onboarding several top-10 mortgage originators to the DocMagic platform—helping us expand our impact while keeping things running smoothly.

“Nicholas is a force of consistency and clarity, ensuring we deliver on our most complex initiatives without losing sight of the big picture,” said Lori Johnson, DocMagic COO. “His leadership, strategic foresight, and ability to unite teams around a shared vision make him truly deserving of this recognition.”

HousingWire’s Insiders program honors the behind-the-scenes professionals who are essential to their company’s success, and Nicholas exemplifies exactly that. We’re incredibly proud to see his contributions recognized.

Read the full list of honorees on HousingWire’s website.

 

 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
were-proud-to-celebrate-nicholas-hartigan-as-a-2025-housingwire-insider

DocMagic’s Tara Klamrowski Named a 2025 HousingWire Woman of Influence

Marketing Leaders blog insert – 1

We’re proud to announce that Tara Klamrowski, our General Counsel, has been recognized as a 2025 HousingWire Woman of Influence. This annual award honors women who are making significant contributions to the housing industry through leadership, innovation, and excellence—and Tara is a standout example of all three.

Since joining DocMagic, Tara has had a profound impact on our organization. In just three years, she has helped us secure two U.S. patents for our AutoPrep™ e-enablement technology, streamlining a process that typically takes a decade into just a few years. She also led the development of our AI policy and risk framework, ensuring our innovations align with both regulatory requirements and our company values.

Tara plays a uniquely strategic role at DocMagic—not only guiding legal risk and compliance, but also supporting product development, managing all legal operations, and strengthening cross-functional collaboration. Her mentorship and ability to translate complex legal concepts into practical business guidance have elevated the way we work across teams.

As our CEO Pat Theodora put it, “Tara’s rare combination of legal insight, technological literacy, and business acumen has made her an indispensable part of our leadership team. She’s not just managing legal risk—she’s enabling innovation and helping define our future.”

We’re honored to see Tara recognized among such an esteemed group of industry leaders. Her contributions continue to shape DocMagic’s growth and help advance the broader housing ecosystem.

The full list of HousingWire’s 2025 Women of Influence can be found here.

 


 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
docmagics-tara-klamrowski-named-a-2025-housingwire-woman-of-influence

DocMagic CMO named a 2025 HousingWire Marketing Leader

Marketing Leaders blog insert-1

We’re proud to announce that our Chief Marketing Officer, Jennifer Stanley, has been named a 2025 HousingWire Marketing Leader—an honor that recognizes top marketing executives who are driving innovation and delivering real business results in the housing industry.

Since joining DocMagic in 2021, Jennifer has led a major transformation of our marketing efforts. She’s built a data-driven marketing team and helped to craft go-to-market strategies that have significantly advanced our brand and business. With over two decades of experience across B2B and consumer marketing—as well as licenses in both mortgage and real estate—Jennifer brings a unique perspective to the work we do.

Her leadership has played a key role in promoting DocMagic’s end-to-end digital mortgage solutions and expanding our market presence. As our COO Lori Johnson said it, “Jennifer brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, creativity, and operational discipline to DocMagic’s marketing efforts.”

Jennifer shared her appreciation for the recognition, saying:

“It’s an honor to be recognized alongside such a talented group of leaders. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited about what’s ahead for DocMagic.”

Please join us in congratulating Jennifer on this well-deserved recognition. You can view the full list of HousingWire’s 2025 Marketing Leaders here: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/announcing-the-2025-marketing-leaders/

 


 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
docmagic-cmo-named-a-2025-housingwire-marketing-leader

Celebrating a Trailblazer: Lori Johnson Named 2025 Woman of Tech

Lori Johnson - woman of tech social

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news from the DocMagic team—our Chief Operating Officer, Lori Johnson, has been named a 2025 Woman of Tech by Mortgage Women Magazine! This well-deserved recognition celebrates Lori’s remarkable contributions to mortgage technology, her leadership within our organization, and her ongoing advocacy for women in the industry.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition,” Lori shared. “Empowering women and advancing digital mortgage technology are very important to me, and I’m grateful to be part of such an innovative and forward-thinking company.”

With a career spanning decades in mortgage technology, Lori has been a driving force behind digital transformation. Prior to joining DocMagic, she co-founded and served as president of Document Express, leading it through its acquisition by DocMagic in 2014, where she played a hands-on role in successfully integrating the two companies.

At DocMagic, she served as director of client services, playing a key role in our growth, before stepping into the COO position last year. She is responsible for achieving company business objectives as well as leading initiatives focused on operational excellence and client success. Her efforts led to increased eClose adoption and a growth trajectory that landed DocMagic on Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing private companies.

Her leadership continues to shape our path forward. As our CEO Pat Theodora put it, “Lori’s unwavering dedication and leadership continue to shape the digital mortgage landscape. Her commitment to innovation and her mentorship of women in tech set a powerful example for future industry leaders.”

We couldn’t be more proud to have Lori on our team and are inspired by her vision, passion, and resilience every day.

For more information on the MWM Women of Tech 2025 honorees, visit https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/code-breakers-ceiling-shakers.

 

 


 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
lori_johnson_2025_woman_of_tech

We’re Honored to Win MortgagePoint’s 2025 Tech Excellence Award

This is the first year for MortgagePoint’s 2025 Tech Excellence Award and we’re thrilled to be named a recipient!

This award spotlights innovative technology providers throughout the mortgage, real estate, and housing sectors at a time when organizations depend on these critical technologies to reduce costs, streamline operations, and deliver the seamless digital experiences that today's borrowers expect.

In 2024, DocMagic made major strides in innovation. One of our standout developments was expanding the functionality of our proprietary SmartREGISTRY™ technology. These new features simplify lenders’ eNote setup process with the MERS® eRegistry, boosting client adoption of eNotes in 2024 and increasing remote online notarization (RON) adoption by 21%.

“We’re honored to earn this recognition of our continuous efforts to help our customers remain competitive,” said Pat Theodora, CEO of DocMagic. “By providing seamless, secure, and efficient digital mortgage transactions, we’re making the loan process easier and faster for lenders, settlement service providers, investors, and borrowers.”

Our technologies, such as Total eClose™, SmartSAFE® eVault, and an array of intelligent tools for eSigning, eNotarization, and investor due diligence, have helped lenders achieve major gains in operational efficiency, including reducing closing times to 15 minutes or less, a significant reduction in errors, and automatic MERS® registration.

The MortgagePoint Tech Excellence Awards are part of a new annual program that will continue to spotlight leaders advancing critical technology for the mortgage industry. To learn more about the award and see a complete list of honorees, go to Meet the Tech Excellence Award Recipients.


Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
mortgagepoint-tech-excellence-award-2025

Leah Sommerville: A 2025 HousingWire Rising Star

Leah Sommerville - Housingwire rising stars

We’re pleased to share that our very own Leah Sommerville, Director of Sales, has been named a 2025 HousingWire Rising Star! This award recognizes 100 standout professionals under 40 who are shaping the future of mortgage, real estate, and fintech.

Since joining our team in 2019, Leah has become an eClosing expert, working closely with the DocMagic team to continue to advance digital mortgage strategies and promote industry adoption. Her dedication has helped hundreds of lenders streamline operations, cut costs, and enhance the borrower experience.

Now, as our Director of Sales, Leah leads sales efforts across our entire suite of digital mortgage solutions. She works with banks, credit unions, third-party providers, and other industry leaders to push mortgage lending further into the digital age.

“I’m truly honored to receive this award and excited about the future of our industry,” said Sommerville. “As DocMagic continues to drive innovation in the digital mortgage space, I look forward to contributing along with our incredible team.”

Our CEO, Pat Theodora, couldn’t agree more: “Leah’s leadership and expertise have been instrumental in advancing our mission to simplify and digitize mortgage lending. This recognition is well deserved.”

HousingWire’s Rising Stars program highlights professionals making a real impact on the industry. Editor-in-Chief Sarah Wheeler shared, “This year’s winners are redefining what’s possible in the industry. I can’t wait to see how they continue to drive progress.”

Congratulations, Leah! We’re incredibly proud of this well-earned recognition.

→ Check out the full list of 2025 HousingWire Rising Stars.


 

Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
leah_sommerville_housingwire_rising_star_2025

DocMagic named a Tech100 Winner 13 years in a row

 

We're honored to share that we've been recognized by HousingWire as one of the most innovative and impactful mortgage technology firms in the U.S. housing economy again for 2025. We’re one of only a handful of vendors to earn a spot on the coveted list every single year since the Tech 100 program started.

Pat Theodora, our co-founder and CEO, commented, “For 38 years and counting, DocMagic has stayed true to its core mission of reducing clients’ reliance on paper by automating manual tasks while ensuring compliance throughout the mortgage process. DocMagic is honored to again receive recognition for our unrelenting efforts to facilitate adoption of digital mortgages."

DocMagic was an early supporter of the ESIGN Act of 2000, implementing eSignature functionality on all of our loan documents and embracing the industry vision of achieving a true eMortgage. We developed numerous technology breakthroughs, including transformative mortgage technology solutions that accompany hard-driving adoption and educational campaigns.

Throughout 2024, we further deepened AI exploration in various areas of our compliance solutions and digital lending products, with the goal of further minimizing human intervention and maximizing business efficiencies through a digital workforce.

We also added important new features and functionality to our proprietary eNote registry solution, SmartREGISTRY™, which established easier eNote setup for lender clients via direct integration with the MERS® eRegistry system. This has dramatically simplified and expedited the eNote process for lenders, boosting client adoption of eNotes in 2024 and increasing RON adoption as well.

Our SmartREGISTRY solution works seamlessly with our SmartSAFE® eVault technology, which also integrates with Total eClose™, our comprehensive, completely paperless eClosing system. Total eClose integrates tightly with contemporary LOS platforms, establishing a streamlined, easy, efficient workflow for lender closing staff.

“The 2025 Tech100 honorees are driving real transformation in mortgage and real estate,” said Sarah Wheeler, Editor-in-Chief at HousingWire. “These companies are not just enhancing processes—they're redefining what’s possible. From streamlining lending operations to elevating the real estate experience, their innovations are paving the way for a more efficient and dynamic housing market.” The full list of 2025 Tech100 Mortgage winners can be found on HousingWire’s website.

{% module_block module "widget_3fc9e5c6-8602-4f35-a726-937228e32c52" %}{% module_attribute "child_css" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "css" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{"padding-top":"15px"}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "definition_id" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "extra_classes" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"widget-type-space widget-type-space widget-type-space widget-type-space widget-type-space widget-type-space widget-type-space"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "field_types" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}{}{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "label" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}null{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "module_id" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}1847337{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "path" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"@hubspot/horizontal_spacer"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "schema_version" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}2{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "smart_objects" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}[]{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "smart_type" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"NOT_SMART"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "tag" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"module"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "type" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"module"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% module_attribute "wrap_field_tag" is_json="true" %}{% raw %}"div"{% endraw %}{% end_module_attribute %}{% end_module_block %}  
Categories
Title Alias (URL Slug)
docmagic-named-a-tech100-winner-13-years-in-a-row
RSS Feed

One provider for all your mortgage technology.