Insights from the Road | LoL #8
Shane Pierson, Stephanie Dunn & Brian Congelliere
Insights from the Road — SBA Lending Trends and Field Insights from Three Back-to-Back Conferences
SBA lending trends are shifting fast, and the best way to spot them is not from behind a desk — it is on the trade show floor, shoulder to shoulder with the people doing the deals. In Episode 8 of Lords of Lending, Shane Pierson, Stephanie Dunn, and Brian Congelliere record live from the road after attending back-to-back business broker conferences including Transworld, IBBA, and Murphy Business Sales. The result is a candid, road-trip-fueled recap of what the top performers in the business brokerage world are actually doing to stay ahead.
In this episode: The Lords break down the three field insights that dominated every conversation they had that week — AI adoption by veteran brokers, the hunger for real human connection in a post-COVID market, and why adding value beyond the loan closing table is the only sustainable competitive advantage. Shane shares a personal story about a residential mortgage guy who cracked the code on staying top of mind. Steph makes the case that lenders need to stop posting "just closed another deal" content and start creating actual value for their clients. And Brian demos a live ChatGPT prompt to show how any lender or business owner can brainstorm retention strategies in minutes.
Key Takeaways
1. The Top Performers Are All-In on AI — Regardless of Age
One of the biggest surprises from the conference circuit was who was leading the AI adoption charge. It was not the youngest brokers. It was the 25- and 30-year veterans.
Shane described walking the Transworld floor and realizing that the top business brokers — people who have been in the industry for decades — were the most technically current professionals he had encountered in any lending or brokerage vertical. They were downloading white papers, feeding them into AI tools, turning content into podcasts, and using the output to build backlinks and drive SEO traffic to their sites.
"All of the top performers you go up to, it didn't matter what age they were in. Some of these guys have been in this industry for 25, 30 years and they're the most spry and nimble on all of this technology. More so than anybody that I've ever really talked to." — Shane Pierson, Lords of Lending Episode #8
Brian framed the shift in practical terms. With tools like ChatGPT's custom GPT builder, any lender can upload their own documents — the current SOP, internal guidelines, deal templates — and create a resource that answers basic SBA questions and helps structure deals. It is not replacing expertise. It is extending reach.
"I think you can put that knowledge and experience to work by utilizing, for example, OpenAI ChatGPT. They allow you to create your own GPTs, your own agents, and uploading your own documents... it did a pretty decent job of answering basic questions and structuring deals." — Brian Congelliere, Lords of Lending Episode #8
The message from the floor was clear: the professionals who are winning are not afraid of technology. They are the ones building it into their daily operations while their competitors are still debating whether to try it.
2. The Pendulum Has Swung Back to Human Connection
For all the AI excitement, the biggest theme across all three conferences was surprisingly analog. Business brokers want in-person relationships again. The post-COVID remote-everything era has created a deep thirst for face-to-face meetings, real conversation, and genuine rapport.
Steph put it directly: people are now skeptical of every inbound message. The first reaction when someone reaches out digitally is, "Is this AI? Is this even a real person?" That skepticism has created a massive opening for anyone willing to show up in person, pick up the phone, or send a video message instead of a templated email.
"We've come full circle. There's a real thirst for relationships... everyone now is pretty skeptical. When you get any type of someone reaching out to you, the immediate response is, 'Oh, is this AI driven and is this actually a real person?'" — Stephanie Dunn, Lords of Lending Episode #8
Shane reinforced this with a story about his personal mortgage broker in Charlotte — a guy who has handled every single mortgage for Shane over the past decade. The broker stayed top of mind not through aggressive marketing, but through consistent personal touchpoints. He sent video messages of himself. He provided unsolicited appraisal updates and neighborhood sales data. He made Shane feel like a priority long after the transaction was closed.
"He put his face on it. He even sent me videos of himself saying, 'Hey man, what's up?' as opposed to just a random text message. Things that were different that set themselves apart from anybody else, even after he's already done the loan for me." — Shane Pierson, Lords of Lending Episode #8
The takeaway is not anti-technology. It is that technology works best when it supports a human relationship, not when it replaces one.
3. Stop Celebrating Your Closings and Start Serving Your Clients
The most heated conversation of the episode was about what "value add" actually means in SBA lending. Steph challenged a practice that almost every lender and BDO is guilty of: posting on LinkedIn about deals they just closed.
Her argument was blunt. A small business owner does not care that you closed another deal. That content serves the lender's ego, not the client's needs. Real value add is giving borrowers tools, information, and resources that help them succeed — not just during the loan process, but for years afterward.
"So often what BDOs do is we post information about ourselves or 'just closed another loan.' Well, how is that a value add to a business owner? What does he care?" — Stephanie Dunn, Lords of Lending Episode #8
Brian connected this to the concept of post-close engagement. Most banks disappear after the loan funds. They show up again only when payments are late. The lenders who will own the next decade are the ones building ongoing relationships — sharing operational advice, connecting borrowers with vendors, and helping them think through business challenges that have nothing to do with the loan itself.
"So many times I'm guilty of it too. I'm shoveling loans in and just trying to hit the metrics that I know credit is looking for as opposed to really digging in and trying to see what I can understand about the business and how I could actually help that business moving forward." — Brian Congelliere, Lords of Lending Episode #8
The trio announced they are building an "SBA Toolbox" — a suite of templates, AI-powered tools, and operational resources — that will be free for borrowers on lordsoflending.com. The goal: give more than just a loan.
What This Means for Lenders, Brokers, and Business Owners
The three themes from this road trip are a single story told from different angles. AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement for human judgment. In-person connection is more valuable than it has been in a decade precisely because so few people are doing it. And the lenders who will win the next cycle are not the ones with the best credit box — they are the ones who provide ongoing value that keeps clients coming back.
If you are a lender, the question is not "Do I adopt AI?" — it is "How fast can I integrate it into value creation for my clients?" If you are a business broker, the question is whether you are using your expertise just to close transactions or to build relationships that generate referrals for years. And if you are a business owner looking for a lender, choose the one who is investing in your success, not just processing your paperwork.
The SBA lending world is a sea of sameness. Forty banks at a single conference, all offering the same product. The only thing that separates them is people and the value those people create beyond the transaction.
Related Resources
- SBA Lending in 2026: What to Expect — Market trends and what the current pipeline surge means for borrowers
- The Complete Guide to SBA 7(a) Loans — Everything you need to know about the most popular SBA loan product
- The Lie We Bought: Why Time Management Isn't Enough in SBA Lending — Why being busy is not the same as being effective
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the biggest SBA lending trends at the 2025 business broker conferences?
AI integration, the return of in-person relationship building, and post-close value creation were the three dominant themes across Transworld, IBBA, and Murphy Business Sales conventions. Top-performing brokers are using AI for content creation, deal analysis, and customer engagement while simultaneously doubling down on face-to-face meetings and personal follow-up.
How are top business brokers using AI in their practices?
The highest performers are uploading industry documents, SOPs, and market data into custom GPTs and other AI tools. They use these to answer basic client questions, structure preliminary deal analysis, create content, and build SEO-optimized resources. Brian demonstrated live on the episode how a simple ChatGPT prompt can generate customer retention strategies for any industry in seconds.
What is the SBA Toolbox the Lords of Lending are building?
The SBA Toolbox is a collection of free templates, AI-powered business plan starters, and operational resources being built for lordsoflending.com. It is designed to help borrowers and business buyers think through bank requirements, structure deals, and prepare for the questions that credit officers will ask — before they even submit an application.
How can SBA lenders stand out in a commoditized market?
Stop leading with your credit box — every PLP lender has roughly the same one. Lead with value. Send personalized follow-ups after closing. Share industry-specific insights. Build tools that help your clients' businesses grow. As Shane described, his mortgage broker earned a decade of loyalty not by offering the best rate, but by consistently showing up with useful information after every transaction was done.
Ready to Build a Lending Practice That Stands Out?
The Lords of Lending Training Platform teaches you how to create value that outlasts the transaction — from deal structuring to client retention strategies that keep borrowers coming back.
Explore training options at learn.lordsoflending.com/pricing
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Consult with a qualified attorney, CPA, and financial advisor before making business or financing decisions. Loan terms, rates, and programs are subject to change and vary by lender.
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