Education Onward Podcast

Building the largest multifamily lender in the nation, with Willy Walker CEO of Walker & Dunlop — Episode 53 of Onward

Willy Walker joins Onward to share how he scaled a small, local mortgage shop into a national real estate finance platform.

By the Fundrise TeamJanuary 20, 2026

Willy Walker joins Onward to share how he scaled a small, local mortgage shop into a national real estate finance platform—what he got right, what he’d do differently, and the leadership lessons he earned the hard way. We talk about the pivotal decisions that unlocked Walker & Dunlop’s growth, how to lead through a crisis (2008 and COVID), what it really means to be a public-company CEO, and why he’s cautiously optimistic heading into 2026.

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