Dan McAlister, Vice President of Product at Clear Capital, was announced as an honoree of this year’s HousingWire Tech Trendsetters award on November 1. Through his passion for developing technology that builds confidence in real estate decisions, he drives innovation in the housing industry. He has spearheaded industry-first solutions and collaborated with major industry players such as the GSEs, ICE Mortgage Technology, and CAPE Analytics to deliver transformative tech solutions for the benefit of the housing ecosystem.
The 2025 Tech Trendsetters list consists of the most influential product and technology leaders that are bringing innovative tech solutions to market for mortgage and real estate clients. These honorees spearhead tech transformation in the housing industry, and have measurably improved business performance among their clients.
As a product leader and trailblazer, Dan’s innovations have helped redefine appraisal and valuation technology, making processes faster, more transparent, and more reliable for lenders, homeowners and GSEs. Dan has held multiple positions since joining Clear Capital as a QA Analyst in 2009. His priorities have shifted to focus more on the appraisal process, broaden data accessibility, and equip lenders to more efficiently reach their goals. His role in spearheading Clear Capital’s inspection cascade for home equity loans, in collaboration with CAPE Analytics, a Moody’s company, is a prime example. Dan aligned cross-functional teams to create a more efficient tool for lenders by integrating CAPE’s advanced geospatial imagery and AI-driven analytics into Clear Capital’s platform. As a result, lenders’ ability to precisely manage risk has opened up, with a reduced reliance on manual processes.
The inspection cascade is just one part of a much larger system of tech solutions that improve the lives of lenders, appraisers and other key housing market players, with Dan having also developed AURA®, an AI-driven automated collateral analyzer. The analyzer compiles and summarizes appraisal data, effectively reducing appraisal review times by up to 50%.
The updates that Dan has led across Clear Capital’s products to support the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6, the GSEs’ updated appraisal standard, are also a major milestone that informed his recognition as a 2025 Tech Trendsetter. He guided lenders through the process of adopting the new UAD requirements, all while planning and delivering partner integrations that would protect business continuity. Dan also played a crucial leadership role in the launch of Universal Data Collection® (UDC®), which is Clear Capital’s product to support the GSE inspection-based appraisal waiver programs. That product has resulted in more than 50% faster turn times compared to traditional appraisals.
Beyond technology, Dan’s leadership philosophy centers on empowering clients and team members to succeed. He is on a mission to make the appraisal process better, in a way that benefits all parties, from lenders and appraisers through to homebuyers themselves. Through this work, Dan has exemplified the very qualities recognized by HousingWire’s Tech Trendsetters program: driving innovation and delivering measurable impact across the housing industry. Congratulations, Dan!