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The Title Report
is the title insurance industry’s premier source of market intelligence on issues that matter to today’s title agent and settlement services professional. It provides up-to-the-minute, nationwide reporting on title insurance, settlement services,
e-commerce and title technology, real estate market trends, fraud reports, ratings actions and earnings reports, mergers and acquisitions, niche markets, competitive business strategies and regulatory and legislative updates.
First American economist: Housing market displaying signs of recovery - First American’s Existing-Home Sales Outlook model shows a moderate rise in sales in September from both August’s pace and from one year ago.
Former CFPB senior counsel talks legal nuances of mortgage fraud - Attorney David Friend spoke about why proving intent is so difficult in mortgage fraud cases.
Friday Harbor’s AI tool can evaluate loan files - The firm's AI Originator Assistant can assess loan files against the lender and investor overlays that shape salability and risk.
Alpha7X launches AI system for data reviews - The platform helps lenders, servicers, custodians and investors orchestrate and execute data reviews up to seven times faster.
Percentage of all-cash home purchases holds steady - Just under three in 10 (28.8 percent) homebuyers paid in all cash in August, down incrementally from 29 percent in August 2024, according to Redfin.
Closinglock, McNeese Title leaders discuss efforts to prevent fraud attempts - Lydia Pelegrina of McNeese Title and Andy White from Closinglock spoke with The Ttitle Report about the products title firms can use to thwart incidents of fraud.
Beige Book: Federal Reserve Districts report little change in economic activity - Three districts reported slight to modest growth, while five reported no change and the remaining four said there was a slight softening.
The RESPA enforcement landscape is shifting. Are you prepared? - Two industry experts shared what settlement services professionals need to know to stay compliant as they navigate RESPA oversight from multiple agencies.
Advocus hires new Florida agency manager - Advocus National Title Insurance Co. selected a second-generation title insurance professional to work in this management role.
Empower LOS integrates Wolters Kluwer eClosing platform - Dark Matter Technologies has expanded the Empower loan origination system to include eClosing capabilities.
Redfin: New home listings up, pending sales down - New listings of homes for sale went up year-over-year during the past four weeks but pending home sales are moving in the opposite direction.
Red Robyn Abstract and Title launches in New Mexico - The firm will offer residential title insurance, real property lien searches, as well as settlement, escrow and recording services.
First American: Home prices continued to decrease in September - First American Data & Analytics’ September 2025 Home Price Index report also showed annual house price appreciation has slowed for 10 consecutive months.
NAHB: Builder confidence rose in October - : Builder confidence for newly built single-family homes was at 37 in October, up five points from September, according to the National Association of Home Builders /Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.
Click n’ Close appoints new president - The appointee has 25-plus years of leadership experience across strategy, sales, operations, technology, compliance and finance.
Key Title launches new website - The firm's leaders say the site will provide clients, partners and industry professionals with “a more modern and user-friendly online experience.”
ATTOM: Home sale profits rise slightly in third quarter - Homeowners made a 49.9 percent profit selling single-family homes and condos during the third quarter, a .6 percent increase from the previous quarter.
WFG National Title enters New Mexico market-Williston Financial Group Chairman and founder Patrick Stone said. “WFG will deliver the technology, financial stability and customer-first service that this market deserves.”
Ubitquity launches platform to manage property titles on blockchain-
NFIB: Small Business Optimism Index declines for first time in three months-The index decreased by two points in September to 98.8, but it's still higher than the survey's average of 98.
Customers Bank adds title industry banking team - The new banking group will focus on treasury and banking solutions for title and settlement clients.
ALTA names First American Trust as Elite Provider - The company provides banking services tailored for title and escrow companies.
Redfin: More home sellers hit the market, but buyers aren’t responding - New listings of homes for sale recently experienced the largest increase in over three months, but buyers aren’t budging, Redfin reported.
LIVE: The Title Report at 2025 OLTA Convention-The Title Report will be in attendance at the 116th annual Ohio Land Title Association (OLTA) Convention, which runs Oct. 13-15.
Knox Title appoints new CEO, announces other leadership changes-The company appointed a new CEO and president to replace the leader who recently decided to step down after 20 years with the firm.
Homebot expanding platform to title companies-This expansion will help to title companies and independent insurance agents stay connected to clients after a transaction closes.
Westcor hires new agency rep for Florida team-The staffer has experience in sales, marketing and business development.
Benutech rolls out lien monitoring system-The product is designed to help mortgage lenders and servicers mitigate risk.
ATTOM: Foreclosure filings increase by 17 percent year-over-year-ATTOM’s Q3 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report showed foreclosure filings during the third quarter were up less than 1 percent from the second quarter but 17 percent higher from the third quarter of 2024.
Stewart rolls out FinCEN reporting program-The new service will use a new technology platform to handle tasks such as collecting data and validating reportability to help firms comply with FinCEN’s new anti-money laundering rule now taking effect March 1, 2026.
Proof unveils digital ID verification product-By cryptographically signing all media and data, the tool generates digital evidence that cannot be counterfeited by generative AI, according to the company.
Verus Title expands into Arizona, Alabama-. With this move, Verus will operate in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
NITA promotes staffer to VP of commercial business development-The administrator will be responsible for furthering and building new partnerships focusing on the needs of clients in the commercial real estate market.
Osage Lakes Title unveils new website-The company formerly known as Clinton Abstract & Title Co. LLC and Drake Land Title Co., has launched its new website, www.osagelakestitle.com.
Redfin: Home-purchase deal cancellations hit highest August rate since 2017-Roughly 56,000 home-purchase agreements were canceled in August, which is almost 1 percent higher than in August 2024.
EquityProtect partners with trooper association-EquityProtect is partnering with the American Association of State Troopers to offer association members discounted access to the company’s patented technology designed to protect homeowners from deed theft crimes.
Sun Title CEO discusses opening 11th location in Michigan-Tom Cronkright II spoke with The Title Report about why he and his leadership team believed Holland was a quality location for a new office.
Absolute Title opens office in Maine-It's the firm's first office in the state and sixth brick-and-mortar location.
Consultants examine evolving technology landscape, highlight solutions-A panel of experts offer their views on how companies can assess which technology solutions give them an edge.
Westcor hires new agency representative-The latest hire will work for the firm’s Central States contingent in Indiana.
ATTOM rolls out data product to better identify property owners-ATTOM launched Transparent Owner, a data product that better identifies the individuals behind residential property ownership.
Redfin: Typical starter home price rises-The typical starter home sold for a record $260,508 in August, rising 2.2 percent year-over-year.
The Closing Agent powered by Barry Miler Law honored as a top workplace in Central Florida-The firm announced it has been recognized by the Orlando Sentinel.
PLTA celebrates 104th convention, welcomes new officers-The Pennsylvania Land Title Association (PLTA) announced its new officers and its 2025 award winners at its 104th annual convention in September.
AM Best reports title insurance premiums on upswing after two years of declines-AM Best’s Market Segment Report found that title insurance premiums increased by 7.2 percent in 2024 on the back of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
First American economist: housing affordability improved for fifth straight month, offering some optimism-Housing affordability across the nation improved by 2.3 percent year-over-year in July,
NFIB: Percentage of job openings holds steady-The NFIB's September jobs report found that around one in three small-business owners reported job openings they could not fill in September, unchanged from August.
Title Resources Group appoints executive vice president-The firm selected a licensed Texas attorney to serve in the role.
FirstClose integrates POS platform with Optimal Blue’s PPE engine-The integration builds on FirstClose’s ability to reduce home equity closing times while also giving lenders access to Optimal Blue’s pricing and eligibility data.
Redfin: Percentage of homeowners with at least 6 percent mortgage rate at highest level in a decade-The share of mortgaged homeowners with a rate of at least 6 percent rose to 19.7 percent in the second quarter, according to Redfin
Closinglock unveils tool to help firms collect data for new FinCEN rule-The new integrated solution automates data collection and storage to help firms comply with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Anti-Money Laundering rule set to take effect March 1, 2026.
Rocket Companies finalizes $14.8B acquisition of Mr. Cooper Group-Through this action, the firms will have a total servicing portfolio of almost 10 million homeowners.
Old Republic opens environmental insurance firm- The Old Republic Environmental Inc. will deliver customized primary and excess liability solutions to businesses of varying scales and complexities.
Douglas Elliman Inc. launches estate, trust and probate division-The division is a group of agents who will help clients navigate trust, conservatorship and probate real estate transactions.
Proper Title names president-The firm announced the hiring of a 30-year industry veteran to expand its residential business, as well as grow its national commercial services division.
ALTA names Metropolitan Commercial Bank as Elite Provider-The bank’s title and escrow banking group provides the industry with relationship management, service team, custom banking and treasury management solutions providing operational efficiency through integrations providers SoftPro, Rynoh and more.
FinCEN delays effective date of residential real estate rule-The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced it was postponing the reporting requirements of its Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers Rule, which was slated to start Dec. 1.
Fitch affirms ratings for Stewart-Stewart Information Services Corp.’s title insurance subsidiaries’ insurer financial strength ratings were affirmed by Fitch Ratings at ‘A-’ (strong).
California law firm expands services to include title insurance-An Irvine, Calif., law firm announced an expansion of its legal services that will include adding title and closing protection insurance.
Westcor promotes title insurance veteran to managerial role-An industry professional with 20-plus years of experience will serve as the south central states sales manager.
Snapdocs integrates eClosing platform with Vesta-The integration will allow mutual customers to manage the closing process within the Vesta Loan Origination System.
ATTOM: Homes became less affordable in large party of country-ATTOM’s newest U.S. Home Affordability Report showed median-priced single-family homes and condos were less affordable than historical averages in 99 percent of counties with sufficient data to analyze in Q3.
Lots of preparation key before FinCEN reporting rule takes effect-The leader of an AI and automation solutions company discusses what firms need to prepare for new federal rule.
Fitch affirms ratings for FNF-Fitch Ratings has affirmed Fidelity National Financial Inc.’s title insurance subsidiaries’ Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings at 'A' (Strong).
ALTA: Title premium volume up by 13 percent year-over-year-The title insurance industry generated $4.5 billion in title insurance premiums during the second quarter of 2025, compared with $4.1 billion during the same period a year ago.
First National Title Insurance hires underwriting counsel-The new hire has spent over 35 years in real estate, title law, underwriting, operations and marketing.
ACES Quality Management rolls out AI system for mortgage and financial services-ACES Quality Management launched ACES Intelligence, which helps customers improve quality, speed and efficiency by enhancing loan reviews, selection and compliance.
Redfin: This past summer was strongest buyer’s market on record-There were an estimated 35.2 percent more home sellers than buyers in the housing market in August (or 505,915 more), according to a new report from Redfin.
Compass, Anywhere Real Estate announce merger-Compass Inc. and Anywhere Real Estate Inc. leaders have announced the collaboration will occur in an all-stock transaction.
From inspiration to action: WFG launches women’s leadership group-When a person acts on inspiration, amazing things can happen. Jaime Johnson, director of WFG Agent 3.0, demonstrated this concept by founding WFG’s new women’s leadership group, which she discussed with October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster.
First American: Home prices continued decline in August-First American Data & Analytics’ August 2025 Home Price Index report showed home prices dropped slightly from July to August and annual prices are appreciating at the slowest pace since February 2012.
CATIC launches new version of CATIC Connections service-CATIC has rolled out an updated version of CATIC Connections that company leaders say is intended to help simplify and improve the daily business operations of CATIC agents and business partners.
Redfin: Home-for-sale listings drop by largest amount in two years-Active listings of homes for sale dropped1.4 percent month-over-month in August the biggest seasonally-adjusted decrease in two-plus years, according to a report from Redfin.
Zillow: American homes worth a record $55.1 trillion-Homes in the U.S. are now worth $55.1 trillion, which is $20 trillion than the eve of the pandemic, per a Zillow report.
First American named to best workplace list for ninth straight year-First American Financial Corp. has been recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Financial Services by global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine.
Vanguard Title Co. celebrates 20 years in business-Vanguard Title operates across Southeast Michigan, with offices in Ann Arbor, Livonia, Shelby Township, and its headquarters in Auburn Hills.
Industry leaders believe interest rate cut could boost housing market-A First American senior economist told The Title Report the Fed’s move to lower interest rates may be a first step toward boosting the housing market.
Radian will acquire specialty insurer, sell title business-Radian Group Inc. announced it is buying Inigo Limited, a Lloyd’s specialty insurer, for $1.7 billion, and that it also plans to sell its title operation next year.
Explaining FinCEN’s residential property reporting rule-A pair of industry experts dive into the details of FinCEN’s new residential real estate reporting rule taking effect in December.
FirstClose boosts sales team-The firm hired four sales professionals.
NotaryCam partnerships provide RON services for loan modifications-NotaryCam plans to collaborate with a mortgage subservicer and a Texas-based law firm offer remote online notarization services for loan modification deals.
Redfin: Median home-sale price increased year-over-year-The median home-sale price rose 2.2 percent year-over-year during the four weeks ending Sept. 14, the biggest increase in five months, according to a Redfin report.
Panelists discuss how to optimize bank-title partnerships- Industry experts from both the title and lending sectors recently spoke on how to get the best possible outcome from bank-title partnerships.
Fitch affirms rating for First American subsidiaries-Fitch affirmed First American’s title insurance subsidiaries’ Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings at 'A' (Strong)
Specialized title company launched-Harold Poltrock, Esq., and Conrad McLean have announced the launch of Attorneys Title, a specialized title company created by attorneys, for attorneys.
Blue Sage Solutions rolls out AI assistant-The firm announced the early rollout of its new AI Sales Agent, a voice- and text-enabled assistant built into its digital lending platform.
ATTOM: Percentage of flipped homes drops from Q1 to Q2-The amount of single-family homes and condominiums that were flipped in the second quarter was 7.4 percent of home sales, down almost 1 percent from Q1.
Number of Canadians searching for homes in U.S. drops -The number of Canadian Redfin.com users searching for homes to buy or rent in the U.S. dropped 19.5 percent year-over-year in August
Closinglock buys payoff retrieval software from Viking Sasquatch-Closinglock has introduced automated, insured payoff retrieval that reduces the processing time from 75 minutes per file to only seconds.
Podcast: Property Rights on Trial: The USIP Seizure-Attorney George Foote, Esq. offered a first-hand account of the unprecedented government takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace headquarters and the impactful legal implications for real estate professionals during an episode of the Keys to Real Estate podcast.
Experts share strategies for balancing cybersecurity compliance with efficiency-WFG’s Stan Czaja and Orrick’s James Chou shared their thoughts on this issue during a presentation.
National Integrity Title Agency hires new account executive-The firm selected an industry professional with more than 20 years of experience to serve in the position.
Tavant enters into strategic partnership with Snapdocs-In this collaboration, the Snapdocs eClosing platform will integrate with Tavant’s FinConnect to give lenders connectivity across their tech stack.
ATTOM: Foreclosure filings up 18 percent -ATTOM’s August 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report shows there were 35,697 properties with foreclosure filings, a 1 percent drop from July, but up 18 percent from 2024.
First American expands fraud prevention services-First American policy-issuing title agents have access to advanced identity verification through the AgentNet platform.
EquityProtect’s services protect property owner from seller impersonation fraud-A California property owner was recently protected from seller impersonation fraud thanks in large part to EquityProtect's fraud prevention and data security services, according to the Office of the District Attorney in San Luis Obispo County.
Ubitquity Inc. launches security tool to protect LLM systems from attacks-This enterprise-grade security tool designed to harden large language model systems against malicious attacks.
Opendoor names new CEO-Opendoor Technologies Inc. selected the chief operating officer of Shopify as its new leader.
AD Mortgage launches new borrower portal-The Florida-based wholesale mortgage lender rolled out its next-generation borrower portal with upgraded tools intended to offer a smoother, quicker loan experience.
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