Industry News

Williston Financial Group announced its subsidiary Volly has launched Network Connections, a new component within its marketing suite that empowers mortgage loan officers to collaborate with and support their real estate agent network on each new listing. Read on to find out more.

Guaranty Escrow announced a significant uptick in demand for its real estate crypto escrow services, according to a release. The company experienced a 65 percent year-over-year increase in crypto-backed property transactions as more buyers and sellers are using Guaranty’s cryptocurrency escrow platform to facilitate property purchases and other high-value transactions. Read on to learn more.

The American Land Title Association (ALTA) announced that three of its members were promoted to new leadership positions within the organization. They spoke to The Title Report about their new roles. “These changes mark a milestone in the association’s growth,” new ALTA CEO Chris Morton said. Read on to learn more.

Economic activity declined slightly, while residential real estate sales showed little change, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book report. Half of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts reported slight to moderate declines in activity, three districts reported no change, and three districts reported slight growth. Read on to learn more.

Whether trying to buy a home or simply stay put, more Americans are finding that the financial demands of homeownership are becoming harder to meet — and harder to manage, according to First American Senior Economist Sam Williamson. Read on to learn more.

Viking Sasquatch CEO Pat Carney and Product Manager Stephanie Davis spoke with The Title Report about the company’s new platform, created after they heard from title and escrow professionals looking for a way to speed up their reconciliation process and make it more efficient. They unveiled the new tool at the National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) June 16-18 in Pittsburgh. Read on for more.

American Eagle Title Insurance Co. announced its expansion into New Mexico, marking the sixth state in the company’s growing underwriting footprint. To support this growth, it has begun construction on a title plant in Otero County. Read on to learn more.

Blockchain company Balcony has signed a five-year agreement with the Bergen County Clerk’s Office in New Jersey to digitize and bring 370,000 property deeds on-chain — representing approximately $240 billion in real estate value. The initiative marks the largest blockchain-based deed tokenization project in U.S. history. Read on to learn more.

The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index increased by three points from April to May, but the Uncertainty Index rose two points. Two of the main reasons for the rise in optimism were expected business conditions and sales expectations. Read on to learn more.

October Research Chief Knowledge Officer and Keys to Real Estate podcast host Mary Schuster discussed why engagement between industry professionals and their regulators is so important while speaking with a pair of incredibly personable leaders of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which regulates the title insurance industry. Read on to learn more.