First American Title Insurance Co. announced it will offer its customers a free property title monitoring and fraud alert service, providing a layer of protection for homeowners amid rising real estate fraud risk.
With cyber-enabled losses exceeding $13.7 billion in 2024, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, and more sophisticated fraudsters targeting record levels of equity held by U.S. homeowners, proactive monitoring for potential fraudulent activity has never been more valuable, according to a release.
“Real estate professionals are increasingly looking for more ways to help protect their home buyers and sellers amid an ongoing wave of fraudster activity that is now powered by AI and advanced technologies,” Jim Dulle, president of First American Title's Direct Division, said in a release. “By combining proactive title monitoring with the protection of title insurance, we’re giving our customers added peace of mind and an early fraud warning system at no additional cost.”
The free title monitoring notifies homeowners of new filings — such as deeds or liens — that may affect their property ownership, helping owners detect potentially suspicious activity early and take action, according to a release. Unlike standalone title monitoring products, First American Title’s free monitoring service is paired with the protection of a title insurance policy from the underwriter. Customers who register for the service also gain digital access to their title policy documents and a connection to claims support should a title or ownership issue arise.
The free property title monitoring service is available to customers who close their transactions directly through First American Title in one of 25 eligible states. The eligible states include: Texas, Florida, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Ohio, Hawaii, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. The service is expected to be offered to existing First American title insurance policy holders later this year.