Nearly 550 industry professionals gathered in Kansas City, Mo., for the 22nd National Settlement Services Summit (NS3), held May 19-21 at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Among them were 160 first-time attendees who joined peers from across the industry for two and half days of education, networking and collaboration.
Attendees heard from more than 40 speakers, connected with more than 260 companies and enjoyed multiple networking opportunities.
“NS3 is not just another conference,” October Research, LLC CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer said as she kicked off the summit. “NS3 puts you at the center of innovation, education, compliance and collaboration.”
“One thing I’ve always believed about NS3 is this: the magic is not only on the stage,” she continued. “It happens in hallway conversations, over coffee, during networking breaks. It happens when people from different parts of the industry sit down together and openly share ideas. That spirit of collaboration is what makes NS3 different.”
Feedback highlighted the educational sessions covering a wide variety of topics and offered across four educational tracks: Aligned in Action, Innovation by Intent, Policy to Practice and Resilience by Design.
One attendee told NS3 organizers that the content this year was exceptional, delivering both information that industry professionals wanted and what they needed. Others appreciated NS3’s “great speakers on trending topics.”
“If you are in the title industry as a title agent or a vendor providing services to title agents, don’t miss this conference,” another attendee said.
A number of first-time participants called out how much they appreciated NS3. “This was my first conference and absolutely love that it is geared towards the title and escrow,” said one, and another said NS3 was “very impressive to this newbie! So glad I came.”
Featured speaker Dr. Cindy McGovern, CEO of Orange Leaf Consulting, presented “Build Your Game Plan for Growth,” describing how top producers continue to sell, grow and protect their volume no matter the environment.
She suggested sales professionals “be the flower, not the bee,” meaning they should be the person who actually gets something done rather than just run around looking busy. She also reminded them to remember the importance of what the industry does: getting people into homes and helping them create memories.
Audience members appreciated McGovern’s energy and great ideas.
It was standing room only at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast featuring October Research, LLC CEO and Publisher Erica Meyer, SoftPro Chief Product Officer Tara Asquith and SoftPro Director of Regulatory Compliance Leslie Wyatt. Breakfast attendees described the session as “outstanding” and “the best ever,” praising the content and collaborations. They wished the session could have been longer, and one mentioned looking forward to continuing the conversation at October Research’s Women’s Leadership Summit in November.
The focus on industry trends was evident in well-attended sessions exploring artificial intelligence and its potential impact on settlement services, including “Understanding What the World Will Look Like: AI & The Future of Title,” sponsored by Qualia. One attendee said, “The agenda featured a lot of content around where the industry is headed.”
Several participants highlighted the networking opportunities among their favorite parts of NS3. The Networking Reception took place at the KC Current Women’s Soccer Stadium and included the chance to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s first stadium built for a professional women’s sports team.
Giving back was another highlight of NS3 through the Make a Child Smile Community Outreach Event, sponsored by Qualia. Participants volunteered to help fill kits with personal items to be distributed to children in foster care by the Jackson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
Whether it was the educational sessions, the extensive exhibitor floor, the networking opportunities or all of the above, NS3 2026 offered something for everyone.