News By Edition

CertifID’s acquisition of CloseSimple combines the wire fraud prevention services of CertifID with the automation and communication capabilities offered by CloseSimple.

Bill Ensley, the founder of Bear Printing, spoke with October Research about his firm’s marketing platform that connects title companies’ sales representatives and their real estate agents. The platform allows for co-branded communications and includes admin tools to help manage marketing on the agents’ behalf, keeping compliance concerns top of mind.

Fathom Holdings Inc. announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. in an all-stock transaction. The acquisition expands Bed Bath & Beyond’s homeownership and transactions strategy by adding Fathom’s capabilities across title, mortgage and other services.

Friday Harbor recently launched technology services to help lenders assess property-specific eligibility requirements before files reach the underwriting stage.

The bar has been raised regarding entry-level homeownership, according to a new Zillow analysis. A record 242 cities now have starter homes valued at $1 million or more.

Cancellation of home purchase contracts are most prevalent in Atlanta, Fort Worth, Texas and Jacksonville, Fla., according to a report from Redfin.

Patten Title Co. will open Patten Title-Beaumont following the acquisition of a title company earlier this month. The office will provide title insurance, escrow and closing services, and is the company’s first location in East Texas.

Westcor’s new artificial intelligence-powered underwriting platform was designed to help agents resolve routine questions and access trusted information on demand, while more complex matters continue to be supported by Westcor’s underwriters.

The American Land Title Association’s market share analysis showed the title insurance industry generated $4.5 billion in premiums in the first quarter of 2026, which 15.4 percent higher than the first quarter of 2025.

Near North Title Group has a new hire. She has 30-plus years of experience in title insurance and will oversee residential operations throughout central Indiana while driving regional growth, strengthening client relationships and supporting strategic market expansion.

Friday Harbor’s recent integration with MeridianLink Mortgage keeps loan data synchronized between the two systems, eliminating manual rework and giving teams clearer visibility into file readiness as loans move through origination.

Foreclosure filings declined by 5 percent from April to May but were still 14 percent higher year-over-year, according to ATTOM’s latest U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.

As fraud risks, cyber threats and operational complexity evolve, title agencies should take a detailed look at their Errors & Omissions insurance coverage. Too often, agency owners focus on premium comparisons while overlooking other factors that can become critically important when a claim arises, according to Title Industry Assurance Company Program Manager Casey Withers.

Texas-based title technology company RecordsOnline unveiled a trio of artificial intelligence engines — ChainOfTitleAI, RunsheetAI and CommitmentAI — in a single workflow where a professional examiner reviews every output.

The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index dropped by 0.6 points from April to May and the Uncertainty Index increased by 3 points in the same time period.

Westcor’s newest underwriting counsel has spent 40-plus years working in areas such as underwriting, claims, agency operations, regulatory compliance, education and legal support.

A partnership between Wholesale Title Solutions and AccuTitle will allow title service data to be imported into AccuTitle’s closing platforms speeding up the preparation of closing documents, reducing turnaround times and improving accuracy.

The median home-sale price hit a record $400,894 during the four weeks ending June 7. That marks the first time the typical American existing home has sold for more than $400,000, according to Redfin.

During his session at the 2026 National Settlement Services Summit in Kansas City, Mo., educator and consultant Matt Lee shared an in-depth account of how he would go about infiltrating a title agency and holding its data for ransom. Lee, who serves as security and compliance senior director at Pax8, shared preventative tips and his thoughts on why cyber defenders should also know how to go on offense.

Fitch Ratings revised its 2026 outlooks for the U.S. homebuilding and North America Building Products sectors from “neutral” to “deteriorating” due, in part, to homebuilders facing weakening demand amid record-low consumer sentiment and a 30-year mortgage rate holding near 6.5 percent. Fitch expects rates to hold at that level through year-end.

Builders, remodelers and other housing industry professionals called on federal lawmakers to adopt zoning and land-use reforms, pass legislation to increase the workforce in the skilled trades and take steps to speed up the process to acquire a clean water permit in an effort to improve housing affordability and help builders to increase the production of attainable homes.

October Research, LLC will host a webinar June 17 at 2 p.m. (ET) titled “Q2 Economic Outlook” featuring Moody’s Analytics Economist Shandor Whitcher. We caught up with Whitcher ahead of his presentation to get his thoughts on the housing market.

Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. promoted a staffer to the position of Florida commercial underwriting manager. The new manager will be charged with mentoring the underwriting team.

ATTOM recently introduced a new service that assigns each residential census tract a 1 to 100 percentile ranking within its metro area, based on expected home price appreciation over a 24-month horizon.

As the real estate industry transitions from a post-pandemic boom to a more stabilized environment, industry insiders are continuously discussing how title and settlement professionals can adapt to the “new normal.” During the 2026 National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in Kansas City, Mo., SoftPro Director of Compliance Leslie Wyatt and Ardán Head of Marketing, Branding and Communications Susan Green discussed strategies that firms can use to gain a competitive edge.

A new Qualia Core capability provides title and escrow teams with a practical entry point to using artificial intelligence without the need for new integrations, subscriptions or tools that sit outside existing workflows.

Statewide Abstract leaders announced they’ve acquired a majority stake in a Peekskill, N.Y., title agency. Under the agreement, the agency will merge its operations into Statewide Abstract, which will support all the agency’s business going forward.

Title Resources recently named a new manager. He will lead business development efforts for TRG across Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

A contingent of banks launched a digital payments initiative that connects on-chain activity with traditional payment rails and allow for clearing and settlement of tokenized commercial bank money. The Clearing House will run the initiative.

New for-sale listings were 422,956 in May, down 4.1 percent from a year earlier and down 0.8 percent from April, according to Zillow’s May Market Report.