News By Edition

At this year’s National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in Kansas City, Mo., The Title Report sat in on the session “From Token to Title: Applying Cryptocurrency for Real Estate Opportunities.” The panelists discussed a new universal payment token that is being marketed as a crypto asset that can be used by consumers to help them with home purchases and other transactions.

While 10 of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts reported a slight to modest rise in overall economic activity, eight said the residential real estate market was either unchanged or down, according to the latest Beige Book report.

The National Federation of Independent Business May Jobs Report showed that the Small Business Employment Index was nearly flat, registering 100.3 after coming in at 100.4 in April. It is the third straight month in which the Index has declined.

CATIC has a new staffer who previously served as general counsel for a division of a global specialty finance company.

Fidelity National Title recently welcomed a new executive to the team. The individual heading the San Antonio operation offers almost four decades of title industry experience.

A recent analysis from ATTOM outlines the riskiest housing markets that were characterized by particularly high rates of unemployment and some of the worst foreclosure rates compared to the other counties included in the analysis.

The research, conducted by First American Data & Analytics and DealGround, found adoption of artificial intelligence in commercial real estate is rising, but the technology has yet to earn a trusted role in high-stakes decision-making.

Luther Davis, an ex-University of Alabama football player, is charged in connection with a loan fraud scheme where he impersonated multiple NFL players. The case is an example of the ongoing deed fraud threat that homeowners need to keep on their radar. Edward McDonnell, CEO of McDonnell and Associates in Columbia, S.C., knows first-hand that this type of criminal activity is far from unusual. He discussed his experience and shared advice.

Clear Title Agency has a new branch that will provide title and escrow services to real estate agents, lenders, investors and homeowners in the growing West Valley region.

First National Title Insurance Co. recently welcomed a new team member. The new employee offers a background in underwriting operations, agency support and relationship management throughout the Texas market.

EquityProtect’s monetary threshold reflects properties of owners who have used its SmartPolicy technology to place a recorded legal encumbrance directly on their title — creating a cryptographically verified lock that cannot be bypassed by a forged signature, a fabricated notarization, or a stolen identity.

Redfin’s latest report reveals that investor home purchases fell 6 percent year-over-year in the first quarter largely because elevated housing costs squeezed potential returns.

Taylor Morrison Home Corp. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. announced they reached a deal in which Berkshire Hathaway will acquire Taylor Morrison. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of the year, subject to customary closing conditions.

D.R. Horton Inc. reported its net income during the second quarter declined by 20 percent year-over-year and earnings per diluted share decreased by 13 percent in the same time frame.

With older Americans staying in their homes longer than in previous generations, National Association of Home Builders Chairman Bill Owens said it is “more urgent” to take steps to expand the housing supply.

A region manager and two agency representatives have been hired to strengthen Westcor’s presence in North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico.

Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has a new product that centralizes fraud risk scoring and property risk data in a dashboard, reducing the need for underwriters to navigate between multiple vendor portals.

Total loan volume in the first quarter of 2026 reached $577.7 billion, down 12 percent quarterly, but up 15 percent year-over-year, according to ATTOM’s latest Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report.

In a recent white paper, RecordsOnline leaders said they believe that artificial intelligence’s (AI) role is title work is to do the research while the examiner makes the judgment. “AI without an examiner in the loop isn’t a title product. It’s a liability. We built the loop,” Celia Flowers, founder of RecordsOnline, said.

Blend Labs Inc. reported its first-quarter revenue as $30.8 million, which is about $4 million more than the same time frame in 2025.

The departing Radian Group Inc. CEO has served as the firm’s leader since 2017. The new leader, formerly president of Mr. Cooper Group, will begin serving as CEO-Elect on June 1.

Patten Title Co. recently hired an executive. This new fiscal leader will help teams across the organization identify profitable opportunities, strengthen operational insight and make informed business decisions with greater clarity.

Through the developed relationship between PropLogix and Investors Title, title firms in the Investors Title network will have access to PropLogix’s due diligence services designed to help keep transactions on track, reduce delays and support efficient closings.

The share of homebuyers paying in cash is declining because market conditions have shifted and due to widespread economic uncertainty, according to Redfin.

Compass’s revenue in the first quarter increased by 99 percent year-over-year to $2.7 billion compared to $1.36 billion in the first quarter of 2025 mainly because of the addition of Anywhere Real Estate’s revenue following the companies’ merger in January.

AM Best has assigned “excellent” financial strength and credit ratings for Westcor Land Title Insurance Co.

First American Data & Analytics’ April 2026 Home Price Index report showed home prices increased somewhat compared with March, but did not change year-over-year.

ServiceLink, a provider of tech-enabled services for all phases of the mortgage lifecycle, recently announced a new executive is coming to the company.

Razi Leads’ recently announced program is designed to help agents efficiently grow their business by connecting them with high-quality leads and providing tools to convert opportunities into closings.

Foreclosure filings decreased by 8 percent in April but were still 18 percent higher than in April 2025, according to ATTOM’s latest U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.

Identity verification, document signing, payment and wire instruction delivery all happen inside a single authenticated session in the CertifID’s newly launched closing platform.

Qleario Inc. leaders announced that TitleLoop and SigningOrder have been unified as core products. The firm also appointed a chief technology officer to lead the expansion of these platforms.

The American Land Title Association’s market share analysis showed the title insurance industry generated $18.5 billion in title insurance premiums in 2025, which is 13.8 percent higher than 2024.

Huntington Bank’s alignment with CHIPS allows new capabilities to send and receive payments over the CHIPS network, which processes more than $2 trillion in payments daily and is operated by The Clearing House.

The RTP network processed 2.27 million valued at $8.62 billion on May 1. This record amount in both categories reflects the rising adoption of the network for higher-value, time-sensitive transactions among financial institutions and corporate treasury teams.

Prices increased by 0.2 percent month-over-month in April, according to the Redfin Home Price Index.