News By Edition

CNAT Title is teaming up with an Austin title company under one statewide brand. CNAT Title announced the official rebranding and full integration of the title company into the CNAT Title family. Read on to find out more.

Fidelity National Financial Inc. (FNF) reported a year-over-year increase in title segment revenue in the first quarter of 2025, according to its earnings report. This was one of the bright spots of a report that also included a decline in net earnings. Read on to find out more.

During the first few years of this decade, many homeowners have dealt with a significant increase in insurance costs due to extreme weather and labor shortages, according to a First American economist. The surge has been concentrated primarily in the South, where homeowners insurance premiums rose by an average of 25 percent between 2021 and 2023. Read on to find out more.

In October Research’s 15th annual Voice of the Title Agent report, many agents said they think more needs to be done to address fraud and ensure data/escrow security. Read on to learn more.

Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. announced that a former title agency owner is its new agency sales representative joining its Florida team. Read on to find out more.

Title Resources Group hired a 25-year industry veteran to serve as senior vice president, regional manager, for four Southern states. Read on to learn more.

Homa, a homebuying platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI), recently launched in Florida. It offers user-friendly tools, and advanced AI gives buyers the ability to purchase a home with the same level of expertise as a human agent, according to the company. Read on to learn more.

Old Republic International Corp. recently reported earnings results for the first quarter of 2025, which included a nearly 11 percent year-over-year increase in title insurance net premiums and fees. This growth happened despite “less than favorable” conditions in the real estate market, a company official said. Read on to learn more.

SoHo Title is partnering with the Florida Agency Network to provide a wide array of title, escrow and closing services for both commercial and residential property transactions. This collaboration is expected to enhance SoHo’s ability to serve homebuyers, commercial developers, builders, lenders and real estate professionals, according to a release. Read on to learn more.

In October Research’s 15th annual Voice of the Title Agent report, there was a pronounced drop from 2024 in the amount of respondents who believe there will be more regulatory scrutiny from state or federal regulators. Read on to learn more.

Rosewood Title has selected a bilingual professional who has worked in the industry for more than 10 years to serve as an escrow officer. Read on to learn more.

AFX Research LLC is integrating with Mortgage Automator to bring automated title updates to lenders. This integration allows Mortgage Automator users to order AFX title updates directly within the platform. Read on to find out more.

About 46 percent of mortgaged residential properties in the country were considered equity-rich in the first quarter of 2025, according to ATTOM’s 2025 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report. While that figure is slightly lower than it was in Q4 of 2024, the proportion of equity-rich homes is almost double what it was in the first quarter of 2020. Read on to learn more.

Bowe Digital announced the unexpected passing of its CEO and founder, Wayne M. Stanley, 38. He died on May 1. “Wayne wasn’t just our leader. He was my mentor, my best friend and a part of my family,” Bowe Digital Chief Operating Officer Heather Lunsford said. Read on to learn more.

Stewart Information Services Corp. reported first quarter revenue of $612 million, which is nearly $58 million higher than Stewart’s Q1 revenue in 2024. Meanwhile, title segment operating revenues in the first quarter increased by 11 percent year-over-year. Read on to find out more.

Property Insight launched its new hybrid title plant model in 37 Tennessee counties. The hybrid model is designed to enhance the search experience for title companies operating in the state, streamlining data access and improving accuracy. Read on to learn more.

ClearEdge Title recently announced a partnership with Iris Powered by Generali to offer a home title and identity fraud, monitoring, alert, and resolution solution designed to help combat the growing threat of title fraud, identity theft, and related scams targeting homeowners. Read on to learn more.

Fidelity National Title has hired a 30-year industry veteran to join its Southern California Westside/Beverly Hills team. Read on to learn more.

The 2025 spring homebuying season is lackluster, with record-high housing costs and widespread economic instability keeping would-be homebuyers at bay, according to a new report from Redfin. Read on to find out more.

A first quarter earnings report showed that First American Financial Corp.’s revenues were 11 percent higher than they were in the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, revenues in the title insurance and service segment rose by 12 percent year-over-year. Read on to find out more.

The National Federation of Independent Business April jobs report found that only one in three small-business owners reported job openings they could not fill in April, the lowest number since January 2021. At the same time, NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkel said many small businesses are struggling to find qualified candidates for their open positions.

In our third episode of Season 2 of the Keys to Real Estate podcast, October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster spoke with two industry veterans with plenty of insight on recruiting and retaining talent - Mary Anne Harris, founder of Real Estate Closing Path, and Donna Anderson, vice president and agency development manager at CATIC.

American Eagle Title Insurance Co. has appointed a professional who has worked in employee training and development to serve as its new vice president. Read on to learn more.

Alanna.ai has selected an industry professional with 13-plus years of experience in marketing and development to serve as its director of marketing. Read on to find out more.

The typical home for sale is listed for 9 percent more than the typical home is selling for, which is the widest gap since May 2020, according to a new report from Redfin. Read on to learn more.

Stewart Title Insurance Co. announced it has officially merged with Stewart Title Guaranty Co. and the merged company will begin operating immediately in New York. Stewart CEO Fred Eppinger said this move will allow his company to better serve its New York customers by expanding the scope of its underwriting services. Read on to learn more.

October Research’s 15th annual Voice of the Title Agent report included a section where respondents were asked to discuss new forms of agent vetting they experienced during the past year. Read on to learn more.

National Integrity Title Agency recently added a 20-plus year title insurance producer to its South Jersey business development team. Read on to find out more.

AmeriHome Correspondent has partnered with Snapdocs to support eNote adoption across its network of independent mortgage bankers, banks, and credit unions. Read on to learn more.

The median home-sale price declined year-over-year in 11 of the 50 most populous metro areas. The last time home prices dropped in that many metros at once was September 2023. Read on to learn more.

Upward Title & Closing, in partnership with Anywhere Real Estate, has announced its expansion into northern California. The company said the new locations complement its strong foothold in the southern part of the state. Read on to find out more.

FIRPTA Solutions recently announced the launch of a processing system designed to help property buyers comply with the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) of 1980. FIRPTA Solutions’ new software system has been crafted to meet the increasing demand for FIRPTA assistance and minimize the risk of errors, according to company leaders. Read on to find out more.

Security American Title announced the expansion of its title abstracting services to provide nationwide coverage in all 50 states. The veteran-owned company was founded in 1997 and offers a combined 100-plus years of industry experience. Read on to learn more.

Click n’ Close announced that a 30-year industry veteran has joined its correspondent lending sales team as correspondent manager. Read on to find out more.

Dark Matter Technologies recently unveiled a new developer portal that will give developers access to the Empower loan origination system. Read on to learn more.

Home sellers gave concessions to buyers in 44.4 percent of home-sale transactions in the first quarter, according to a new report from Redfin. Read on to find out more.