Commitment Matters

In this episode, Mary and Marc Lowery, SVP and Editorial Research at October Research, distill the who, what, where, when, why and how behind the findings in October Research’s 2021 Voice of the Title Agent Special Report. Who will be the impetus for change in the industry? What factors impacted the shift in title company marketing to consumers? Where do title agents see the most opportunity in the coming months? When will mergers and acquisitions slow down? Why are digital closings not gaining more of a foothold? How are title agents using technology to thrive? Mark shares his insight into these questions and more.

Mary talks with Jeb Hart, SIGNiX Director of Strategic Partnerships, about the ramped-up adoption of electronic and digital closings in recent months and the impacts of this acceleration on the process. From lenders to underwriters to agents, everyone involved in the closing has had to put new protocols in place, but none of this has come without risk. Jeb takes a closer look at both the risks and rewards of what is, unquestionably, becoming the new norm for real estate closings.

In this episode, Brooks Yeager, President of RamQuest and Pavaso, shares his unique perspective on real estate closings over the past year. Until a year ago, digital closings were on a slow climb up the lift hill, gradually gaining momentum and acceptance, state by state. That pace radically changed when the COVID roller coaster propelled digital closings into a myriad of ups, downs, twists and turns. Take a front row seat as Brooks and Mary discuss how our industry rapidly incorporated new processes and technology for digital closings and how Pavaso established its place in the evolution of the digital closing movement.

Mary talks with Erin Tracy Jenner, SVP - Production Operations and Director of Training at Greater Illinois Title Company Group of Companies, about the recent and rapid evolution of digital closings in title and settlement. This candid conversation will spark new questions about aspects of RON, RIN and hybrid closings that you may never have considered as Mary and Erin unpack why the industry is not seeing more demand for these kinds of closings.

Brad Jones, President of Secured Title of Kansas City and Missouri Secured Title, joins Mary for a candid conversation about his experience shutting down an escrow office when the entire staff tested positive for COVID-19. After months of diligently working to ensure all the right employee and customer safety protocols was in place, Brad had to drastically shift focus when COVID took hold. Find out what happens when the best laid plans go sideways as Brad shares his operation’s journey through a pandemic crisis.

In this episode, Mark Lowery, Editorial Director at October Research, takes look into his crystal ball (aka October Research’s 2021 State of the Industry Report) and shares what he sees unfolding in the coming months. From a conversation about the lasting impact of the pandemic on technology to thoughts about what the next 12 months looks like for the refi boom and how the industry could benefit from national standards for data privacy, Mark and Mary leave no stone unturned.

Tyler Adams, Co-founder, President and COO at CertifID, and Mary discuss real estate funds transfer and how in a process where so much has to go right, it’s really easy for one thing to go wrong. While the trends we saw in wire fraud were similar pre-COVID to what they are today, they’ve been exacerbated in recent months. Tyler lends his expertise to a candid discussion about who fraudsters are targeting, how they further manipulate an already stressful environment for gain and how to identify potential areas of vulnerability.

Angela Saiz, Capital Bank MD’s Vice President, Fiduciary Banking, joins Mary for a discussion about the shift we’re seeing in banking relationships, for escrow accounts and beyond. One thing that’s become increasingly clear during the pandemic is the need to be able to call and get a person on the other end of the line when something goes wrong. Angela talks about the difference having a personal relationship with a banker and a team that understands your vision and this business can make, even with our growing reliance technology.

Mary talks with Bill Svoboda, CloseSimple cofounder, about real estate transaction communication in the midst of the pandemic. As COVID took hold, business ramped up. Realtors were suddenly slammed, consumers were demanding more and more information and timely answers and the lens that we looked at the real estate process with changed. Bill discusses the inefficiencies that quickly became apparent and how companies countered with technology.

RamQuest's Mary Schuster introduces a new series that takes a look at how the Title and Settlement Industry has experienced significant changes as a result of COVID-19.