ALTA Insights Archive

The U.S. Supreme Court in June issued a landmark decision rejecting the judicial doctrine known as Chevron deference. Why should the title insurance industry care about this Supreme Court decision on a judicial doctrine that was little-known outside of legal circles? Register for this CloseSimple-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar to learn how this opinion could affect how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau administers, and how courts interpret, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and rules promulgated under that statute, including RESPA Section 8 and the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule.

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The entire business world is buzzing with conversation about AI. Yet, more often than not, the topic revolves around natural language processing or Chat GPT. There’s a wider world of AI, and the title industry is already tapping into it. It’s not always about Chat GPT. Register for this CertifID-sponsored webinar as expert panelists will discuss types of AI being used right now by title agents and underwriters and how it’s being used today.

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Join us for a unique and insightful SoftPro-sponsored webinar, featuring industry leaders in a series of short, pre-recorded TED-style videos on the topics shaping the future of title and escrow. After each video, our expert speakers will share their analysis, providing attendees with a deeper understanding of the trends, challenges, and opportunities that will define the industry's future. Topics will include:

• Economic outlook and its implications for the industry
• Continued threat of fraud
• Trends and opportunities in mergers and acquisitions 
• Impact of technology in title and escrow
• Evolving landscape of real estate post NAR settlement

Speakers

Market conditions sooner or later will rebound, bringing once again an increase in staffing needs. However, title company owners and agents face an entirely new generation of skilled workers who don’t always respond to the same methods and compensation that previous generations have welcomed. Register for this Old Republic-sponsored ALTA Insights and hear from industry experts as they discuss the importance of training and retention for all generations, and share specific ideas about motivating and keeping younger skilled talent.

Speakers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a sweeping rule that bans enforcement of and execution of new non-competes with all workers, with limited exceptions. This new regulation, which is expected to go into effect Sept. 4, 2024, barring a successful legal challenge before then, will have a significant impact on the title industry as these contract clauses are used throughout the country. Register for this SoftPro-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar to learn what your company should be doing to comply with the rule.

This webinar will discuss:

• What is a non-compete
  
• Types of employees the rule covers
• Exceptions
• Alternatives to non-competes
• What should companies be doing

The impact of the recent NAR settlement agreement is only beginning to reverberate through the greater real estate industry. As the dust settles, the agreement surrounding broker commissions could have a significant effect on how homes are bought and sold. So, what does that mean for title and settlement professionals? Register for this Qualia-sponsored webinar to learn what the title space should know about the environment and do to prepare for the new potential wave of real estate business models. The presentation will consider the immediate, practical impact and how title and settlement companies should be adjusting business strategies and, most importantly, educating consumers about the benefits of title insurance.

Speakers

By now, the message is clear for the title industry: Cyber threats are real, and no one is immune. Even if most agree that cyber defenses are critical, where does a title agent start—especially on a budget hampered by weak market conditions? Register for this Stavvy-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar to get a practical, step-by-step guide to help your agency or law firm bolster its cyber defenses. Presenters will offer tips to help small businesses dodge unnecessary expenses and leverage their budgets for maximum security.

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It’s important for title and settlement agents to be aware of red flags and proceed cautiously when encountering irregularities or unusual situations during a closing. Some of these include a large cash-out from a refinance, proceeds being wired to an account not belonging to the property owner, or a relative or another person who shows too much interest in the transaction for no apparent reason. This webinar will discuss:

• Demographics of an aging population
• Prevalence of elder fraud
• Red flags
• Reporting options to law enforcement
• Potential legislation

Employees continue to be the weakest link when it comes to cybersecurity. According to reports, nine out of 10 data breach incidents were caused by employee mistakes. Phishing email is one way criminals attempt to garner sensitive information or data. Employees need training and best-practice security controls to keep company data secure. Register for this Closinglock-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar to learn best practices to help identify phishing attempts when reviewing emails.

The webinar will discuss:

• What is phishing
• Different forms of phishing
• Recognizing red flags
• What to do with a phishing email
• What to do if click a bad link

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This presentation will provide a blueprint for building compliant joint ventures in today’s economic and regulatory climate. Expert speakers will offer insight from operational and compliance perspectives. Facing continued scrutiny from federal and state regulators, the discussion will delve into analysis of core and non-core title services to utilizing technology and central services models. Participants will be equipped with everything they need to assemble a successful, sustainable affiliated business arrangement.

Last year, the industry took steps to adopt new ALTA Best Practices on wire verification. But our work isn't done. Reported losses from real estate wire fraud continue to climb. Register for this Old Republic Title-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar for a deeper dive into how this is impacting the title industry and your customers. The webinar will provide insights from the latest FBI IC3 report, ALTA survey on wire fraud and cybercrime, and CertifID State of Wire Fraud report. We’ll cover topics such as:

• Who is being impacted by wire fraud?
• What types of transactions are being targeted?
• What is the level of consumer awareness and education on wire fraud?
• What do consumers expect from their title and real estate professionals?
• What solutions can help identify and prevent fraud?

Is your sales team just servicing accounts or are they delighting customers? In this market, simply providing customer service isn’t going to cut it. You’ve got to be a master of service and provide added value. But what does that mean? Register for this SoftPro-sponsored ALTA Insights webinar to hear from luxury real estate broker Gary Gold and learn how to rethink your sales process, create a “wow” experience and grow your market share. As Gold says, “It doesn’t matter which title company you use, until it does.”

• Covered transactions
• What information must be reported
• When information must be reported
• Who must provide the report
• Expected training and operational costs