Qualia Partners With Realtor.com
January 26, 2021
Qualia and Realtor.com have partnered to give real estate agents and their clients the ability to collaborate online with their title provider of choice as part of a fully integrated digital closing experience.
The service will first launch in February as a pilot test in seven states across the country, followed by a nationwide launch later this year. The seven states are Florida, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
Agents in realtor.com's ReadyConnect Concierge network will be able to use their existing ReadyConnect Agent app to select one of the many highly rated title partners who are powered by Qualia's platform. Agents can also introduce additional title partners to the network through the app and web experience. If they choose, agents can continue to work outside of the app with any title provider outside of the Qualia platform.
"The role that each participant in the homebuying journey serves is evolving faster than we've ever seen," said Qualia CEO Nate Baker. "Realtor.com is a Proptech leader that has consistently remained ahead of the curve, empowering its agents to deliver a differentiated home buying experience. We are excited to help them continue this journey alongside our existing network of Qualia powered title and escrow partners across the country."
If the real estate agents work with a title provider in the Qualia network, agents and their clients can automatically manage and review documents, track progress in real time and communicate with the chosen title company through the secure Qualia Connect platform. The platform's security features also help protect buyers from phishing and fraud, Qualia said in a release. Cybercrime in real estate transactions has been increasing rapidly over the past few years, according to the FBI. Consumers can sign their closing documents, and in select states some participants can have them remotely notarized with Qualia’s fully integrated remote online notarization (RON) tool, as well.
In states that allow fully remote closings, agents who give their clients the ability to e-close by working with title providers that embrace modern, digital solutions can set themselves apart from the competition. In an October 2020 Qualia Homebuyer Sentiment Survey, more than 60 percent of survey respondents said they wanted a fully digital closing experience, and more than half of home buyers chose their real estate agent based on a differentiated level of service around closing.
“Realtor.com believes an open marketplace approach that offers choice, control, transparency and efficiency creates the best experience for home buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals,” said Move Inc. CEO David Doctorow. Move Inc., is a subsidiary of News Corp and operates realtor.com. “Our relationship with Qualia is a great example of this. We’re empowering agents by providing options to help them get their clients all the way through closing, as we simplify the process of buying and selling homes for people throughout their real estate journey.”
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