Frequently Asked Questions

Resources

Hover over any highlighted words for a definition from the glossary of terms.

Am I able to update listing information when there is a request for a confirmed underwriter relationship with a status of under review?

Yes, the updated information will be immediately available for the Testconfirming underwriter to review. Once the request is confirmed however you are not able to make changes until the next day.

Are there user manuals and resources available for real estate attorneys?

There will be user manuals and resources available at the start of Testreal estate attorney on-boarding in January of 2018.  

Can I see my listing on the ALTA Registry website?

Yes, once at least one of your selected Testconfirming underwriters has confirmed your request your listing will appear in the ALTA Registry.

You can visit the ALTA Registry and search for your Testcompany using your TestALTA ID.

Do I need to use my ALTA login and password to see my listing in the ALTA Registry?

No, you can perform a search for your Testcompany in the ALTA Registry without logging in. However, note that only company and contact information will be made available to the public. Details regarding your Testconfirmed underwriter relationships are only made available to ALTA Registry customers.  You are able to view your confirmed underwriter relationships using the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS).

Does an ALTA Registry listing replace a CPL?

No, the Closing Protection Letter process is enhanced but not replaced. The information available to lenders in the ALTA Registry, especially the unique TestALTA ID assigned to each location, will speed the process by which they can perform verifications with the underwriter.

How do I contact ALTA Registry staff?

If you need help or more information, email ALTA Registry staff at altaregistry@alta.org or call toll-free at 855-618-2582.

How do I find out the name of the Primary Contact for my company?

To find the Testprimary contact for your Testcompany visit the ALTA website and login. Select My Account to see your company’s profile including the name of the primary contact.

You can also reach out to ALTA Staff at service@alta.org if you need help or to update your primary contact.

How do I get access to manage ALTA Registry listings for my company in the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS)?

You must be a Testprimary contact or Testsecondary contact for your Testcompany's TestALTA Business Structure in order to manage your ALTA Registry listing information.  Go here for more information on how to find out the name of the primary contact for your company.

How do I know if my underwriter is ready to confirm my listing request?

Go to this page to see the status of Testconfirming underwriters today.

How do I learn how to use the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS) ?

We have provided many different tools to help you use the TestALTA Registry Management System (RMS).  

To get you started we have a short video on You Tube, or go to Getting Started for material you can view and download.

If you are a Testtitle agent, a really handy tool is our Title Agent Easy Guide that explains how in 4 easy steps you can access the RMS and prepare your records for listing in the ALTA Registry. 

Detailed user manuals and other tools are also available in Registry Resource section.  Last, you will find lots of helpful information within the RMS itself, including pop up boxes and information icons. 

How do I obtain a subscription to the ALTA Registry?

Subscriptions are available only to lending industry organizations such as banks, mortgage lenders, warehouse lenders, community credit unions and their technology vendors.  Obtaining a subscription involves the execution of a licensing agreement, payment of an annual subscription fee and the creation of an account.

Contact us at altaregistry@alta.org or call us at 855-618-2582. We will discuss with you the Customer License Agreement and pricing.  Once you are ready and your account is active you will be able to search and download the ALTA Registry immediately.

How will the ALTA Registry help my business?

Lenders have long sought a way to precisely identify their Testtitle agent partners and businesses with similar names in adjacent transactions have caused pipeline issues for lenders' production processes.

Lenders are beginning to require information to accurately identify underwriters in transactions. Lenders are also under increasing regulatory pressure to enhance their third party supplier oversight – the TestALTA ID provides a foundation for this. Using the unique ALTA ID the ALTA Registry will provide them with Testbranch location details, accurate Testlegal entity names, and direct contact information for the underwriter to request authorizations and approval.

Additionally, the ALTA ID number will play a key role in the title agent’s part in the coming electronic mortgage – the ALTA Registry is going to give those with a listing a competitive edge in the very near future.

I am a title agent and when I am in the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS) I cannot change any details. What does this mean?

This means that you are not a Testprimary contact or Testsecondary contact for your Testcompany's TestALTA Business StructureGo here for more information on locating and updating this information.  

Is the ALTA Registry open to all?

The ALTA Registry is open and free to all who wish to locate Testcompany and contact information for Testtitle agents, Testunderwriter direct offices and Testreal estate attorneys. Any title agent that can be confirmed by an underwriter is eligible to be listed, at no charge. The ALTA Registry will not present a barrier to entry in the market place: lenders are asking for this sort of tool to help support their processes and third party oversight activities.

Is there a cost or fee to participate as an ALTA Registry Confirming Underwriter?

There is no cost or fee associated with participating as an ALTA Registry Testconfirming underwriter

Is there a fee to access or be listed in the ALTA Registry?

We feel that the ALTA Registry is a much needed industry utility, therefore there are no membership fees, licenses or purchases required to be listed in the Registry.

We are a large agency with lots of branches, is there a limit to the number of listings we can have?

No, once your principal business location is established there is no limit to the number of branches you can add.

What does it mean to be Confirmed within the ALTA Registry?

Confirmed means that one or more of a Testtitle agent’s underwriters have reviewed the record submitted for listing in the ALTA Registry and have confirmed that the Testcompany is either a principal business location or a branch office for one of their title agents. Within three days of submission to the underwriter, a confirmed listing request should be published to the ALTA Registry. If, for any reason, an underwriter can’t match and confirm one or more of an agent's records, the agent will receive a notification from the TestALTA Registry Management System (RMS). The title agent may also be contacted by the underwriter directly so that updates can be processed and enable the listing to be published to the Registry.

What ensures that the ALTA Registry will be current and error-free when a lender or third party seeks information from it?

The ALTA Registry record is established and maintained by either the Testtitle agent and Testreal estate attorney. By establishing the TestALTA ID which can be shared with underwriters, lenders and others in the transaction, entities listed in the ALTA Registry actually have a better chance of making sure a lender can find them and confirm their identity. One or more staff employees are selected to update, organize and submit listing information for confirmation.

What if I am both a Law Firm and Title Agent?

You are encouraged to first submit your requests for your Testconfirmed underwriter relationships to be included in the ALTA Registry and then you may also include your Testindividual Testreal estate attorneys performing settlements. See Registry Resources for the real estate attorneys user manual and other tools when on-boarding for real estate attorneys begins in January of 2018. 

What is the ALTA Registry Management System (ALTA RMS)?

The TestALTA Registry Management System (RMS) is a portion of the ALTA website that is used by Testtitle agents, Testunderwriter direct offices, and Testreal estate attorneys to request and maintain listing information that appears in the ALTA Registry. Once a record is confirmed in the RMS it will appear in the ALTA Registry.

What is the ALTA Registry?

The ALTA Registry is a web based industry utility created by the American Land Title Association that utilizes the TestALTA ID to help the industry more confidently identify Testtitle agents, Testunderwriter direct offices and Testreal estate attorneys performing settlements. The goal of the ALTA Registry is to help industry participants confirm the identity of title and settlement entities and work with business partners to obtain speedy authorization to proceed with a specific transaction. The ALTA Registry will contain only title agents which have been confirmed by at least one title insurance underwriter and real estate attorneys performing settlements who have provided their attorney licensing information. Learn more here.

What login do I use to access the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS)?

To access the TestALTA Registry Management System (RMS) you should use the same ALTA login and password that you use for all other activity on the ALTA website.

What sort of information is available to users of the ALTA Registry?

The ALTA Registry provides company and contact information for confirmed Testtitle agents, Testunderwriter direct offices and Testreal estate attorneys to help lenders and others in the transaction process be more confident in the identity of their business partners.

What will happen if I am only confirmed by one underwriter and I change to another?

As soon as you and your original underwriter have ended your business relationship, your listing in the ALTA Registry will no longer show that specific Testconfirmed underwriter relationship. You will have up to 45 days to request and receive confirmation by a new Testconfirming underwriter before your listing is removed from the ALTA Registry.

What would the ALTA Registry bring to the table that existing regulatory oversight and statutory requirements do not already provide?

We believe that TestALTA ID provides, for the first time, a unique identification number which transcends state, local and agency id numbers; this establishes a way for industry participants to confidently identify a Testtitle agent. Lenders view the development of the ALTA ID as a tool to further enhancing their federal, third party oversight obligations, help mitigate risk and improve their production processes.

Where would that data reside and what security protocols would be put into place to secure the data?

All Testcompany listings and confirmed information is entered and maintained in the TestALTA Registry Management System (RMS) and stored in the TestALTA Database (DB). Once this information is marked as confirmed it is displayed for public access on the ALTA Registry.  The ALTA Registry information that is not available to the public, such as Testconfirmed underwriter relationships is protected and accessed only by TestALTA Registry Customers with a login and password.

Who at my company can access the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS)?

Anybody can view your information in the ALTA Registry as it is open to all.

However, only the Testprimary contact person for your TestALTA Business Structure is allowed to update Testcompany information, organize your ALTA Registry Structure and submit records for confirmation. It is also possible to add a Testsecondary contact person with the same permissions. If your company has a home office and Testbranch locations, the primary and secondary contacts may update and submit records for all of the branch locations.

Who would maintain the data and information related to the title agent’s status and whether or not they are in good standing? Would it be the title agent, lender, ALTA, or another party that maintains this information?

As always, the underwriter maintains this information. Only the underwriter can indicate that a Testtitle agent is in good standing and provide authorization. The ALTA Registry provides lenders with the easiest way to locate the contact information for an underwriter to perform this sort of verification. The TestALTA ID provides a precise way to identify a title agent and ensure the lender and the underwriter are discussing the same one.

Why does the ALTA Registry Management System (RMS) ask me to provide my unique agency ID?

Your unique agency ID, while not required, may assist a Testconfirming underwriter with their confirmation process. The unique agency ID is only provided to the confirming underwriter and is never provided to or published to the ALTA Registry.  

Your agency ID and the TestALTA ID are not the same thing.  The agency ID comes from your underwriter the ALTA ID comes from the ALTA Registry.

Will this data ever be for sale and if so, what entities would be allowed to buy this information? If it is for sale, how much would it cost and who would receive the fees paid for the information?

The data within the ALTA Registry will not be for sale. Your lender clients can access the ALTA Registry by subscription, but will not be permitted to share the contents with third parties.

Would this information be provided to lenders or others on an “as needed” basis when a transaction is pending or would it be available regardless of whether or not a transaction is pending?

The ALTA Registry will be open and available for access at all times. Because the ALTA Registry acts as a phone book, it is important to make listings available for search at all times.