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Real estate pros: Explain the value of buyer rep without sounding like a script

Agent, Buyer Representation Agreement, Contributors, First-Time Homebuyers, Homebuyers, HWmember, NAR Lawsuit Settlement, Real Estate /

One of the most important parts of a real estate agent’s job is helping buyers understand why working with you matters, especially now that the new rules around representation and compensation have changed the conversation. Now, more than ever, it is important for buyers to understand the value your representation brings to the table. Since being an agent is ultimately about building relationships, your goal is to connect with your buyers […]

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The quiet advantage in real estate: Pre-approval

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

When it comes to real estate, the best outcomes rarely happen by chance. The buyers who succeed are usually the ones who prepare early, long before they walk into their first showing. Preparation starts with understanding what a lender is willing to offer, and that can take one of two paths: a simple pre-qualification or

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Uncovering the hidden costs of investor reporting in mortgage servicing

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, Opinion, Servicing /

Cost optimization is key to creating success in the world of mortgage servicing. Mortgage servicers have dedicated significant resources in pursuit of optimized processes and prices, as every fraction of the cent saved contributes to the bottom line. Servicers are laser-focused on enhancing throughput efficiency, applying advanced technology to automate and streamline every step from

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Occupancy fraud: Not as simple as you think

Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate Fraud /

The facts uncovered in fraud investigations are often shocking, revealing stories of both tragedy and comedy. And those stories inform how we help our clients to navigate the landscape of risk, regulation, and management. Stories about occupancy fraud, until very recently, never made the news. Then in the Spring of 2024, a top producing loan

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The loan officer’s job is gone, but the Mortgage Advisor’s job is here to stay

Contributors, HWmember, Loan Officer, Opinion /

For decades, the mortgage industry trained us to believe our job as loan officers was clear and defined. A family or individual decided to buy a home, they came to us, and we stepped in to help them finance it. The process was straightforward: get them pre-approved, explain the numbers, shepherd the loan through closing

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Should your mother-in-law be your real estate agent (or your mortgage broker, home inspector, etc.)? 

Agent, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate /

Dave Ramsey says, “You’re gonna get screwed.” But economics disagrees. I think the better question is: What’s the cost of NOT working with your mother-in-law?  Whether or not you agree with the saying “time is money”, I believe that whatever you think you might be financially saving by going with a third-party real estate professional,

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The 25-year housing surge and why the boom is just beginning

Contributors, Gen Z, Home Prices, Housing Market, HWmember, Millennials, Mortgage Rates, Opinion, Real Estate, U.S. Census Bureau /

For years, doom-and-gloom headlines have hyped a looming “housing crash.” But the data, demographics, and long-term trends tell a very different story. The United States isn’t teetering on the edge of collapse — it’s standing at the threshold of what we are calling a 25-year surge: a generational housing boom unlike anything we’ve seen before.

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It’s time to facilitate tech stacks that actually work for title agents

Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Technology /

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: the title industry has long been held hostage by many of its own technology providers. Despite billions invested in “revolutionary” platforms and “game-changing” solutions, most title agents are forced to live with a reality that forces them to juggle incompatible systems that don’t talk to each other, can’t adapt to real-life

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How DPA is rewriting the lending playbook

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

The old playbook of financing mainly single-family, site-built homes is getting a radical makeover, and we’re pleased to note that, looking at the numbers, down payment assistance (DPA) programs are leading this charge, allowing buyers to use funds to purchase manufactured homes, multi-family properties and newly constructed homes. Lenders can use DPA to reduce a

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Title insurance industry innovates to protect consumers from fraud

Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Title, Title insurance /

With real estate fraud becoming more sophisticated, the title insurance industry has taken a transformative step to protect consumers and redefine what it means to protect a home in today’s environment. This month, the American Land Title Association (ALTA) will introduce two new policy endorsements that offer forward-looking coverages that directly guard against seller impersonation

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