Guilford, CT (May 20, 2006)—
Real Estate Technology
News, a publication of October Research in Mansfield, Ohio, released its ratings of
the top ten technology stories of 2005. We are pleased to note that the MORTECH
2005 survey was rated fourth of the ten. There is room for improvement -- and
we will do our best to inform and support our subscribers in the most professional
fashion possible.
Jeff Lebowitz
REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY NEWS
The top technology
stories of 2005
Our list of the most
significant reports and most-read headlines from the past year. (12/28/2005)
Well, 2005 has
almost run its course, and the editors at Real Estate Technology News were in
the mood to look back and take stock of the most significant reports and
most-read headlines from the past year. Here's our top 10 list of
technology stories:
NAR launches new online listing policy, DOJ sues — Without a doubt, the NAR-DOJ fiasco had our readers’ attention throughout 2006. For some time, the DOJ had been threatening to sue NAR over what it viewed as anti-competitive policies for how Realtors post and share listings on each others’ Web sites. In early September, NAR unveiled a new policy it hoped would satisfy the DOJ. No dice — the DOJ announced its suit minutes after NAR posted its announcement. With the two entities continuing to duke it out over which policy the DOJ is actually suing over (the new one or the older, obsolete VOW policy), and NAR having vowed not to settle out of court, this should be one to watch in 2006.
-
eNotes poised to improve liquidity, quality control — The e-mortgage story of 2005 was lenders and title companies moving from planning to implementation with the MERS eRegistry and eNotes. We talked to some of the early innovators throughout the year and gained insight into why they’re making the move, and what you’ll have to do to follow suit.
-
A glimpse into Navy Federal's e-mortgage project — And speaking of e-mortgages … When the Navy Federal Credit Union talks, people listen. We interviewed Molly McCormack, who heads up the e-mortgage effort at Navy Federal, and reader response was overwhelming. The amount of interest in what an innovative firm such as Navy Federal is doing suggests many of you are designing e-mortgage plans of your own.
-
Mortgage technology study projects solid growth in IT budgets — Jeff Lebowitz’s, MORTECH study is always a crowd pleaser. If you missed it, be sure to check out his analysis of the technology trends shaping the industry, as well as his outlook on IT investments for the coming year.
-
Going head-to-head with mortgage fraud — Mortgage fraud made headlines throughout 2005, with fraudsters deploying technology to take advantage of inefficiencies in the lending system. Proactive lenders are starting to deploy their own tools to fight back, but there is no data yet on how effective they’ve been. In this report, we looked at several companies’ attempts to stay ahead of the crooks.
-
Mortgage lead generation: Where we are, where we’re going — Generating business is always a popular topic, and with rates rising and mortgage applications slowing, lenders and brokers are looking at new ways to reach borrowers. This story examined what has and hasn’t worked in the past, and gave a glimpse of what could come in the future.
-
Getting transaction management technology off the ground — Transaction management technology is still viewed by many as The Little Engine That Could (But Hasn’t). The systems hold great promise for making the home buying process more transparent for consumers and parties involved in the transaction, but as this WAV Group report details, there are still many hurdles to overcome.
-
The real estate data, technology ramifications of Katrina — Of course, Katrina was first and foremost a human story, as well as a catalyst for debate over emergency response from local and federal government. But there was a business angle as well. Companies across the country are taking heed and beefing up their own disaster and data recovery plans.
-
Data vendors, county recorders clash over public records — As counties get up to speed with land records automation, some are butting heads with data vendors that want to compile, digitize and index documents for mortgage and title firms to search. The chief concern seems to be data vendors’ right to request those documents and recorders’ ability to provide them. But there’s another angle we’ll be investigating in early 2006: Can counties compete with those vendors by going directly to those companies and creating a new revenue stream?
-
MXCompliance ensures vendors, service providers toe the line — This one might have fallen below your radar, but policing implementations of the MISMO data standards will ensure they deliver the promised benefits. In other words, data standards aren’t very useful without some way to ensure they’re used correctly. MISMO took steps to do just that, and Real Estate Technology News was the first publication to bring you analysis on the MXCompliance program. Several companies were certified as compliant in 2005, and we expect to see more achieve certification in 2006.
|
 |
