Keys to Real Estate

There is a lot of discussion around the need for trust among coworkers, but does that outweigh the need for frameworks that ensure the security of your company’s critical systems? CertifID Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Tom Cronkright and CloseSimple Co-Founder Bill Svoboda explained how too much trust and not enough objective verification can lead to major problems during the closing process....

Many real estate professionals, business owners and borrowers have had a less than stellar relationship with technology at one point or another during a transaction. By joining forces, Certified Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Tom Cronkright and CloseSimple Co-Founder Bill Svoboda hope to achieve their mission of creating a closing process that is more secure, more automated and more consumer-fr...

Is artificial intelligence (AI) coming to take your job or change how you do it? That is an albatross of a question hanging over just about every technology-dependent industry. It is also one of many tackled by MyHome (a WFG Company) Senior Director of Innovation and AI Ryan Ozonian and First American Data & Analytics Vice President of Product Underwriting Adam Schlesinger during the October R...

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be reshaping how we approach real estate finance and title insurance, but does that mean professionals in this industry can just set it and forget it? MyHome (a WFG Company) Senior Director of Innovation and AI Ryan Ozonian and First American Data & Analytics Vice President of Product Underwriting Adam Schlesinger took the stage at October Research’s 2026 Natio...

The landscape of fraud and trust has become fraught with advancing threats from artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes and synthetic identities. Eva Velasquez from the Identity Theft Resource Center joined Keys to Real Estate host Mary Schuster to discuss the psychologically of scam artists and how trust infrastructure must adapt to new digital threats. She explained why human relationships are m...

In a world where everyone seems to want things to move faster and faster, when it comes to safeguarding your business against fraud, sometimes speed is not what you need. Listen as Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, shares insights on how fraudsters now exploit human psychology and trust, making traditional verification methods less effective with Keys to Real Estate host Ma...

Does your insurance policy cover what you think it does? Dive into the world of E&O policies and risk management strategies with Casey Withers, program executive at TIAC, and Mary Schuster, chief knowledge officer at October Research. Discover practical insights for evaluating your coverage plan that go beyond simply talking about the premium. There are important industry-specific policies you...

What happens when an entire industry realizes the insurance marketplace may no longer understand its business? That question led title professionals to build TIAC — a title-specific E&O program built by title people, for title people. In this episode of Keys to Real Estate, TIAC Program Executive Casey Withers breaks down the fundamentals of title agency coverage, risk retention groups, claims...

Examining the evolving landscape around cybercrime at the micro-level reveals many risks one cannot always see from the macro-level. In this episode of Keys to Real Estate, cybersecurity expert Matt Lee sheds light on these specific risks in the title and settlement industry, emphasizing the importance of awareness, good technological hygiene and strategic defenses. October Research Chief Knowledg...

When trying to defend your business against hackers, who better to educate you than someone who knows exactly how it’s done and why the rate of cyber risk growth is only going to accelerate in the years ahead? In this episode of Keys to Real Estate, cybersecurity expert Matt Lee discussed the evolving landscape of cyber threats, how artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing the conver...

For technology to be useful, it has to make life easier for the people using it. In this episode, Settlor Co-Founder and President John Freyer, Jr. describes how his company set out to create a platform that did just that for title agents. He highlights the importance of engaging directly with customers to build solutions that actually work in practice, rather than relying on one-size-fits-all app...

Despite an array of challenges facing the settlement services industry, many title agencies are leaning forward. In this episode, Settlor Co-Founder and President John Freyer describes the evolving role of title companies in the real estate sector, highlighting their strategic importance in fostering consumer trust and ensuring successful transactions. He and October Research Chief Knowledge Offic...

With new FinCEN reporting requirements on hold and the ever-present need for new fraud protections, title and settlement professionals find themselves with a prime opportunity to make their voices heard in the nation’s capital. ALTA’s VP, Head of Federal Government Affairs Kevin Cameron joins October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster to talk about how ALTA helps those who are on the g...

For housing professionals, this is one of those moments where the industry is being shaped in real time and the people on the ground have an opportunity to influence what’s coming next. October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster sat down with someone who knows plenty about making that happen – ALTA’s VP, Head of Federal Government Affairs Kevin Cameron. He emphasized the most effective...

While everyone’s been watching the CFPB… the states have been getting busy. From joint ventures to marketing relationships, state attorneys general are stepping in – and in some cases, pushing entirely new interpretations of RESPA that the industry hasn’t seen before. So, the question is: are you operating under yesterday’s rules in today’s enforcement environment? Let’s take a closer look at wher...

What if the biggest risk in RESPA right now… is thinking there isn’t one? Federal enforcement has gotten quieter – but that doesn’t mean it’s gone. And in some ways, this moment may carry more long-term risk than when regulators were actively bringing cases. In this episode of Keys to Real Estate Holly Bunting, a RESPA expert and partner at Mayer Brown, breaks down what’s really happening at the f...

Sometimes the best way to make things happen is to start small. Real estate industry advocates have long concentrated their efforts at the federal and state levels, but AEI Senior Fellow Ed Pinto said the county and municipal governments often hold the keys to meaningful change while speaking with October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster on the Keys to Real Estate podcast. Among the...

Most people don’t tend to associate the word “capital” with land and that could be a mistake. In fact, Ed Pinto, senior fellow and co-director at the AEI Housing Center explained why land may be the most valuable type of capital in the real estate market on the Keys to Real Estate. He shared some compelling insights with October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster on why this is so and...

Housing attainability keeps getting worse – even as policymakers promise solutions. Ed Pinto, senior fellow and co-director at the AEI Housing Center, explains why demand-based fixes fail and what actually works in this episode of Keys to Real Estate. October Research Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster engaged Pinto on the importance of taking a data-driven approach when assessing the complexit...

Lenders are keeping their chins up entering 2026 after a year HomeLight Homes President Nick Friedman described as “not great” while speaking with Keys to Real Estate host Mary Schuster. Expanding on the results of his company’s recent survey of lenders across the country, Friedman explored why lenders said they expect the year ahead to see a notable uptick in mortgage originations and what role t...

MISMO’s new president, Brian Vieaux, took part in an exclusive interview with Keys to Real Estate host Mary Schuster to discuss his new role and the transformative changes occurring in the housing industry. He described how MISMO is evolving its data-driven standardization mission to account for shifts in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) as they gain more and more prevalence in the mort...

Ted Rossman had plenty of insight to share about recent changes in FICO scoring models, invoking his expertise as a longtime industry analyst at Bankrate. During this episode, he described the significance of the introduction of FICO 10T, which incorporates trended data and the impact of Buy Now Pay Later services on credit scoring. He highlighted the generational differences in attitudes towards...

Mortgage fraud is back in the headlines — but understanding how it really happens requires a closer look. In this episode, attorney and former CFPB Senior Counsel David Friend joins host Mary Schuster to unpack the difference between “fraud for money” and “fraud for housing,” why proving intent is so difficult and what real estate professionals should watch for in today’s market. He highlighted th...

When the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced sweeping new reporting requirements, one Texas title agent decided she couldn’t stay silent. Instead of quietly complying, she became the lead plaintiff in a national lawsuit challenging the legality of the rule. Listen as she shares her story, alongside her attorney, Luke Wake of the Pacific Legal Foundation, about what’s at stake f...

When a person acts on inspiration, amazing things can happen. Jaime Johnson, director of WFG Agent 3.0, demonstrated this concept by founding WFG’s Women at the (Closing) Table group. She credits the Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS), hosted by October Research, with providing the creative spark for her to take action. While speaking with Keys to Real Estate host Mary Schuster, Johnson described the...