A new year means a new slate of both challenges and opportunities. It’s also an opportunity for reflection on the lessons learned from the year before.

Guest blogger Chris Morton, CEO of the American Land Title Association, did just that, looking back at what 2025 taught us about how critical title insurance’s real protections are in the 21st century.

I’ll be back next week, but until then, I’ll let Chris take it away.

Thanks, Mary!

If 2025 taught me anything as I stepped into the role of ALTA CEO, it’s that the title industry continues to prove its value with unmistakable clarity. As a new administration took office and regulatory and economic shifts reshaped the real estate landscape, title insurance remained a steadfast source of protection for property rights. This past year underscored just how critical our protection is when it comes to facing modern-day challenges.

A very narrow view of the title industry fails to recognize that we are far more than searches and documents. A title is tangible proof that a property belongs to a homeowner, and it bestows valuable rights that cannot be infringed. Title agents don’t emerge on the day of closing — they perform a tremendous amount of behind the scenes work every day to detect fraud, uncover forgery, resolve hidden liens and safeguard the integrity of property rights.

Fraud and forgery schemes have grown increasingly sophisticated, threatening homeowners and real estate professionals alike. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cyber-enabled crime and fraud resulted in losses of $174 million in the real estate sector in 2024. With the average title insurance claim in a real estate transaction costing over $143,000, the financial risks to families remain significant.

The devastating emotional and financial consequences that emerge in the aftermath of fraud and other cybercrimes are not lost on the title industry. In 2025, companies implemented policies, best practices and innovative tools to further protect consumers. Title insurance has provided proven protection for decades, but the title insurance industry continues to develop technology to meet the needs of its customers.

Title companies are partnering with tech firms to leverage biometric verification for real estate transactions, with the goal of stopping seller impersonation and wire fraud. Across the title industry, companies are accelerating the adoption of advanced fraud-prevention tools to address rising threats like seller impersonation, wire fraud, and AI-generated deception.

New solutions leverage biometric and identity verification to confirm parties to a transaction, including partnerships with CLEAR and Intellicheck to strengthen identity assurance at critical points in the process. Platforms are also emerging to detect impersonation attempts, flag suspicious or fake emails, and prevent fraudulent communications before funds are compromised.

To address growing concerns around document integrity, the industry is deploying identity-based digital signing tools that verify a signer’s legal identity in real time and prevent AI-generated or manipulated documents from being fraudulently executed. Additional safeguards now allow notaries to receive alerts if activity appears under their name without authorization, enabling faster detection of misuse and forged signatures.

ALTA’s new Best Practices framework — which added enhanced identity-verification standards, specialized staff training to detect seller impersonation fraud attempts and defined protocols for responding to fraud — is another layer of protection that title agents can add to their arsenal.

In addition, ALTA rolled out two new policy endorsements that would allow new and existing homeowners to add coverage that offers post-policy protection against forgery of a deed or mortgage, including seller impersonation fraud, a real and increasing risk. The endorsements cover potential legal costs homeowners could incur to correct public records, giving them the assurance that a proven, regulated insurance product is protecting their most important financial investment.

As technology like artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, criminals will leverage it to devise more sophisticated fraud and forgery schemes. With interest rates dropping a third time, many homeowners will be looking to refinance, but they should be aware that refinance transactions are also at risk.

An ALTA-commissioned study by global consulting and actuarial firm Milliman Inc. found that in refinances, fraud and forgery claims represent over 40 percent of all title insurer losses and expenses. The average cost for those claims has reached $207,000, nearly seven times higher than other refinance-related claims.

Because fraud often cannot be detected through a routine public records search, this data underscores a key reality: Alternatives that promise quick savings offer none of the protection consumers and lenders need against the most damaging and unpredictable risks.

The study also highlighted the ongoing need for experienced title agents to dig deeper into records searches and scrutinize documents for red flags, fixing any defects to ensure there is a clean title at the heart of the real estate transaction.

Title insurance continues to provide real protection in the 21st century. Without title insurance, homeowners are at risk of losing what is often their most significant financial investment.

As we look toward 2026, challenges will undoubtedly continue, from evolving cyber threats to shifting policy priorities. But one prediction is certain: The title industry will continue doing what it does best – protecting property rights and preserving the confidence behind the American Dream of homeownership.

Chris Morton
CEO
American Land Title Association