Chris Morton, CEO of the American Land Title Association (ALTA), opened ALTA ONE 2026 with a keynote that carried a clear message. Fraud, new technology, and shifting regulations are changing the industry fast. The professionals who thrive will stay curious, look for ways to improve, and keep the customer as their north star.
“The future of this industry won’t be decided for us,” Morton said. “It will be shaped by the people willing to show up and build it together.”
We couldn’t agree more. It’s what our team of title & escrow veterans and technology experts does every day: work alongside our customers to build cutting-edge solutions that help you deliver better service and grow your business.
We took that mission to ALTA ONE, which drew a record-breaking 1,314 attendees. Team members led a practical education session on how title companies can get the most out of artificial intelligence (AI), and had discussions with hundreds of title & escrow professionals from across the country, all so we can build even stronger solutions for you. We also attended keynotes and sessions to capture insights from the industry. Here are four takeaways that stood out.
AI will empower title & escrow professionals
AI was the talk of ALTA ONE. It’s already changing every industry, including ours, and it will make those who embrace it far better at their jobs, industry leaders said at the conference. “AI is here to empower us,” said David Townsend, immediate past president of ALTA, in a keynote.
Morton encouraged professionals to view AI as a tool that can enable our industry to add value through better service and enhanced protection from risk and fraud. “The goal isn’t technology for technology’s sake,” Morton said. “The goal is using every tool available to deliver more value while preserving the expertise, judgment and protection that only title professionals can provide.”
Not all AI tools are equal. Morton advised title & escrow professionals not to adopt something because it’s new or labeled AI, or reject it out of hand. Instead, stay curious: test, learn, and see what works best for you and your clients.
“Curiosity may be one of the most important competitive advantages we have. Because the future isn’t going to wait for us to get comfortable. It’s already here.”
— Chris Morton, CEO, ALTA
Technology can free title & escrow to focus on relationships
Like Morton, we believe The Future Is Now for title & escrow. Teams that embrace new technology and new ways of working stand to gain a significant advantage in a fast-changing landscape. How this landscape will take shape over the next decade was a focus throughout ALTA ONE, including a main stage panel discussion hosted by new ALTA President Craig Haskins.
Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather, First American Title Insurance Company Chief Economist Mark Fleming, and Stephens Inc. Equity Research Analyst Oscar Nieves told Haskins the winners of the next decade will make closings smoother and more transparent for consumers. They’ll use technology to cut busywork so they can spend more time nurturing relationships and providing white-glove service. Title & escrow’s winners will “embrace technology and focus on relationships,” Fleming said.
Qualia is building the technology that makes that shift possible. At ALTA ONE, we spoke with attendees about how Qualia Clear, the agentic AI system we launched just over a year ago, takes busywork off your team’s plate. It’s built directly into the single platform where you already manage orders, documents, communication, and funding. Because it lives in your system of record, Qualia Clear has the context and data to do real work, so your people can spend their time on relationships.
That proper context and clean data are essential to getting AI to deliver trustworthy results. Qualia’s Alex Brown and Tyler Lee stressed that in the session they led on data and practical AI adoption.
“Title companies need to consider themselves data producers as well as title producers,” said Alex Brown, Senior Director of Strategic Engagements. “If you make an effort to set up your system thoughtfully, hold your staff accountable for using it correctly, and maintain it routinely, you’ll be ready for AI.”
Qualia’s Tyler Lee and Alex Brown led an AI-themed education session at ALTA ONE 2026. Their key point? Title companies that thrive in the AI era will be great title producers and great data producers, treating every file, note, and communication as an asset.
Fraud is escalating, but our industry can fight back and show how we protect consumers
Fraud pressure on title & escrow is intensifying. Organized criminal networks are using sophisticated technology to advance wire fraud attempts and other cons aimed at stealing the funds in a transaction.
Morton pointed to new data from an ALTA 2026 survey. It showed that 59% of firms reported at least one seller impersonation attempt in the past year, up from 28% in 2024. Respondents also shared that wire fraud, business email compromise, corporate entity fraud, and other types of fraud had become more common. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that real estate-related fraud losses rose nearly 60% year over year in 2025, to $275.1 million. Qualia’s 2026 Wire Fraud Report revealed that 80% of title & escrow firms experienced a fraud attempt over the past year.
“The adversary is getting quicker through AI,” retired U.S. Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, a current OpenAI board member and former director of the National Security Agency, told Morton in a main stage discussion.
In this environment, you must assume you’re a target, build strong defenses, plan your incident response in advance, and build a culture where employees can raise concerns freely, Nakasone said. Experts at ALTA ONE emphasized that next-generation technology can help you establish that stronger defense against fraudsters.
For instance, Qualia Shield automatically runs wire verifications on every transaction, making closings safer. It can do that because it’s built directly into the title & escrow workflow, with no separate add-on integrations that create gaps fraudsters can exploit. To make closings even more secure and modern, Qualia is also launching new ways to move money digitally, including the ability for buyers to send earnest money and make their cash-to-close payment directly from Qualia Core.
Fraud isn’t going away. But, Morton explained, consumers know what it is, which gives title & escrow a chance to show how we protect them. ALTA leaders urged our industry to tell that story to consumers and partners. “We know the value we provide,” said Townsend. “The question is whether we’re communicating it. If we don’t tell our story, someone else will. And they won’t tell it nearly as well.”
Qualia team members like Jimmy Varley spent the week at ALTA ONE consulting customers and listening to feedback.
The market is slow, but there’s room for growth
Economic experts at ALTA ONE said a boom in home sales isn’t coming soon, but there remain opportunities for title & escrow firms to grow.
Home sales are pacing at about 4 million a year, below the 5 million-plus considered normal. Several factors are holding the market back, including that mortgage rates are near 7% and could climb before they fall. Many homeowners who locked into pandemic-era basement rates are reluctant to move and give up their low payment. Also, the median existing home price across the country has risen for 39 straight months, to $417,500, pricing out some households.
Despite the current economic conditions, 4 million home sales a year still offer plenty of opportunities. As Nieves and Haskins noted on the main stage, life events keep happening. People take new jobs, have kids, and get raises. All of it moves buyers into the market, they said. Haskins noted that his own firm, Knight Barry Title Inc., is growing faster than might be expected given rates and slower overall home sales.
So how do you grow in a quieter market? Leaders at ALTA ONE advised winning more market share. You can do that by pursuing mergers and acquisitions (M&A), adding to your offerings (commercial, for example), and serving customers better than competitors do.
Technology can help with that, and Qualia Clear is an example. It can cut file processing time by 35% to 50% by doing work. Your team members review and sign off. That frees them to handle complex edge cases and spend more time personally guiding customers through closings. Qualia Clear can also help you analyze your company’s data better and create more effective strategies to earn more business, or even evaluate a potential acquisition.
Haskins urged everyone to stay optimistic and keep building together. “Be here to do something,” he said. “You don’t need permission to make a difference.”
Speak to one of our experts today to learn more about how Qualia can partner with you to help your title & escrow business succeed.
