Firstclose Partners With Stewart To Enhance Home Equity Services 

FirstClose, a fintech provider of data and workflow tools for mortgage and home equity lenders, on Wednesday announced a partnership with Stewart Lender Services, a division of Stewart Information Services Corp. The agreement will expand home equity fulfillment capabilities within the FirstClose Order Management System (OMS).

The integration gives FirstClose OMS users access to Stewart’s suite of home equity title, valuation and closing services. The partnership adds data, property reports, title insurance, and an errors and omissions (E&O) policy for home equity loans to FirstClose OMS, along with automated title decisioning and a process intended to speed eligibility checks and clear-to-close timelines.

“Our home equity fulfillment solutions are designed to help lenders move with speed and confidence,” Beth Fowler, president of Stewart Lender Services, said in a statement. “By integrating with FirstClose we’re equipping lenders with the tools needed to accelerate loan decisioning, improve operational efficiency, and provide borrowers with a modern, streamlined home equity experience.”

The companies say that consolidating ordering and fulfillment within one workflow will help lenders cut manual steps, speed up decisioning and improve the borrower experience.

“Partnering with Stewart Lender Services enhances the power of our Order Management System by giving lenders direct access to a broader set of integrated home equity solutions,” said Tedd Smith, CEO of FirstClose. “By unifying data, title, valuation and closing workflows in one place, lenders can shorten cycle times, manage risk and drive growth in the evolving home equity market while also delivering a more seamless experience for borrowers.”

Lenders that use FirstClose OMS can also access Stewart Valuation Intelligence for desktop and field appraisals, automated valuation models, hybrid inspections and analytics, a release from FirstClose explained. They can also take advantage of Stewart’s closing services, which include mobile notary, remote online notarization and in-person electronic notarization.