The sure signs of summer are here. We’ve just come through Memorial Day weekend. The out-of-office vacation auto-replies are starting to multiply. And the National Settlement Services Summit is upon us. (Be sure to check out our own Andrea Somers’ presentation about growing new lines of business in spite of turbulent markets).

We’ll be interested to hear from our counterparts, clients and partners from across the industry. While origination forecasts remain hopeful, it’s becoming clear that the best opportunities will be found in geographic pockets or perhaps more specialty products such as reverse mortgages. We’ve also shared in the past that we believe now’s the time to up your game, whether it’s via more efficient workflows or increased capabilities, such as RON and the ability to conduct digital closings. That makes the exchange of ideas and observations at events such as NS3 so important.

What we’ll be paying attention to at NS3

In addition to catching up with old friends and making new connections, we’ll also be paying attention to “what’s next?” That could be the practical impact of game-changing technology like Chat GPT (Natural Language Processing AI). It could be how affiliated arrangements and similar partnerships can be leveraged to improve revenue. And we’ll certainly be talking to lenders and others about which mortgage products will be leading the way in the eventual rebound, whether it’s HELOCs, HECMs or quick-turn mortgages.

Don’t forget the exhibitor hall

We’ve also found that there’s always something to be learned from the booths and people in the exhibitor halls. We like the fact that NS3 leans on more of a tabletop exhibit approach, which makes it more about the people and the products/services, rather than about who can afford to build a three-story house inside the building (if you’ve been to some of the mortgage lender conferences of yesteryear, you know what we’re talking about!). This is also a great place to see what your partners, clients and competitors are gravitating towards when it comes to new technologies or partnerships.
Finally, conference season is a great time to acknowledge and learn from the best our industry has to offer. Our own Aaron Davis was honored with the 2021 Philanthropy Award at last year’s event. We look forward to congratulating this year’s honorees.

It can be tempting, especially during turbulent marketing cycles, to let disappointing headlines and negative speculation take on a bigger part of our mindshare than might otherwise be healthy. So, above all, we’re looking forward to gathering with other success-driven and client-focused title businesses to get a better look at the bigger picture. Yes, 2023 has not been one of the great years for the title or mortgage industries. But it also hasn’t been the worst, and there’s a lot of time left to go. We’re hoping NS3 is a little boost to the industry that reminds us there’s an opportunity out there if we’re ready to go meet it!