Westcor Partners With Notarize to Offer Online Notarization in 16 States
January 11, 2018
Westcor Land Title Insurance Company has partnered with Notarize to expand online notarization to real estate transactions in 16 states. The partnership enables borrowers, independent title agents and lenders to benefit from online closings utilizing Notarize’s platforms, Notarize for Mortgage and Notarize for Title Agents.
Notarize for Mortgage was initially introduced in August to enable lenders to conduct an entirely online mortgage closing process. Initially offered in Washington, Illinois, Virginia and Montana, it has since expanded into other states including Alabama and Mississippi. The new partnership with Westcor expands the list of supported states to include Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire and Tennessee. With this expansion, online closings are now available to more than 103 million Americans or roughly 33 percent of the national population. Westcor and Notarize are continuing to evaluate expansion into additional states throughout 2018.
After months of review, Westcor selected Notarize as its preferred partner and the preferred online closing and signing platform available for Westcor agents across the country. The partnership will give independent title agents a secure, scalable platform that empowers them to serve lenders’ online closings, as well as initiate their own online notarizations and signings, the companies said in a release.
“Buying a home is a complex process and we believe buyers and sellers get the best experience when they work with independent title agents. At Westcor, we’re focused on giving agents the tools they need to compete and win in today’s changing market,” said Mary O’Donnell, president and CEO of Westcor. “We have been impressed by the Notarize team and their online signing platform, which will enable our title agent partners to meet clients online for the first time, when and where they want. It offers borrowers the option of an online closing and reduces agents’ operational costs. We are live with Notarize and are pleased to support any lender or title agent looking to offer their clients an online closing or signing in these markets. Oftentimes world-class technology such as Notarize stays in the hands of only the large underwriter direct operations. We see this as an opportunity to make this technology available to every one of our independent agents who would like to offer this to their lender clients and consumers.”
Notarize for Mortgage will be made available in the 16 new states effective immediately and for all transactions types, including purchase, refinance, HELOCs and all cash transactions. These changes will be reflected in the Notarize Smart Routing Service, ensuring participants can find partners and execute transactions everywhere possible. Existing Notarize customers will be the first to offer online closings in the identified markets. The companies will work to onboard additional lenders and title agents.
“Westcor is an ideal partner for Notarize. They share our vision for fundamentally improving the closing experience,” said Adam Pase, co-founder and COO of Notarize. “Westcor works tirelessly to support title agents across the country and together, we will equip thousands of agents with Notarize to offer a fully online signing and notarization experience for all parties involved. Notarize is the only company that allows a signer to click to close when and wherever they like—no scheduling required that disrupts your life and no driving to the closing. We are looking forward to building on our customer satisfaction and success to date as we expand into additional markets.”
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.