News Updates

ATTOM Becomes Fast-Growing Data Licensing Company With CEO Rob Barber At The Helm

As the real estate industry continues to digitize, ATTOM continues to grow rapidly by providing a broad spectrum of businesses the data needed to enable digital products. Once an investor focused subscription business, ATTOM has evolved into the country’s leading data licensing platform and expanded at a remarkable speed. At the helm is Rob Barber, ATTOM’s CEO since 2015, who was recently named to the SP 200 (Swanepoel Power 200) for 2021, recognized as the definitive ranking of the most powerful and influential executives in the residential real estate industry. With over two decades of diversified experience in rebuilding and scaling companies, Barber has a strong track record in professionalizing businesses with turnaround strategies that transform teams, sales models, operational processes, and culture. The impact he has had on the industry has earned him additional recognition. Barber has also been named a HousingWire Vanguard, RISMedia Newsmaker, and Maverick and Tech Innovator of the Year by the American Business Awards. Under Rob’s leadership, ATTOM has been selected as a Top Company to Work for by MReport and recognized by HousingWire as a Tech100 company every year since 2015. Backed by a fast-growing team of passionate professionals, Barber has been able to scale ATTOM into a leading provider of nationwide real estate and property data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties. In addition to acquiring several companies, ATTOM has built out three industry-leading divisions, ATTOM Data Solutions, RealtyTrac.com and Home Junction, catering to a range of entrepreneurs—from those who build businesses in their garage to those operating out of skyscrapers. Says Barber: “The industry is benefiting from our success as an honest, transparent data partner to entrepreneurs who have a vision and want to innovate solutions today that impact tomorrow. We truly support them in creating businesses based on data—and we never compete with them. That’s why so many entrepreneurs trust us as their strategic partner.” Along with the proliferation of ATTOM’s portfolio offerings and partnerships, the company’s leadership and workplace culture of empowerment have attracted a growing body of top talent from all over the country. This laser focus on leveraging the diversity of the workplace while encouraging accountability and open communication is a top initiative for Barber.  “Our culture requires employees to own their own outcomes. We encourage our team to make their own decisions and quickly learn from any mistakes. Every voice matters,” says Barber. “That’s why we promote distributed organizational decision-making and accountability. We value speed, abhor red tape and so do our customers.”   The impact of ATTOM’s expanded portfolio of proprietary property data and functional solutions has already proven crucial for businesses operating in today’s current climate. Since the onset of the pandemic, Barber has ensured that ATTOM provided real-time housing market updates and real-world data solutions to meet industry needs and new use cases. Throughout the worldwide crisis, he has laser focused the company on consistently carrying out its values, vision, and mission by investing in its most valuable resource: people.

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Alliant Capital’s 2021 Outlook Reveals Key Insights for Affordable Housing Industry

Alliant Capital, a leading firm focused on tax credit syndication for the development and financing of affordable multifamily rental housing, has released their inaugural Annual Outlook. The report reveals findings about 2020 and insights for 2021 by the firm’s senior leaders – professionals across multiple lines of the affordable housing industry with an average of 25 years’ experience. The outlook brings together data from multiple U.S. Census bureaus and Alliant Capital’s proprietary database, which has been gathering key industry data and insights since 1998. Alliant Capital’s Top 2021 Observations and Predictions: Multifamily housing remains among the top most desirable asset classes Rent collections exceeded expectations in 2021; this is expected to continue through 2021 with continued Federal support Despite the pandemic and economic uncertainty, American households are in better financial standing than they were entering the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, with higher savings, lower debt burdens, and higher real incomes. However, should consumer habits be permanently adjusted following the conclusion of the pandemic, real risks could seep into the economy, causing a negatively recursive effect that drags employment, income growth, lending, and investing down with it. Lending has proven resilient through the pandemic, helped largely by liquidity programs from the Fed (PPP et. al.) and displays a level of confidence and support in the economy essential to its recovery, while delinquencies remain low. “Our findings have uncovered, surprisingly, a fair amount of stability across the affordable housing industry and the Alliant portfolio,” notes Dudley Benoit, Alliant Capital’s Executive Vice President. “Though many expected a sharp downturn in collections and almost every other statistic or data point that we could review, our data shows us the opposite.” About Alliant Capital The Alliant Company is a leading tax credit (LIHTC) firm focused on providing tax credit syndication for the development and financing of affordable multifamily rental housing. Founded in 1997 to assist in America’s critical need for affordable housing, today Alliant is among the nation’s top syndicators and has an unparalleled track record of success. With a dedicated team of experienced commercial real estate, asset management, legal and tax professionals, Alliant provides the highest level of fully integrated real estate and investment support services. We deliver rock-solid expertise with an innovative perspective.

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U.S. HOME SELLER PROFITS SOAR IN 2020 AS PRICES SET NEW RECORDS IN SPITE OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Profits on Home Sales Increase in Nine of Every 10 Housing Markets in 2020; National Median Home Price Up 13 Percent From Last Year to $266,250; Homeowners Now Staying In Their Homes More Than Eight Years Before Selling ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation’s premier property database, released its Year-End 2020 U.S. Home Sales Report, which shows that home sellers nationwide in 2020 realized a home-price gain of $68,843 on the typical sale, up from $53,700 in 2019 and $48,500 two years ago. Profits rose in more than 90 percent of housing markets with enough data to analyze and the latest figure, based on median purchase and resale prices, marked the highest level in the United States since at least 2005. The $68,843 profit on median priced single-family homes and condos represented a 34.7 percent return on investment compared to the original purchase price, up from 29.4 percent last year and 27.2 percent in 2018, to the highest average home-seller return on investment since 2006. Both raw profits and ROI have improved nationwide for nine straight years. And last year’s gain in ROI – up more than five percentage points – marked the largest annual increase since 2017. Profits shot up as the national median home price rose 12.8 percent in 2020 to $266,250 – a record high. The combination of rising profits and record prices came during a year when the national housing market fended off damage that afflicted wide swaths of the U.S. economy after the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 began spreading across the country in February. Unemployment rose to levels not seen since the Great Depression as millions of businesses temporarily or permanently closed or cut back. But a housing market boom that began in 2012 continued into its ninth year as a spate of buyers relatively unaffected financially by the pandemic – including a cluster looking to escape virus-prone urban areas – chased a declining supply of houses and pushed prices ever higher. “Last year marked a unique year in the history of home prices and profits in the United States. A once-in-a-century health crisis tore through much of the nation’s economy but seemed to have the opposite effect on the housing market,” said Todd Teta, chief product officer at ATTOM Data Solutions. “Demand remained strong as people who could afford the space and relative safety of single-family homes did just that, aided by super-low mortgage rates and a strong stock market. But they went after a narrowing supply of housing stock, so prices soared and so did seller profits. While it is unclear how long that will last, in the annals of history, there will be few years recorded as better for sellers and more challenging for buyers.”  Among 132 metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than 200,000 and sufficient sales data, those in western states continued to reap the highest returns on investment, with concentrations on or near the West Coast. The top 10 metro areas with the highest ROIs on typical home sales were all in the West, led by in San Jose, CA (87.3 percent return on investments); Seattle, WA (72.1 percent); Salem, OR (69.6 percent); Spokane, WA (69.2 percent) and San Francisco, CA (68.2 percent).  Historical U.S. Home Seller Gains Prices rise at least 10 percent in more than half the country as most markets hit new highs. The U.S. median home price increased 12.8 percent in 2020, hitting an all-time annual high of $266,250. The annual home-price appreciation in 2020 outpaced the combined increases of 4.4 percent in 2019 and the 4.8 percent increase in 2018. The increase in 2020 topped all annual gains since at least 2006 in the United States. Since the U.S. housing market began recovering in 2012 from the Great Recession of the late 2000s, the national median home price has risen 72.3 percent. All 132 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of 200,000 or more and sufficient home price data saw median prices increase in 2020, while 69 saw prices spike at least 10 percent. Those with the biggest year-over-year increases in median home prices were Bridgeport, CT (up 21.4 percent); Myrtle Beach, SC (up 20.5 percent); Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL (up 19.6 percent); Boise, ID (up 18.7 percent) and Hilton Head, SC (up 18.3 percent). The largest median-price increases in metro areas with a population of at least 1 million in 2020 came in Milwaukee, WI (up 15.3 percent); Memphis, TN (up 15.1 percent); Phoenix, AZ (up 14.9 percent); Birmingham, AL (up 13.7 percent) and Seattle, WA (up 12.9 percent). Home prices in 2020 reached new peaks in 129 of the 132 metros (97 percent) analyzed, including New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX and Houston, TX. The smallest gains among the 132 metro areas were in Worcester, MA (up 1.9 percent); Harrisburg, PA (up 2 percent); Pittsburgh, PA (up 3.3 percent); Boston, MA (up 3.5 percent) and Daphne-Fairhope, AL (up 4.1 percent). Profit margins increase in more than 90 percent of nation. Profit margins on typical home sales rose in 121 of the 132 metro areas with sufficient data to analyze in 2020 (92 percent). The largest annual increases in investment returns came in Mobile, AL (margin up 181.1 percent); Augusta, GA (up 112.8 percent); Huntsville, AL (up 84.4 percent); Davenport, IA (up 75.6 percent) and New Haven, CT (up 73.4 percent). Among metro areas with a population of at least 1 million in 2020, the largest annual ROI increases were in Birmingham, AL (up 71.5 percent); Hartford, CT (up 56.9 percent); Cleveland, OH (up 52.2 percent); Rochester, NY (up 49.9 percent) and St. Louis, MO (up 45.7 percent). The biggest annual decreases in investment returns in 2020 came in Honolulu, HI (down 11.8 percent); Greeley, CO (down 8.9 percent); Miami, FL (down 7.7 percent); Cape Coral, FL (down 7.4 percent) and San Francisco, CA (down 5.7 percent). Aside from Miami and San Francisco, the only metro areas with a population of at least 1 million and

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VP of Largest Black-Owned Mortgage Lender, Legacy Home Loans, Receives Industry-Wide Recognition

At a time when some real estate finance leaders have questioned the existence of Black talent within the industry, LEGACY Home Loans is starting the year off strong, celebrating the various wins of its Vice President of Operations, Jammie Jelks, who has been accepted into Forbes’ Real Estate Council—an invitation-only community for executives in real estate. Along with this great distinction, Jammie Jelks has also been named a “Visionary” by the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America.  Jammie Jelks, who handles everything from loan disclosures to funding for LEGACY’s 12 branches across the country, was selected by Forbes based on the depth and diversity of his experience, partnered with his proven track record of successfully impacting business growth metrics. “I am ecstatic to be a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council,” said Jelks. “Forbes is such a prestigious and highly regarded organization and it is an honor to be recognized as an industry leader amongst some of the most prominent names in real estate. I am looking forward to sharing my voice and real estate finance insights with Forbes’ network.” “We are honored to welcome Jammie Jelks into the community,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Forbes Councils, the collective that includes Forbes Real Estate Business Council. “Our mission with Forbes Councils is to bring together proven leaders from every industry, creating a curated, social capital-driven network that helps every member grow professionally and make an even greater impact on the business world.” Jammie has also been deemed a “Visionary” by the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America. NAMMBA’s mission is to create a culture of diversity and inclusion within the real estate finance industry that mirrors the communities we live in and serve. Per its website, NAMMBA’s “Visionary” designation is “for CEO’s, senior leaders and industry stakeholders to show support for diversity and inclusion.”

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Toorak Capital Dedicates $500 million to Acquire Long-Term Rental Investor Loans

Toorak Capital Partners (Toorak), the largest capital provider to the residential bridge real estate lending industry, has announced a major capital commitment to its unique Long-Term Rental Investor Loan program. Toorak will dedicate up to $500 million over the next year to purchase these loans in response to continued strength in the residential rental market and growing demand from investors utilizing ‘fix to rent’ strategies. “Single-family rentals have been one of the best performing asset classes in 2020, and our Rental Investor Loans are designed to meet the long-term needs of such rental investors,” said John Beacham, CEO of Toorak. “These 30-year term loans allow real estate investors to qualify for amounts up to 80% LTV based on future rents from the mortgaged property. The product is ideal for investors looking for longer-term financing options, including those who are refinancing a short-term bridge or rehabilitation loan.” Toorak, which has funded over $5.0 billion in loans since its inception in 2016, has been further expanding its Long-Term Rental Investor lending platform. “Over the past year, we’ve witnessed an already favorable single-family rental market grow in demand as lockdown policies put a premium on housing. Families are looking for quality long-term rental options, particularly in suburban areas. The lack of affordable homes across the country continues to push housing prices out of reach for many would be buyers, making single-family rentals an attractive option.” To qualify potential borrowers, Toorak uses innovative credit guidelines that focus on rents from the rental properties relative to the mortgage debt obligations (debt service coverage ratio, “DSCR”), instead of typical borrower income metrics used by majority of residential lenders like debt-to-income (“DTI”) ratio. Toorak’s high credit standards are reflected in de minimus losses across the entire Toorak portfolio — as well as regular securitization issuance attracting strong investor demand. To support the acquisition of the Long-Term Rental Investor loans, Toorak has made significant human capital additions over the last five months, including industry veterans Carole Mortensen, Ketan Parekh and Frank Shiau. Carole has joined as Head of Credit and brings over 20 years of experience in managing over $30 billion in ABS, RMBS and CMBS transactions from her leadership roles at M1 Strategic Advisors, Waterfall Asset Management, and Ready Capital, among others. Ketan joined as Head of Business Development & Capital Markets and brings over 25 years of experience in residential structured products, mortgage- and real estate-banking from his leadership roles at Invictus Capital Partners, Window Rock Capital Partners and Premium Point Investments, among others. Frank Shiau has joined as Head of Trading and bring over 13 years of experience in trading residential whole loans and bonds and managing securitizations at Fortress Investment Group, Shellpoint Partners, Ranieri Partners Asset Management, and PWC. The company has also invested heavily in technology to provide its lending partners with real-time insights on every step of the loan submission process. To learn more about Toorak Capital Partners’ 30-year Rental Investor Loans, please contact the firm at toorakcapital@toorakcapital.com or 212-393-4100. About Toorak Capital PartnersToorak Capital Partners is an integrated correspondent lending platform based in Summit, NJ. Toorak loans on small balance business purpose residential, multifamily and mixed-use properties throughout the US and the UK. Backed by global investment firm KKR, Toorak Capital Partners acquires loans directly from private lenders that originate high credit quality loans. Toorak Capital Partners’ principals have a deep understanding of mortgage credit in the residential and commercial space with backgrounds in real estate lending, capital markets, securitization, asset-liability management, asset management and credit. Toorak Capital Partners-funded projects have renovated or stabilized housing for more than 17,000 families to date – an average of more than 500 families every month. Further information is available at www.toorakcapital.com. 

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Realtor.com® Selects Qualia to Deliver Simplified Digital Home Closings

Realtor.com® and Qualia today announced a new relationship that will give agents and their clients a unique ability to collaborate online in real time with their title provider of choice as part of a fully integrated digital closing experience.  The experience will first launch next month as a pilot test in seven states across the country, followed by a nationwide launch later this year. The seven states are Florida, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. “Realtor.com® believes an open marketplace approach that offers choice, control, transparency and efficiency creates the best experience for home buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals,” said Move Inc. CEO David Doctorow. Move, Inc., is a subsidiary of News Corp and operates realtor.com®. “Our relationship with Qualia is a great example of this. We’re empowering agents by providing options to help them get their clients all the way through closing, as we simplify the process of buying and selling homes for people throughout their real estate journey.” Agents in realtor.com®‘s ReadyConnect Concierge℠ network will be able to use their existing ReadyConnect℠ Agent app to select one of the many highly rated title partners who are powered by Qualia’s platform. Agents can also introduce additional title partners to the network through the ReadyConnect Concierge℠ app and web experience. If they choose, agents can continue to work outside of the app with any title provider outside of the Qualia platform. If they work with a title provider in the Qualia network, agents and their clients can automatically manage and review documents, track progress in real time, and communicate with the chosen title company through the secure Qualia Connect platform. The platform’s security features also help protect buyers from phishing and fraud; cyber crime in real estate transactions has been increasing rapidly over the past few years, according to FBI reports. Consumers can sign their closing documents, and in select states some participants can have them remotely notarized with Qualia’s fully integrated Remote Online Notarization tool, as well. In states that allow fully remote closings, agents who give their clients the ability to e-close by working with title providers that embrace modern, digital solutions can set themselves apart from the competition. In an October 2020 Qualia Homebuyer Sentiment Survey, more than 60 percent of survey respondents said they wanted a fully digital closing experience, and more than half of home buyers chose their real estate agent based on a differentiated level of service around closing. Title and escrow providers in the Qualia network can grow their business with the increased exposure to the 140,000+ agents in realtor.com®‘s ReadyConnect Concierge℠ network. They will also save time and increase efficiencies by collaborating with agents and consumers on one secure, cloud-based closing platform. “The role that each participant in the home buying journey serves is evolving faster than we’ve ever seen,” said Qualia CEO Nate Baker. “Realtor.com® is a Proptech leader that has consistently remained ahead of the curve, empowering its agents to deliver a differentiated home buying experience. We are excited to help them continue this journey alongside our existing network of Qualia powered title and escrow partners across the country.” Title providers can learn more about Qualia and join the network at https://succeed.realtor.com/title-escrow-advertising.  Visit marketing.realtor.com/concierge to learn more about the ReadyConnect Concierge℠ network and how realtor.com®‘s referral program can help agents and brokers build their business. Unlike some other success-based models, ReadyConnect Concierge℠ is open to all brokers and their agents who want to join – as market conditions allow – and requires no upfront expenses.

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