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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 18 December 2025 C O V E R S T O R Y From outdated reimbursement structures to mounting regulatory expectations, preservation firms are absorbing unprecedented strain. Industry executives reveal how resilience, automation, and smarter collaboration are keeping operations alive, and what needs to change. B y DAV I D W H A R T O N P roperty preservation and field services enter 2026 facing many headwinds. Costs have climbed, volumes have shifted, and stagnant pricing structures have left contractors and preservation vendors absorbing pressure from multiple angles. At the same time, servicers face heightened scrutiny, aging portfolios, and climate-driven risk, requiring faster reporting and tighter compliance. The industry is being asked to do more with less, even as the labor pool thins and technology investment becomes critical. In this year's look at the state of the property preservation sector, leaders from AREMCO, Cyprexx, ServiceLink, Genstone, and Safeguard share how they're redesigning operations, rebuild- ing the contractor ecosystem, and using technology—especially AI—not as a buzzword, but as a practical tool to keep properties safe, servicers compliant, and communities protected. CLELLAN KANE SVP, Asset Services, AREMCO Q: "Operational resilience" has become a key phrase across the servicing and preservation sectors. How do you define it in practical terms at AREMCO, and what does it look like in day-to- day execution? KANE: At AREMCO, operational resilience isn't a buzzword; it's the ability to perform no matter what hits the market, the weather, or the workload. In practice, it means our teams can pivot without compromising compliance or visibility. We build redundancy into processes, not just systems. So, if a storm, regulation, or vendor failure occurs, work continues without gaps. Every job order, photo log, and cost line is tied back to clear standards and live performance dashboards. Resilience, for us, looks like being able to deliver the same quality on day 1,000 as we did on day 1, regardless of conditions. Q: The property preservation space continues to be shaped by market swings, labor shortages, and evolving regulatory expectations. How has AREMCO built systems that stay agile amid those disruptions? KANE: We've designed AREMCO around controlled adaptability. Our structure combines internal crews, vetted vendor networks, and technology that gives real-time insight into field conditions and financial exposure. Because we oversee construction, preservation, and asset management under one command center, we can rebalance resources in hours instead of weeks. When regulations shift or volume spikes, our teams don't start D A V I D W H A R T O N , Editor-in-Chief of MortgagePoint, has 20 years' experience in journalism, having worked for the Five Star Institute since 2017. Wharton has an extensive and diversified portfolio of freelance material, with published con- tributions in both online and print media publications. He can be reached at David. Wharton@thefivestar.com. THE COST OF READINESS