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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 93 agents with actionable local insights and im- proved tools in the REO marketplace benefits our servicers as well as agents," said Michael C. Schreck, Senior Vice President of Equator. "By arming agents with local market intel- ligence and servicer certification requirements, agents can become more attractive to the country's top servicers who want their assets marketed more effectively to deliver improved ROI." e company states that Equator Agent Elite is designed to help REO real estate agents stand out and gain more REO business by providing a deeper understanding of local market activity, platform certification and facilitating proactive communications with servicers. e company states that some of the key Equator Agent Elite features include local REO market insights which contains visual data and analytics on Equator REO inven- tory from the nation's top servicers. e report also states that this county-level data can help provide agents powerful insight into their local market dynamics. ese insights, accord- ing to the company build on Equator's focus of bringing data and analytics to the REO marketplace that are a valuable addition to the national/regional level reporting currently available. Another key feature includes neighborhood REO alerts which allows agents to receive real-time notifications when new REO prop- erties are available on Equator and proactively communicate to the servicer or asset manager their interest in marketing the listing and share any unique qualifications that validate their candidacy. e company also states that Equator Agent Elite includes REO training and cer- tification which provides detailed instruction on key servicer workflow, REO and short-sale features complete with industry terms and information. ClosingCorp Names Tom Rice VP, National Account Representative ClosingCorp, a provider of residential real estate closing cost data and technology for the mortgage and real estate services indus- tries, recently announced that Tom Rice has been named vice president, national account representative. e release states that in this role, Rice will identify, develop and maintain business relationships, as well as manage the sales process for new prospects, from initial contact through closure. Additionally, he will report to Dave Petro, senior vice president of sales and business development. "In order to provide our clients with the solutions they need to effectively and efficiently manage the mortgage process, we need to build a team focused on innovation and su- perior service," said Petro. "Tom has a proven track record of successfully building and maintaining business relationships through a flexible approach and ability to assess as well as meet customer needs. I am confident he will make an excellent addition to our team." Rice is an experienced executive with a comprehensive knowledge of the mortgage and banking industry. e release states that prior to joining ClosingCorp, Rice was busi- ness development manager, southwest region, of Optimal Blue Secondary Services. He was also sales director at Veros Real Estate Solu- tions, southwest regional account manager at Black Knight Financial services, southwest re- gional account manager at CalyxSoftware, and premier client manager at Bank of America. He received his B.S. in Accounting from San Diego State University and his M.B.A. in International Management from the Univer- sity of Denver. UTAH International Document Services Acquires Encomia International Document Services (IDS), a mortgage document preparation vendor head- quartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a divi- sion of the Reynolds and Reynolds Company, announced it has acquired Encomia, a provider of eMortgage solutions to both depository and non-depository lenders. is is the first acquisition for IDS since becoming part of Reynolds and Reynolds in October 2015. By acquiring Encomia, IDS will be in a position to deliver a broader comple- ment of electronic mortgage origination and closing services to clients and the industry at large. Encomia's eClosing platform, which is designed to streamline electronic loan ap- plications and closings, and software tools are used by major mortgage lenders and provide such services as electronic document storage (eVault), eSignature capture, eValidation, and asset and income verification services. "When you look at the current mort- gage industry landscape, the eMortgage is inevitable—it's a matter of 'when,' not 'if,' and IDS wants to be at the forefront of delivering the tools and services our clients need to make the eMortgage a reality within their organiza- tions," said Mark Mackey, vice president and general manager of IDS. "IDS has historically developed its technology in-house, but we felt there was something to be said for bringing to our clients a proven eMortgage solution that has a demonstrable track record of success in some of the largest lending institutions in the country. To us, that's what Encomia brings to the table and why this acquisition made perfect sense." Regulators, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), support the industry's adoption of eClosing not only because of the potential benefits of eClosing to the mortgage industry, but also because of potential benefits to consumers such as conve- nience, transparency, and security, according to Mackey. "rough the Encomia acquisition and other planned additions, IDS is injecting itself deeper into the eMortgage continuum, which starts with docs and moves through eSign, eNotary, eClosing, eNotes and, ultimately, eVault," Mackey said. "Adding innovative technologies like Encomia's bolsters our core strengths while also extending our ability to deliver greater efficiencies for lenders and a more transparent, rewarding experience for consumers." In August, the number of properties that received a foreclosure filing in Utah was 71 percent higher than the previous month, according to RealtyTrac. KNOW THIS

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