We invite you to browse the fourth quarter 2017 First American Real Estate Sentiment Index, which is based on a quarterly survey of independent title agents and other real estate professionals, providing a unique gauge on the real estate market using the crowd-sourced wisdom and expertise of real estate experts.

“The increase in optimism was primarily driven by the rise in expectations among survey respondents for refinance volume growth, possibly indicating confidence that low rates will continue to benefit the real estate market.”

Highlights from the Q4 2017 RESI include:

• Title agent and real estate professional confidence increases from last quarter: “Optimism among title agents and real estate professionals increased this quarter, as they expressed confidence that transaction volume will grow in the coming year. The increase in optimism was primarily driven by the rise in expectations among survey respondents for refinance volume growth, possibly indicating confidence that low rates will continue to benefit the real estate market,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American.

• Fintech effectiveness in closing real estate transactions: “Title agents and real estate professionals saw clear value in automated loan approval and electronic data collection technology to facilitate the digital mortgage and reduce the burden of document signing. Interestingly, the difference in favorable responses to the two different forms of eSigning (in-person or online/remote/webcam) highlights the current debate over the role of a notary public in the closing process,” said Fleming.

For more information and analysis, including title agent and real estate professional sentiment on price and transaction volume growth by property type nationally and at the state level, please visit the Real Estate Sentiment Index.