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WFG National Title Insurance Co. has expanded its agency footprint to include four additional western states — Colorado, Utah, Montana and Wyoming — and named Brian Phillips, 12-year veteran of the title industry, to head operations for the company’s new Rocky Mountain Region.
Brian Phillips
Before joining WFG in April, Phillips was a principal at Title Insurance Group in Denver. His experience also includes serving as Western Division Manager for First National Title Insurance Co., and CEO of Attorneys Title Guaranty Fund.
Kristen Jorgensen
Phillips will share responsibility for growing the new Rocky Mount Region’s title agent base with Kristen Jorgensen, agency sales representative. Jorgensen has more than 11 years of experience in title insurance, and served as the western regional agency representative for First National Title Insurance Co. before joining WFG in May.
Suzanne Tinsley
“We are thrilled to have Brian and Kristen heading our expansion into the Rocky Mountain Region,” said Suzanne Tinsley, Southwest and Western regional manager, in a statement. “Brian has a long and established history of supporting agents in this region, and he knows what they need most to succeed in today’s market. His wealth of title experience, industry knowledge, and relationships are exactly what we need to build this region into what WFG agents have come to expect and value.”
One of the nation’s top three independent title insurers, WFG Title Insurance wrote $744 million in premiums in 2021, or 2.8 percent of a $26.2 billion market, according to an analysis by the American Land Title Association.
WFG National Title Insurance is a division of Portland-based Williston Financial Group, which operates three business divisions — company-owned direct title operations, agency operations, and enterprise solutions.
- WFG National Title Insurance Company is a title insurance underwriter licensed in 49 states (Iowa does not require title insurance).
- WFG Lenders Services is a centralized provider of title, closing and settlement services for mortgage lenders nationwide.
- WFG Enterprise Solutions includes WFG Lender Services and Valutrust Solutions, WFG’s national appraisal management and valuation service company. WFG NTIC Default Title Services, WFG’s trustee gale guarantee and default title services division, is also part of WFG Enterprise Solutions.
Last fall, WFG Enterprise Solutions introduced MyHome Funder Dashboard, a tool that gives mortgage lenders and closers instant insight into the history and status of every loan in their pipeline, along with the steps remaining to get to the closing table.
The MyHome Funder Dashboard tool builds on WFG National Title Insurance’s MyHome portal and mobile app, which coordinates the roles of all parties involved in residential real estate transactions.
Other tools developed by WFG to increase collaboration and transparency include DecisionPoint, a title status decision engine that determines title clearance timelines after analyzing property encumbrances and applicant circumstances, and MyHome Exchange, which is aimed at reducing application-to-close turn-times.
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