Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group Spotlight

Opportunity

Implementing eMortgage was a way for Atlantic Bay to stay ahead of the technology curve, and after investigating they decided eClosings were at the top of the list for the company.

The path to implementation started with research of regulations and eNote platforms in 2018. Jennifer Solis, Vice President of Closing, led implementation testing and spent 3 months testing their eClosing processes end-to-end. They started with hybrid closings, where some or all of the loan documents except the promissory note are signed electronically, to get partners acquainted with the platform before introducing electronic promissory notes (eNotes) in March of 2020. Achieving the end goal of delivering eNotes was a smooth process in part due to the intensive testing conducted.

Challenges

It was an adjustment to get all parties involved and onboard with eClosings. Initially, settlement agents were not onboard with offering eClosing, even if the borrower chose the option. To increase adoption, they provided how-to guides and demos to help familiarize them with the eClosing process.

With eClosings becoming increasingly common due to COVID-19, settlement agents have had to adapt quickly. In spring 2020, eClosing exploded and settlement agents had to hop onboard to continue to operate.

Benefits and Takeaways

For Atlantic Bay, the biggest pay off is time saved in their post-close and transfer process.

“The transfer of the note is seamless, and everything happens so much faster with an eClose package and eNote. We’re seeing the benefit on the back end with getting the loan purchased a lot faster. Instead of overnighting the paper note, we can electronically transfer the eNote through our eClose portal. It’s just a few clicks and the warehouse bank can accept the eNote within minutes.” - Jennifer Solis, VP of Closing

With eNotes, Atlantic Bay has avoided packages being lost or shipping delays that would occur when transferring paper notes.

Having the systems and process in place for eClosings and eNotes has been a huge advantage amidst COVID-19. Atlantic Bay can offer borrowers the option to choose an eClosing. It’s also prompted settlement agents and loan officers to push for eClosings to avoid the in-person closings and maintain social distancing. Everyone appreciates how quickly the eClosing goes.

Today, Atlantic Bay plans to expand their eMortgage and eClosing business.

Best practices for implementing eClosing and eMortgage

• Test technology systems with all partners. Doing extensive testing upfront gave Atlantic Bay the confidence to move forward knowing they had everything in place for delivery and know what to do when they rolled out eClosings.
• When evaluating technology partners, it’s important to explore platforms that fit current and future needs. Even though they started out with hybrids, Atlantic Bay knew they wanted to go with a platform that had the e-vault capability and was approved by different agencies.
• Communication with the borrower is key. Prepare the borrower on what to do when electronically signing the closing package. Atlantic Bay also implemented a daily check-in on eClosing packages to ensure the borrower signed everything on the day of closing.

Ready to begin?

Start delivering eMortgages to Fannie Mae today!

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Still have questions? Contact the Fannie Mae eMortgage Team.